A new funding plan for public transportation surfaced Thursday evening without new taxes on entertainment or package deliveries that were part of previous plans.

Lawmakers agreed on a tax package to stave off a $200 million-plus fiscal cliff next year that would likely result in major cuts to bus and rail service at the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace.

As Chicagoans sound the alarm over potentially crippling cuts to the CTA, suburban counties are hitting the gas on their own transit solution.

October 31, 2025 - Illinois lawmakers approved a $1.5 billion transit funding and reform bill creating a unified Northern Illinois Transit Authority, following Eno’s recommendations to secure Chicago’s transit future and avert a fiscal crisis.

SPRINGFIELD – State lawmakers approved new funding for public transportation agencies without large statewide tax increases previously proposed. Instead, the measure would be fueled by revenue sources that currently feed the state’s Road Fund and an increased sales tax targeted to the Chicago area.

Gov. JB Pritzker told reporters in Springfield Thursday the Chicago transit bill is not dead, as there are still negotiations underway to try and get a funding and reform plan

Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday poured cold water on Illinois House Democrats’ latest tax and fee proposals to overhaul the Chicago region’s mass transit systems — prompting pushback from at least one of those lawmakers who said he would like to see the governor’s suggestions to fix the problem.

Pritzker dismissed several funding proposals unveiled by the House yesterday, including an untested wealth tax on billionaires and increased use of speed cameras, as well as new taxes on live events and entertainment services such as cable and streaming, and an increase in the sales tax in the Chicago metro area that already funds mass transit.