Over 90 attendees were transported into a discussion on Rebuild Illinois, the state’s first “comprehensive, multi-year capital plan since 2009”, and the overall state of public funding for transit. Speakers included Estefany Noria - SB Friedman, Steve Hands - Chicago Transit Authority, Kyle Whitehead - Active Transportation Alliance, and Elizabeth Shuh – CMAP. Presenters discussed the potential impact the new funding will provide locally and statewide and concluded that while the new legislation is a step in the right direction, innovative funding strategies are still needed to close the gap in order to achieve transit improvements. Strategies covered were the creation of transit TIFs and business districts, exploration of increases in taxes on motor fuel sales and transportation network companies, and consideration of alternative service improvement scenarios. Projects discussed during this session included the CTA Red and Purple Modernization and the RTA North Central Service Corridor Analysis & Implementation Study.

Thank you to our speakers for providing such insightful presentations and to CTA for hosting! The APA Illinois’ Chicago Metro Section looks forward to future collaborations with Transport Chicago.