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The first regional transit budget
The new regional transit agency votes Dec. 10 on its first budget: $5.04 billion to run CTA, Metra and Pace in 2027.
Board vote: · checked Nov. 12, 2026
$5.04Bto run CTA, Metra and Pace in 2027
$1.3Bof that is new money from the 2025 transit law
$9.73Bfor repairs and new projects, 2027–2031
No increasein fares in 2027
Who decides
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA), set up by the 2025 state transit law, writes one budget for CTA, Metra and Pace. Its board votes on it.
What the new money would add
- More CTA routes in the Frequent Bus Network, and six more CTA bus routes running all night
- Sunday service on some Pace routes
- More Rock Island trains on Metra
- Free transfers between CTA and Pace; reduced fares and student fares made permanent
- Transit ambassadors (summer 2027) and a fare gate pilot
Repairs and projects, 2027–2031
- $3.29 billion for the Red Line Extension
- More than 200 electric or hybrid buses for CTA and Pace
- $483 million for Metra rail cars
- $218 million for Pace buses
- $990 million of the five-year total is new money from the law
The dates
- Nov. 2Proposed budget released
- Nov. 12Public hearing at the board meeting (comments from about 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.), 175 W. Jackson Blvd. and on Zoom; the six county boards also hear it in November
- Dec. 4Written comments close
- Dec. 10Board votes, 9 a.m.
- Dec. 31The law’s deadline for the first regional budget
How to weigh in
All figures are from NITA’s proposal. The board can change it before the vote.
Sources: NITA press release, Nov. 2026 · NITA: 2027 regional transit budget