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.
New regional transit authority unifies CTA, Metra and Pace around shared vision for safer, more reliable and better-connected transitThe Northern Illinois Tr...
September 1, 2026
Plan
Riders and regional officials call for sustainable funding and reform to improve service at RTA’s Transforming Transit Summit
Chicago's transit system is facing a fiscal cliff in 2026 that will mean drastic service cuts across CTA, Metra, and Pace. The RTA is advocating for addition...
April 24, 2025
Invest
What RTA can learn from peers transitioning to a zero-emission transit system
Transit is the Answer commits the RTA to accelerating the transition to a zero-emission regional transit system and prioritizing communities burdened by poor...
April 22, 2025
Plan
New details emerge on what $1.5 billion in investment could mean for your commute
In March, the RTA, CTA, Metra, and Pace detailed what 40% service cuts would look like if the Illinois legislature does not identify a funding solution for t...
April 10, 2025
Plan
History of transit reform in the Chicago region
Public transit in the Chicago region has been underfunded for decades and the crisis we face today is not the first that has challenged the system. The curre...
April 10, 2025
Plan
Explore 2024 RTA Local Planning projects and successes in interactive implementation report
Every year, the RTA’s Local Planning department assists local governments throughout northeastern Illinois on projects that strengthen the region’s transit s...
April 8, 2025
Plan
Development Dialogues in Round Lake, Waukegan discuss building attraction and connections to Metra stations
In the late fall of 2024, RTA’s Community Planning program in partnership with the Urban Land Institute supported two Development Dialogues held in Round Lak...
April 2, 2025
Plan
Local leaders support sustainable transit funding, raise concerns about consolidation
As conversations on transit funding and reform continue in Springfield ahead of the fiscal cliff, local elected officials across the region have raised their...
March 27, 2025
Plan
What Chicago can learn from transit ambassador programs around the country
Earlier this year, the RTA released Transforming Transit, a vision for the regional transit system with $1.5 billion in annual operating funding supported by...
March 27, 2025
Move
How to use transit during the Kennedy Expressway construction
A major, multiyear construction project on the Kennedy Expressway stretching 7.5 miles from the junction with the Edens to Ohio Street threatens to leave dri...
March 14, 2025
Plan
Peer states pursue sustainable transit funding while Chicago’s fiscal cliff approaches
Beginning in 2026, Chicago’s regional transit system will face a projected $770 million annual budget gap. At nearly 20% of the annual operating budget, this...
March 13, 2025
Invest
4 Metra Electric station upgrades complete with more underway, prioritizing ADA accessibility
As part of Metra’s commitment to Chicago’s South Side and south suburbs, the agency is investing more than $800 million over the next decade to upgrade numer...
March 13, 2025
Plan
Webinar recap: RTA's Transit-Friendly Communities Guide helps local municipalities effectively implement ETOD
In January, the RTA published a new Transit-Friendly Communities Guide – a resource with strategies and techniques that local decision-makers, the developmen...
March 7, 2025
