Proposed operating budget holds the line on fares, and not only maintain current service levels, but aims to continue building on recent successes
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today proposed a $2.16 billion operating budget that keeps fares at current levels, delivers more bus and rail service hours than provided in 2019, and fuels new and ongoing investments to either expand or modernize existing infrastructure, while also evolving current systems to meet modern transit riding needs.
The proposed spending budget reflects an 8.1 percent increase (or $161.1 million) over the previous year’s budget and supports CTA’s ongoing workforce initiatives for hiring, training and retaining key operations personnel to provide service levels that exceed 2019/pre-pandemic levels.
This proposed operating budget also offers opportunities for the CTA to continue to innovate and seek out new measures for improving key areas of the transit riding experience, including enhanced customer communications; improved transit connections and services; and ongoing investments to provide cleaner, brighter, safer, more modern and accessible facilities.
“Our workforce of 10,000 has put forth an impressive effort to ensure CTA either reached its goals or is on the path to do so by the end of the year -- including increasing ridership, restoring our service levels to pre-pandemic levels, and making significant progress in advancing system improvements,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “And I am truly excited about what’s in store for 2025 as we build on this momentum and look to add even more service, improve accessibility, begin work to expand our system, and continue our investments in our personnel, infrastructure and fleets.”
Progress Made in 2024
At the start of 2024, CTA set-out to address three major goals: continue building ridership; strengthen our workforce; and restore bus and service levels to pre-pandemic levels.
The CTA, plus regional transit agencies Metra and Pace, are facing a post-pandemic fiscal cliff—a $730 million combined budget shortfall expected in FY2026. This deficit is a direct result of an inadequate state funding formula, passed in 1983, that has been further exacerbated by the ridership and revenue declines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While there has been increased public transit funding since 1983, many of those funding changes have not kept up with the cost of employee wages and pension payments which required systemwide service cuts in the past to afford.
Despite the financial challenges, the CTA continues to look for ways to operate more efficiently and effectively, while also lobbying and appealing elected officials to reimagine how public transit is funded. With a new funding formula and support for transit equity from elected officials, CTA can make transformational change in terms of how it supports and provides transit service in the Chicago region.
Plans for 2025 and Beyond
The CTA’s 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program—which is separate from the agency’s operating budget—calls for $6.96 billion in projects over the next five years. This budget reflects CTA’s ongoing commitment towards the modernization and improvement of its physical infrastructure—tracks, rail stations, buses and trains, facilities and technologies.
Key capital projects to continue or begin in 2025 include:
Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One: Substantial completion of Phase One project work in 2025, which includes the reconstruction of the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr Red Line stations and adjacent track structures.
Red Line Extension (RLE): The anticipated start of work to extend the CTA’s busiest rail line to the southern City limits is anticipated in 2025. This transformational project will provide greatly improved transit access and connectivity to the Far South Side of Chicago.
All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP): In 2025, CTA plans to open six newly accessible stations: Lawrence, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, and Argyle as part of the Red Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One Project; Racine as part of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild; and the Austin on the Green Line. Further, approximately $37 million in funding has been secured for systemwide elevator replacement work, which is also expected to begin in 2025.
Rail and Bus Fleet Modernization: Increased production of the 7000-series–CTA’s newest generation of railcars. Plus, ongoing quarter-life overhauls of the agency’s 5000-series. Plus, the continuation of efforts to gradually update our facilities to support the operation of electric buses.
Operations Control and Training Facility: Advancement of plans to construct a new
state-of-the-art facility in the West Garfield Park neighborhood to house the CTA's 24/7 control center, which oversees all bus, rail, and power operations, as well as over 250 employees. The facility will also serve as the primary training center for CTA's workforce of over 10,000 employees.
More information on the proposed 2025 budget is at transitchicago.com/finance/.
A public hearing will be held on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at CTA headquarters located at 567 W. Lake Street, second floor conference room, Chicago, Illinois 60661. The facility is accessible to people with disabilities.
At the public hearing, an American Sign Language interpreter and a Spanish interpreter will be provided. Individuals with disabilities who require other accommodations to review the budget or provide feedback should contact the Office of the Board Secretary at Boardoffice@transitchicago.com or by calling 312-681-5022 or contact Relay.
CTA will afford an opportunity for interested persons or agencies to be heard at the public hearing with respect to social, economic, environmental and other related aspects of the Proposed 2025-2029 Capital Program of Projects, 2025 Operating Budget and Program and the Financial Plan for 2026 and 2027. Written and oral comments will be taken into consideration prior to adoption of the Proposed 2025-2029 Capital Program of Projects, 2025 Operating Budget and Program and the Financial Plan for 2026 and 2027.
WRITTEN STATEMENTS. Written comments may be submitted for consideration in the following manner: by correspondence addressed to Chicago Transit Authority, Office of the Board Secretary, 567 W. Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661; by hand delivery to the above address turned in to the first floor mail room; by fax to 312-681-5035; or by email to Boardoffice@transitchicago.com. Written comments must be submitted by 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
ORAL STATEMENTS. Members of the public who wish to speak at the public hearing are encouraged to register prior to the hearing, by completing and submitting a Request to Speak form online at transitchicago.com/finance by 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Persons wishing to provide an in-person oral statement at the public hearing will be announced to deliver their remarks during the public hearing. Persons wishing to deliver their remarks via dial-in must indicate the dial-in option on the Request to Speak form. Registered speakers who have opted to dial-in will be called by CTA, at the telephone number provided on their Request to Speak form, during the Thursday, November 7, 2024 hearing to be connected to the public hearing proceedings.
REGISTRATION AT THE TIME OF THE HEARING. Members of the public may also make in-person requests while the hearing is in process. Such requests will be accepted between 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 7, 2024. Individuals who pre-register to speak will be heard first. Individuals who request to speak while the hearing is in progress will then speak in the order their request was received.
