City officials in CTA warn that 24-hour service might cease without added financial support from Springfield
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is facing a critical juncture as federal COVID relief funding has run dry, and without additional funding from Springfield, operating hours for buses and trains could be drastically reduced next year.
The CTA serves approximately 1 million people daily, and many of them, like Will Flinner, who recently moved to Chicago, rely on CTA services for job hunting and interviews. However, the looming budget crisis has left riders like Flinner and Carlos Barrientos concerned about potential cuts to services and their personal safety.
CTA officials are preparing for two budget scenarios for next year: one with the money they are seeking to avoid cuts, and the other without additional money from Springfield. In the latter case, buses and trains could stop running at 9 p.m. nightly.
The CTA, Metra, and Pace face a combined $771 million budget shortfall in 2026, and Illinois is dead last in funding transportation, according to CTA budget director Lisa Smith. CTA Acting President Nora Leehrsen has urged state lawmakers to provide more funding next year, with a focus on security as a high priority.
To address safety concerns, the CTA has emphasised the heightened awareness and observation from police at CTA stations due to the new Strategic Decision Support Center. The Chicago Police Department's Public Transportation Section has established this centre to monitor crime at CTA stations.
However, the increasing violence on CTA services has left some riders, like Barrientos, feeling unsafe. He has expressed a desire to hear leadership address riders' safety concerns.
Recent incidents include three CTA workers who have been attacked over the past month, as well as a community alert about a man who attacked two riders on a bus on the West Side.
Jermont Terry, a news team member born and raised on Chicago's South Side, has joined the news team in October 2019. He will no doubt be closely following the developments at the CTA, as the authority holds its final budget town hall meeting on Sept. 25 at Malcolm X College.
As the budget crisis deepens, the CTA continues to seek solutions to ensure the safety and reliability of its services for the millions of people who depend on them every day.
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