Funding
Earlier this year, the Windy City faced a "doomsday" financial situation that threatened 40% service cuts to their transit system, which would have slashed weekday routes and crippled early morning and late evening service. As extensively covered by SMART News throughout the year, these cuts would have devastated Metra (SMART-TD represents Metra engineers and conductors through six Locals) and the citizens who rely on transit to get around their city.
Illinois Safety and Legislative Director Bob Guy and the SMART-TD legislative team, working with other Transportation Labor Unions in the Chicago area spent the year organizing support for the new agency and the funding it represents.
And the hard work paid off. On December 16, 2025, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act (NITA) into law, ensuring that Chicago's transit systems are guaranteed the funding they need to avoid service and job cuts. The NITA Act creates a new $1.5 billion transit authority to oversee CTA, Metra, and Pace. Labor will have a seat on the transition team tasked with replacing Chicago's old transit administration with the new system.
In Earlier this year, the Windy City faced a "doomsday" financial situation that threatened 40% service cuts to their transit system, which would have slashed weekday routes and crippled early morning and late evening service. As extensively covered by SMART News throughout the year, these cuts would have devastated Metra (SMART-TD represents Metra engineers and conductors through six Locals) and the citizens who rely on transit to get around their city.
Illinois Safety and Legislative Director Bob Guy and the SMART-TD legislative team, working with other Transportation Labor Unions in the Chicago area spent the year organizing support for the new agency and the funding it represents.
And the hard work paid off. On December 16, 2025, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act (NITA) into law, ensuring that Chicago's transit systems are guaranteed the funding they need to avoid service and job cuts. The NITA Act creates a new $1.5 billion transit authority to oversee CTA, Metra, and Pace. Labor will have a seat on the transition team tasked with replacing Chicago's old transit administration with the new system.
In solidarity,
Jared Cassity
National Safety and Legislative Director
SMART Transportation Division,
Jared Cassity
National Safety and Legislative Director
SMART Transportation Division
