The RTA reviews, adopts, and monitors the annual operating budgets and five-year capital programs of all three Service Boards (CTA, Metra, and Pace).
The RTA Board is considering a proposed amendment to the 2026 Operating Budget. Read more.
Late last year, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act, a historic transit funding and reform package that will bring an estimated $1.2 billion in new annual operating funding to the system.
The RTA, CTA, Metra, and Pace are requesting input on a proposed amendment to the 2026 Operating Budget to allocate funding to key rider-focused improvements in alignment with the NITA Act. Learn more about what this proposed amendment would fund—including transit safety and security enhancements, improved service, affordable fare programs, and more—by watching a presentation or reading an RTA blog post.
The 2026 Regional Transit Operating Budget and Five-Year Capital Program (and Capital Program Appendix) comes shortly after the Illinois General Assembly’s October 31 vote to approve Senate Bill 2111 – a significant transit funding and reform package that will bring $1.2 billion in new annual operating funding to the system – marks a historic investment that will protect the essential service of today and lay the foundation for the transit of tomorrow.
Preparation of the 2026 budget came as the region stared down an operating fiscal cliff that threatened the system’s future, but the new legislation, signed by Governor JB Pritzker on December 16, means riders will not experience service cuts or fare increases in 2026 and instead will benefit from continued improvements to frequency, reliability, and safety.
Download the budget
The RTA held a virtual public hearing on the 2026 Regional Operating Budget, Two-Year Financial Plan, and Five-Year Capital Program from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 4.
The RTA Board of Directors will vote to adopt the budget on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
In December 2025, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act into a law. The legislation includes an estimated $1.2 billion in new annual operating funding for CTA, Metra, and Pace. This sustainable funding means riders will not experience service cuts or fare increases in 2026 and instead provides a foundation to improve frequency, reliability, and safety for millions of riders in the coming years. The proposed budgets below were submitted before the NITA Act was signed and will be revised before the final budget passage in December 2025. Read more about what it means for riders in a blog post.
Read moreCTA, Metra, and Pace release their budgets and capital programs in the fall. View budget documents, press releases, dates for public hearings, and how to submit comment below.
CTA
CTA Budget Public Hearing Details
A public hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at CTA headquarters located at 567 W. Lake Street, second floor conference room, Chicago, Illinois 60661. The facility is accessible to people with disabilities.
At the public hearing, an American Sign Language interpreter and a Spanish interpreter will be provided. Individuals with disabilities who require other accommodations to review the budget or provide feedback should contact the Office of the Board Secretary at Boardoffice@transitchicago.com or by calling 312-681-5022 or contact Relay.
Members of the public who wish to speak at the public hearing are encouraged to register prior to the hearing, by completing and submitting a Request to Speak form online at transitchicago.com/finance by 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Members of the public may also make in-person requests while the hearing is in process. Such requests will be accepted between 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. Individuals who pre-register to speak will be heard first. Individuals who request to speak while the hearing is in progress will then speak in the order their request was received.
Written comments may be addressed to Chicago Transit Authority, Office of the Board Secretary, 567 W. Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661; by hand delivery to the above address turned in to the first floor mail room; by fax to 312-681-5035; or by email to Boardoffice@transitchicago.com. Written comments must be submitted by 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
Metra Budget Public Hearing Schedule
Wednesday, November 5
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
| Will County Joliet City Hall Council Chambers 150 W. Jefferson Street Joliet | City of Chicago Metra Board Room 13th floor 547 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago The Chicago Public Hearing will be livestreamed and available for virtual participation. | |
| DuPage County Clarendon Hills Village Hall Village Board Room One North Prospect Avenue Clarendon Hills | Lake County Mundelein Village Hall Village Board Room 300 Plaza Circle Mundelein |
Thursday, November 6
| South Suburban Cook County Homewood Village Hall Village Board Room 2020 Chestnut Road Homewood | Kane County Kane County Government Center Building A – 1st Floor Auditorium 719 South Batavia Avenue Geneva |
| North Suburban Cook County Hanover Park Police Department Community Room 2011 Lake Street Hanover Park | McHenry County Crystal Lake City Hall City Council Chambers 100 West Woodstock Street Crystal Lake |
Nov. 5 Virtual Public Hearing
Any person may present views orally in person at a hearing or by participating in the virtual public hearing on Nov. 5. Preregistration is not required. Please follow the instructions below to join the virtual meeting from your laptop or desktop. If you do not wish to access the virtual meeting from a laptop or desktop, you must download the Microsoft Teams App to your mobile device or join by phone as outlined below.
Follow these steps on Wednesday, Nov. 5, between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to present your comments. The virtual public hearing can also be attended by dialing toll free (773) 917-7796 and entering access code: 226 045 850# or by submitting written material at any time, but not later than 24 hours after the conclusion of the hearings on Nov. 6, 2025.
Written comments via U.S. mail can be sent to the attention of Kim Borges, Executive Administrative Assistant, External Affairs, Floor 13, 547 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60661. Comments will also be accepted via voicemail to (312) 322-1006, or email to: 2026budgetcomments@metrarr.com. The virtual public hearing will be recorded, and a copy will be retained by Metra in compliance with Illinois law.
Pace Public Hearing Schedule
Individuals wanting to offer comments on the topic(s) to be addressed at any of the public hearings may do so:
Pace must receive comments by 5:00 p.m. on October 28, 2025, for the comments to be part of the official record of the public hearings.
Individuals with disabilities who require accommodations other than transportation and individuals who require translation into a language other than English are requested to contact Pace at (847) 354-7943 no less than five business days prior to the date of the public hearing they plan to attend.
| Hearing | Date and Time | Location |
| Will County | Joliet Public Library | |
| Friday, October 17, 2025 | Burnham Room | |
| 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | 150 N. Ottawa St. | |
| Joliet, IL 60432 | ||
| Cook County (North) | Monday, October 20, 2025 | Lincolnwood Community Center |
| 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | 4170 Morse Ave. | |
| Lincolnwood, IL 60712 | ||
| Lake County | Waukegan Public Library | |
| Tuesday, October 21, 2025 | Bradbury Room, Lower Level | |
| 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | 128 N. County St. | |
| Waukegan, IL 60085 | ||
| Kane County | Kane County Government Center | |
| Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | Auditorium | |
| 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | 719 S. Batavia Ave. | |
| Geneva, IL 60134 | ||
| DuPage County | DuPage County JTK Administration Building | |
| Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | Auditorium | |
| 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | 421 N. County Farm Rd. | |
| Wheaton, IL 60187 | ||
| Cook County (Central) | Chicago Public Library Austin Branch | |
| Thursday, October 23, 2025 | Austin Branch Meeting Room | |
| 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | 5615 W. Race Ave. | |
| Chicago, IL 60644 | ||
| Virtual Hearing | Friday, October 24, 2025 | Preregister for the virtual hearing here |
| 11:00 a.m. | ||
| Cook County (South) | Woodson Regional Library | |
| Monday, October 27, 2025 | Auditorium | |
| 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | 9525 S. Halsted St. | |
| Chicago, IL 60628 | ||
| McHenry County | Crystal Lake City Hall | |
| Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | Council Chambers | |
| 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | 100 W. Woodstock St. | |
| Crystal Lake, IL 60014 |
After CTA, Metra, and Pace each submit their budgets, the RTA as the oversight agency, works to develop a Regional Transit Operating Budget and Capital Program to be released for public comment and voted on by the RTA board in December.
Development of the 2026 Operating Budget, Two-Year Financial Plan, and Five-Year Capital program takes place over several months.
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