By KEVIN BESSLER
Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (IRN) —Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday wrapped up a series of hearings dealing with mass transit in the state.
Several hearings were held around the state with topics ranging from how public transit positively impacts the economic and public health systems to public safety on mass transit.
“The goal of these committee hearings is really to discuss and hone in on the importance of public transit to every fabric of our life,” said state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago.
State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, said providing reliable mass transit should not be exclusive to the Chicago area.
“I think this state has to make mass transit, across the state, a priority,” said DeWitte. “Getting people from point A to point B, to work, school, to the hospital, a doctor’s appointment, is critical.”
Mary Tyler, transportation director at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, said Illinois is lagging in funding public transit systems.
“It is a fundamental right that should be provided to every Illinois resident and this should be reflected in the state budget,” said Tyler.
The dark cloud hanging over the hearings is the fact that public transit systems in the Chicago area face a $730 million fiscal cliff by 2026. During the first hearing, the leaders of the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace all pushed back on a proposal to merge into one entity to save money. Then they all asked for more funding from the state.
Illinois House Democrats have created a transportation working group to address public transit issues, which was then criticized by House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, for being one-sided because not a single Republican was included.
“It’s deeply disappointing to see Speaker Welch continue to dismiss the concerns of millions of Illinoisans by pushing a self-serving agenda that disregards the voices of the Republican caucus and the woman who leads them. The people of Illinois deserve better than this one-sided approach,” McCombie said in a statement.