Part 2 – Chicagoland Transit in Crisis: What is the Fix?

Join the Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club Transportation Subcommittee for a follow-up virtual discussion on the growing transit funding crisis in our region.

Moderator: Joe Donlon, Anchor, CBS 2 News
Panelists:

• Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-8th District)
• Illinois State Senator Seth Lewis (R-24th District)
• Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner (D-26th)
• Illinois State Representative Brad Stephens (R-20th)

Regional transit agencies continue to face a looming $770 million budget shortfall when emergency funding runs out on December 31, 2025. Unless lawmakers reach a funding deal during the October fall veto session, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) will be forced to move ahead with budget scenarios that include severe service cuts and fare increases beginning January 1, 2026.

With agencies already developing their 2026 budgets around a projected 20% funding gap, this conversation will focus on potential solutions, legislative pathways, and the very real consequences for riders, workers, and businesses across Chicagoland.