- Tri-Cities Central
- Posts
- Transit rescue stalls as local officials brace for potential cuts
Transit rescue stalls as local officials brace for potential cuts
Local leaders from Batavia, Geneva and across the suburbs had sounded the alarm over a proposed overhaul of the Chicago-area transit system.
Sam Kraft
June 03, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Welcome to Tri-Cities Central, a twice-weekly newsletter highlighting local happenings in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and surrounding communities.
Get yours: subscribe here. Refer a friend: share this link.
After months concern over a looming $770M budget shortfall in the region’s public transportation system, Illinois lawmakers ended their spring session without passing legislation to address the crisis.
This leaves the future of CTA, Metra and Pace uncertain.
The Illinois Senate narrowly passed a transit bill, but the measure never reached the House floor before the session deadline.
Key points:
Cuts are possible: Transit agencies say they’ll now begin preparing 2026 budgets with significantly reduced funding. That could potentially mean slashing up to 40% of services.
Governance concerns persist: The bill proposed replacing the Regional Transportation Authority with a new Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA). But suburban leaders, including many in the Tri-Cities, objected to the plan.
What’s next: Lawmakers could revisit the issue during a potential summer special session or the fall veto session, but the path forward remains murky.
Tri-Cities area leaders had voiced strong opposition to the proposed legislation:
“This is a political time bomb in your hand. You better be very cautious about what you vote for.“
“The funding mechanism as being proposed is nothing more than statutory pickpocketing of counties throughout the collar counties, and communities within the counties.”
“Our success depends on working together and making sure every voice is heard. By leveraging each county's strengths and resources, we can address complex issues—from economic development to infrastructure—more effectively. Working together creates solutions that benefit all, rather than fragmented efforts."
“It appears to confirm our initial fears that this is a Chicago-Cook County takeover of regional transit funding and operations because the voting thresholds appear to be heavily skewed toward Cook County and the City of Chicago. We will continue to fight for fairness and equity in board representation and voting power for the five collar counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will, which comprise a significant portion of the regional public transit system.”
Watch a Kane County news conference about the proposed legislation on YouTube.
📖 Thanks for reading
Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with questions or comments.
Not signed up yet? Subscribe here.
Reply