On Track: A blog from NITA
Blog posts published prior to September 1, 2026 were written by the RTA and are maintained here for historical purposes.
Blog posts published prior to September 1, 2026 were written by the RTA and are maintained here for historical purposes.
NITA is committed to building the future of transit with rider voices at the center. For the first time, the regional transit agency published a prioritizati...
November 2, 2026
Plan
Join the RTA Transit is the Answer Coalition to discuss possible reforms to improve service and accountability for riders
Following the introduction of legislation that proposes changes to how the Chicago region’s transit agencies are organized, the RTA continues to lead convers...
July 15, 2024
Plan
RTA releases new fare equity report, recommending fully funding and expanding reduced fare programs
A new report released by the RTA in July, Building a More Equitable Fare Structure for Public Transit in the Chicago Region, recommends that the state legisl...
July 11, 2024
Plan
Homewood, Richton Park adopt transit-oriented development plans funded through RTA Community Planning program
This spring, transit-oriented development (TOD) plans were adopted by the villages of Homewood and Richton Park that will make these communities more transit...
July 11, 2024
Plan
Good news: Regional transit ridership reaches new high as CTA, Metra, and Pace increase service, offer new fare products
Ridership across Chicago’s transit system has continued to increase, with May 2024 seeing the highest ridership levels since 2019 for CTA, Metra, and Pace. T...
June 28, 2024
Plan
Legislative Update: Lawmakers pass state budget, action on transit funding still needed ahead of fiscal cliff
The Illinois General Assembly adjourned this year’s spring legislative session after passing an overall $53.1 billion budget for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025...
June 27, 2024
Move
RTA welcomes summer 2024 interns
This summer the RTA welcomed six new interns from Chicago-area universities. The interns work in various departments including Communications, IT, Strategic ...
June 27, 2024
Invest
New project management oversight report highlights more than 100 projects representing $8.2 billion in capital investments
The RTA’s Project Management Oversight (PMO) program ensures that the Service Boards—CTA, Metra, and Pace—are spending capital funds and managing their infra...
June 27, 2024
Plan
Read recaps and watch recordings of the RTA's four-part Transportation Tuesday webinar series
The RTA brought back Transportation Tuesday, its popular four-part webinar series each Tuesday May 28–June 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m. The free, virtual sessio...
June 25, 2024
Plan
Transportation Tuesday recap: Transit’s operating funding crisis
The rise of remote and hybrid work and its staying power post-COVID have resulted in significant losses in fare revenue and exacerbated the issue that most s...
June 21, 2024
Plan
Transportation Tuesday recap: Building transit-friendly streets and advancing bus rapid transit
Partnering with roadway agencies to build more transit-friendly streets and advance bus rapid transit (BRT) is a goal outlined in the RTA’s regional strategi...
June 13, 2024
Move
Four months into the Access Pilot Program, over 3,000 Metra riders experiencing low incomes enrolled for more affordable fares
On February 1, RTA launched the Access Pilot Program in partnership with Cook County and Metra, extending reduced fares to eligible Metra riders experiencing...
June 13, 2024
Plan
Transportation Tuesday recap: Parking mandates and TOD
Parking dominates metropolitan areas of the United States, in both land area and, often, in policy debates related to land use and development. In 2013, the ...
June 7, 2024
