Chicago Public Transit in deep trouble?

This is part of the "doom Loop" that's hitting many major urban centers. Chicago was in trouble before the pandemic. High taxes, poor governence, ramping crime was driving businesses and residents to move out. Illinois was the only midwestern state to be losing population.

Then the pandemic came. Now it was easy for folks to move to the more attractive suburbs and work remotely (or semi-remotely). This causes the daytime population of the city to plummet. It hasn't recovered, which reduces the taxes it collects and forces Mayor Brandon (& his minions) to cut services...which causes more rats to flee the sinking ship.

On a positive note, I don't live in Chicago. Woooooo!

Transit leaders warn of "drastic service cuts"

Axios Chicago

By Justin Kaufmann, Carrie Shepherd and Monica Eng · May 02, 2025

Commercials urging residents to take action to prevent a major fiscal crisis for mass transit are flooding airwaves in Chicago, but it might not be enough to persuade state lawmakers to take action.

Why it matters: The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is sounding the alarm about possible service cuts to the CTA, Metra and Pace if state lawmakers don't chip in on the $1.5 billion RTA says it needs.

The agency predicts a $770 million shortfall as ridership and revenues have declined in the last decade and COVID-era recovery funds have expired.

Threat level: The RTA in March warned of "unprecedented cuts," including one in five Chicagoans not having transit for their daily commute, no weekend service for Pace riders, cuts to Metra schedules and the loss of nearly 3,000 transit-related jobs.

The latest: RTA executive director Leanne Redden tells Axios she was in Springfield this week and is "cautiously optimistic" about funding help from the state.

State of play: RTA launched a campaign last month called "Save Transit Now," which includes ads urging commuters to call and write their lawmakers asking them to give the agency money.

Friction point: That campaign has been criticized by some, including the Tribune's editorial board and state Rep. Kam Buckner, who argued that a public agency in financial trouble shouldn't be spending $750,000 on ads.

The other side: "We can't afford not to raise awareness at this moment," Redden said. "Our research, through input from the region's riders and taxpayers, showed that nearly half of residents weren't even aware of the fiscal cliff and it is our obligation to inform them."

Zoom out: Illinois funds 17% of Chicago's public transportation system, WTTW reported, compared to Philadelphia's transit system receiving 50% from the state and New York City receiving 28%.