The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Board of Directors adopted the 2017 operating budgets for the RTA, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace, totaling $3.0 billion. The Board also adopted a five-year capital program in the amount of $5.1 billion. This includes an estimated $1.8 billion in capital expenditures for 2017. The $3 billion operating budget approved by the RTA Board will authorize operations expenses of the following amounts: CTA, $1.524 billion; Metra, $781.2 million; Pace Suburban Bus Service, $228.6 million; Pace Regional ADA Paratransit, $175.0 million; and the RTA $40.9 million. Neither CTA nor Pace plans a fare increase in 2017. The 2017 budgets will be used to benefit riders in the following ways:

• CTA will continue working on projects that include: rehabilitating rail stations such as the Wilson Station Reconstruction Project; the 95th Street Terminal on the Red Line; selecting a final alignment for a proposed Red Line Extension from 95th Street to 130th Street; performing additional project engineering work and Phase 1 of the Red and Purple Modernization Program; and modernizing rail and bus fleets, removing rail slow zones and adding new technologies.
• Pace’s 2017 plans include purchase of new vehicles for fixed route operation and substantial new fixed route services. Pace also plans to begin express services on I-90 at the conclusion of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway reconstruction project and to launch the Milwaukee Avenue Pulse express bus service between Niles and the CTA Blue Line station at Jefferson Park.
• Metra’s 2017 proposed budget will increase fare revenue by an average of 5.8 percent and invest the resulting $16.1 million of revenue in the agency’s extensive capital needs. Metra’s 2017 plans include continuation of its program to rehabilitate some locomotives and railcars each year, to purchase new railcars, and to continue the multi-year effort to replace aging Union Pacific North Line bridges on the north side of Chicago and rebuild the Ravenswood Station.

The budget process included a series of public budget hearings and presentations to the six-county boards to share information and gather input on the 2017 transit budget and capital program. View a copy of the transit system’s 2017 budget and capital program at www.RTAChicago.org.