October 03, 2025
The following is testimony delivered by Civic Federation Senior Policy Advisor Paula Worthington to the Regional Transit Authority's Ad Hoc Committee on Transit Funding on October 3, 2025. The original testimony has been edited slightly for publication.
The Civic Federation, along with a number of other civic and business-oriented organizations, sent a letter to this Committee earlier this week reiterating the urgency of transparency in this moment. Our letter echoed several of the items that Chairman Dillard included in his September 11 letter to the transit board chairs, calling for updates on the fiscal cliff and the timeline and details of the immediate impacts of the funding shortfall.
The Civic Federation recognizes the steps the RTA and service boards have taken to produce this updated information about the fiscal cliff and size of projected budget gaps over the next three years, as well as details of opportunities for efficiencies, cost savings, and system-generated revenue. We welcome all of this information and view it as critical to building a case to taxpayers and transit riders for the solutions that will be necessary to resolve the impending fiscal crisis.
In addition, we encourage sharing additional details, as presented today. such as:
- The size of the estimated budget gap by month and service board;
- Details of the exact services that would be cut; and
- Details of what a new fare structure might look like.
We also highlight the importance of sharing plans for the improvements in safety, service, and convenience that riders—both current and prospective--want to see. There is no basis for asking taxpayers for hundreds of millions of dollars without meaningful governance reform and significant improvements to the existing systems.
Therefore, we urge you to produce public-facing information on the estimated costs of improving service, including the new services in House Bill 3438; the use of pay-go vs. debt funds for capital projects; and estimates for potential new revenue options.
We know that some of this work is already being done—indeed, has been done, as we learned today —but the key here is sharing it with the public and inviting further discussion and deliberation. The most recent downward revision of the FY2026 budget gap to approximately $200 million indicates that the service boards can find ways to reduce costs. However, any near-term budget relief will be short-lived and does not absolve the transit agencies and the state legislature from passing both short-term and long-term funding solutions and governance reforms.
As the Illinois General Assembly soon reconvenes for veto session, all of this detailed information will be critical to informing the actions needed to head off a fiscal crisis. With deadlines quickly approaching, we hope to avoid the same breakdowns that occurred at the end of the spring legislative session with House Bill 3438. With transparent and clear communication of the facts, challenges, and policy options intended to build trust among all stakeholders and the public, we believe that consensus on governance and funding reforms can be reached—and the case for more funding fully made--, thus supporting our transit system and its contributions to the region.