RTA board elects Dillard to third term as chair

The Chicago Regional Transportation Authority's (RTA) board voted to elect current Chairman Kirk Dillard to a third five-year term. He has served as chair since June 2014.

The RTA is charged with regional financial oversight, funding and transit planning for the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace suburban bus and ADA paratransit services.

During Dillard’s first two terms, the authority adopted and implemented the Invest in Transit initiative, focused on capital funding and informed Rebuild Illinois — the state’s first capital program in more than 10 years and the first to include sustainable capital funding for transit, RTA officials said in a news release. 
 
A second initiative, Transit is the Answer, was adopted in February 2023 to guide the region’s transit systems through post-COVID adaptations and seek additional funding to help close a budget gap.

"With his history politically, his understanding of the state, the transit system, his passion, I can’t imagine anyone better suited to lead us through what’s going to be a very challenging coming several years," said Christopher Groven, a Kane County representative on RTA's board.