A study by transportation consultants Delcan Corp. suggested the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) unite Chicago’s Metra, Pace and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) services in order to resolve competitive rivalries and budgeting issues.
The study, paid for by the RTA, listed six main problems with Chicago’s transportation system, including service coordination issues and a lack of accountability along with corruption, the latter claim stemming from a former CTA CEO’s severance package that is worth an estimated $817,000.
The main issue involved dividing a budget between three different boards using guidelines the study found to be outdated and complicated. Uniting the transportation services under a single agency, similar to New York’s Metropolitan Transportation agency (MTA) or the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), would rid the need of three different boards, ease the budgeting process and streamline future goals of increasing ridership.
