Paratransit bill

Last week the House Committee on Mass Transit approved a bill that would shift responsibility for paratransit service (the service CTA provides as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to customers with disabilities) away from CTA to the RTA (funding and oversight) and to Pace (operations). This is useful first step in establishing a regional responsibility for paratransit services. But we have a long way to go, with many risks ahead.

While it makes operational sense to have this service provided regionally, this approach also requires a dedicated and growing funding source for paratransit. Without funding, this bill will not avert CTA service cuts on July 17th.

Moreover, new paratransit funding will not solve the structural funding problem that exists today, nor will it avert deep service cuts next year and each year after that.

I am hopeful we can address these issues in the days ahead, and I look forward to working with the Governor, legislative leaders, the Committee on Mass Transit, and all other state elected officials to invest more in transit so that CTA, Metra, and Pace can continue to grow to meet the economic needs of Northeastern Illinois.