The state’s Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra commuter railroad and Pace suburban bus service, projected a $230 million 2026 budget deficit in October. The RTA proposed fare hikes for Metra and CTA to cover the fiscal deficit.

“This bill provides the stable funding and governance reforms needed to protect transit service for the millions who ride CTA, Metra, and Pace—and the thousands of frontline workers who keep our region moving,” RTA said in a statement. “We are continuing to review the bill and will share more in the days ahead, including how this impacts the 2026 budget process.”

The RTA supported governance reforms enacted in the bill, which will transition the authority to the newly created Northern Illinois Transit Authority. The move will help the agency “coordinate service, plan strategically, and better support riders,” the RTA said in a statement.

The legislation increases a purchase tax in the RTA’s six-county region by 0.25 percentage points. It also raises tolls on northern Illinois toll roads by 45 cents, which would go back to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, not to public transit.