What to Know
- The bill is part of a larger effort to combat climate change and to make the transportation sector carbon-neutral
- The MMA would cover all bus, rail operations in McHenry, Lake, Kane, DuPage, Cook and Will counties
- Additional funds would be allocated to cover operations of the new agency
A pair of Illinois lawmakers are proposing legislation that would merge four separate transit agencies in the Chicago area into a single entity, aiming to streamline transportation and to prevent the duplication of efforts to seek funding among other changes.
The bill, which will be introduced this week in Springfield by State Sen. Ram Villivalam, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, and State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, would combine the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace into a single agency, which would be called the Metropolitan Mobility Authority (MMA).
“Sustainable public transportation supports livable, walkable communities, enables equitable and affordable access to opportunities, underpins a vibrant economy, and improves public health,” Villivalam said in a statement. “We need to have a robust conversation and make major strides to achieve the regional transit system our constituents deserve, one that is integrated and commuter-centered.”
The lawmakers unveiled the plan at a press conference Monday in Chicago. In a press release, the duo said that the current model that requires agencies to compete for funds and to duplicate services, and that a streamlined single agency would be better suited to meeting challenges posed by funding issues and climate change.
According to the bill, the MMA would oversee all bus, rail and paratransit operations in McHenry, Lake, Kane, DuPage, Cook, and Will counties.
A 19-person board would oversee the new agency, according to the text of the bill. Three of the voting directors would be chosen by the governor’s office, in conjunction with the General Assembly.
The mayor of Chicago and the president of the Cook County Board would each choose five directors, with directors also chosen by leadership in the six counties impacted by the board’s purview.
The bill sets aside $1.5 billion in funding for management of the new agency, according to officials.
The merger of the four agencies is part of the much-larger Clean and Equitable Transportation Act, which would seek to create standards for zero-emission vehicles and to create targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The bill’s goal is to make the transportation sector in Illinois 100% carbon-free by the year 2050.
That bill is expected to be introduced in Springfield on Tuesday, according to a press release.