Kifowit-supported Transit Reform Signed into Law, Underscores Work to Make Trains and Buses Safer, More Reliable

OSWEGO, Ill. – Buses and trains will be safer, more reliable, and more efficiently managed under a major transit reform package law passed by state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego.

“We’re creating a better public transit system that is financially accountable to taxpayers,” Kifowit said. “These are necessary reforms that will strengthen transit agency operations, improve paratransit for individuals with disabilities and is helping meet the demands of local commuters for years to come.  I’m looking forward to these needed changes.”

Across our state, public transit takes people to work, takes people home, and connects people, businesses, and communities more than 400 million times every year. But that system has faced major challenges; fragmented governance, uneven investment, and post-COVID ridership losses have left transit struggling with unreliable service, delayed trains, canceled routes, and a looming fiscal cliff that’s threatening to derail it all.

Kifowit worked to save and improve transit by passing Senate Bill 2111, a transformational package of reforms that brings Pace, CTA, and Metra together into one modern, efficient system. The new Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) is a major step toward a transit system that gets people where they need to go affordably, protects taxpayers, and offers a better experience for riders and workers.

Kifowit’s reforms mean: 

• More efficient administration: NITA will operate with new internal and independent auditors to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in transit. It will be required to maintain a reserve fund to prevent future bailouts.
• Reliable, modern service: NITA will bring uniformity to fares and schedules to better meet the needs of riders—whether on buses or trains, whether in the city or the suburbs.
• A safer experience for riders and workers: A multijurisdictional law enforcement team will step up enforcement right away. NITA will deploy ambassadors across the system to assist people experiencing mental health crises. And a permanent office of safety will lead long-term planning to keep riders and workers safe.

Senate Bill 2111 was signed into law Tuesday December 16.

For more information, please contact Stephanie.Kifowit@att.net.