Overview

• RTA directors voted unanimously to reallocate about $74 million in discretionary funds from Metra and Pace to the CTA, a sum representing roughly 1.7% of the regional budget.
• The transfer is expected to push CTA’s budget cliff back by two to three months into mid-2026, with officials warning that up to 40% service cuts loom next year without new state funding.
• The board also backed cost controls on ADA alternatives RAP and TAP, capping riders at 30 trips per month and restoring fares to $3.25 starting Oct. 1 to curb a paratransit shortfall.
• Disability advocates denounced the paratransit changes, saying the limits would restrict work, medical visits, and daily life, while RTA leaders called the moves difficult but necessary.
• Negotiations continue in Springfield on new revenue and governance changes after a spring bill stalled, with RTA staff projecting $10–$20 million in extra monthly sales-tax receipts that ease but do not close the $771 million gap.