Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority: Sustaining Transit in the 21st Century

The Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois (RTA) serves Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, McHenry, and Will Counties, which together are home to approximately 8 million residents in the Chicago area. The RTA provides regional planning, funding and oversight for the region's three transit operators: the Chicago Transit Authority (city bus and rail rapid transit), Metra (commuter rail), and Pace (suburban bus). The mission of the RTA is to ensure a financially sound, comprehensive and coordinated public transportation system for the region. The RTA interprets its role as a transit resource management agency. To accomplish this, it has developed several integrated planning programs that together address various issues facing an established metropolis with a mature transit system. First, the RTA is helping communities design their local centers in a transit-supportive manner through the Regional Technical Assistance Program. Second, county-wide and corridor planning studies explore and define transportation and land use alternatives for groups of communities anticipating major transportation improvements. Third, the Regional Transit Coordination Plan is now under way to improve coordination between the CTA, Metra, and Pace in order to enhance regional mobility by improving interagency transfers. Fourth, the RTA is leading the development of several Intelligent Transportation Systems to improve information provided to transit customers and use existing capacity better. Fifth, the Regional Transit Asset Management System is helping to keep track of assets and services throughout the region. Finally, the region's transit capital program emphasizes renewing and preserving the system in a state of good repair.