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October 16, 2020
As our state and nation continue responding to the pandemic, public transit remains an essential service, responsible for transporting health care employees, emergency responders, and retail workers to jobs throughout the region. The RTA remains committed to keeping elected officials and stakeholders up to date about COVID-19 impacts on transit and the region’s response. Please feel free to encourage others to subscribe.
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RTA begins three-step COVID recovery process
The RTA’s role is to advocate for the Service Boards (CTA, Metra, and Pace) and to help them deal with financial challenges, especially extreme challenges like COVID-19. At its October 15 meeting, the RTA Board approved funding “marks” that will drive our budget process, leading up to anticipated adoption at the Board’s December meeting. Recognizing that this is anything but a “normal” budget year, the RTA has begun a three-step strategy to address the regional transit system’s near- and longer-term recovery from COVID-19.
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As described in a staff memo, each step will be driven by the same clear set of policy priorities that reflect the RTA’s desire to support the Service Boards’ difficult choices in 2021 and beyond.
COVID recovery materials
The web page summarizing our regional response to COVID-19’s effects on transit has a new RTA COVID recovery scenario planning report, based on stakeholder engagement during August and September. Also, in response to a request from the Greater Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and its members, the RTA, CTA, Metra, and Pace recently updated a guide for returning safely to transit in the Chicago region.
New data on RTA COVID-19 Transit Dashboard
According to the latest data at the RTA COVID-19 Transit Dashboard — which is updated weekly — systemwide ridership as of October 1 is 72 percent less than the 2019 baseline. Explore the dashboard at www.RTAChicago.org/covid-dash.
APTA opposes federal grant eligibility criteria
In national news, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) expressed a strong opposition to what it considers restrictive criteria to determine transit systems’ eligibility for federal funding of COVID-19 research. “These funds are critical for transit systems as they undertake extraordinary efforts to safeguard riders and employees, while facing unprecedented budgetary woes,” said Paul P. Skoutelas, APTA President and CEO. “It is inappropriate and unjustified that criteria would be considered to prohibit certain public transit systems from receiving critical funds to support their efforts to respond to COVID-19.”
Thank you,
Leanne Redden
RTA Executive Director
ReddenL@RTAChicago.org
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