Chicago RTA adopts transit operating, capital budgets

Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) board this week adopted its 2022 regional transit budget and five-year capital program.

The RTA oversees the finances and conducts planning for the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace, the region’s bus and paratransit system.

The 2022 budget includes $3.4 billion for operations — an increase of 4.6% over the financial plan for 2022 adopted pre-COVID — and the 2022-2026 Regional Capital Program of $5.26 billion. This is the second year the RTA has passed a budget amidst disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, agency officials said in a press release.

The 2022 operating budget reflects three federal relief packages that have provided unprecedented support to public transit operations during the pandemic.

Over the past two years, the RTA has allocated $3.37 billion in federal relief to compensate for lower public funding and operating revenue. With these relief allocations, the RTA estimates that operating budgets for CTA, Metra, and Pace will be stabilized through third-quarter 2025.

System ridership realized only modest gains from 2020 to 2021 and is projected to end the year around half of pre-pandemic levels. The CTA, Metra and Pace budgets do not include fare increases for riders, and price reductions on select passes as well as new pass options have been introduced to encourage riders to return to the transit system.

The approved 2022-2026 capital program will fund investments in infrastructure, vehicles and equipment. The program is 17.1% less than the 2021-2025 capital program. The decrease is because Rebuild Illinois bond funds — more than $2 billion — were programmed and granted in 2020 and 2021, though projects will continue to be delivered over the next five years.

The 2022 capital program does not yet include funding from the recently passed federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.