A new report by the Active Transportation Alliance builds the case for reduced transit fares on all three transit systems in the Chicago region.
"A leading transportation advocacy group wants CTA, Metra and Pace to cut fares in half for low-income riders, at a cost of $175 million a year," reports Mary Wisniewski.
That leading transportation advocacy group would be the Active Transportation Alliance, which released a "Fair Fares Chicago" report on Monday, November 18. The report argue that reduced fares would encourage more transit use and connect people to needed resources like jobs, school, and medical services.
More details on the proposal are included in the article, as well as skepticism from officials at the CTA that the transit agency could maintain a balanced budget while reducing fares. A "Seniors Ride Free" program instituted in 2008 caused budget headaches for all three transit agencies, according to Wisniewski.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research