The Chicago regional public transit system, a vital resource for millions, now grapples with severe funding cuts after Democratic lawmakers in Illinois failed to pass an essential funding bill at the conclusion of the last legislative session.
As federal COVID-19 relief funds diminish, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) has signaled a drastic need for 40 percent cuts across the board due to a prolonged funding crisis.
This troubling development aligns with a troubling trend across the United States, where public services are under relentless assault by the American oligarchy, significantly exacerbated by policies from the Trump administration and supported by the Democratic Party.
Similar situations have risen in other cities; for example, Philadelphia is staring down a staggering 45 percent cut to its transit system.
Without organized resistance from the working class against the city’s Democratic Party establishment and union bureaucracy, a disaster is imminent.
In addition to transit cuts, other essential services face crippling reductions. School funding is slashed, programs such as Medicaid and food assistance are being eroded, and entire federal departments are being dismantled or shuttered, while tax cuts continue to benefit the military and the wealthiest.
Currently, the RTA, which oversees the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra regional rail, and Pace suburban bus service, is dealing with a budget shortfall estimated between $771 million and $1 billion.
Proposed cuts in Chicago include:
– The suspension of four out of eight CTA rail lines, a 25 percent reduction in service frequency across the system, the closure of 50 stations, and the elimination of 74 out of 127 bus routes, impacting 500,000 riders.
– Metra commuter rail service would be reduced to just one train per hour during weekdays, with weekend trains running only every two hours, far below average weekday ridership of 146,000.
– Pace suburban buses would see total elimination of all weekend service, a 66 percent reduction in paratransit services for disabled riders, and cuts to late-night service.
The consequences of these cuts extend beyond immediate transit disruptions and pose national economic risks, with estimates of a $2.6 billion annual loss to Chicago’s GDP and the potential for 3,000 layoffs among transit workers, ultimately leading to 90 million fewer rides in just the first year alone.
Given the existing long commute times in Chicago, the cuts will exacerbate existing inequalities, severely isolating lower-income families, particularly those with school-aged children, and worsening traffic congestion.
Statistical data reveals:
– 26.7 percent of Chicago households do not own a vehicle (American Community Survey).
– 45 percent of Chicago households possess only a single vehicle (ACS).
– By 2022, 13 percent of CTA trips involved children commuting to and from school, a significant increase from 5 percent in 2016, coinciding with drastic reductions of school bus services by Chicago Public Schools (CTA).
In suburban areas, 127,000 riders across six counties rely on Pace buses each day. The usage of Pace’s system saw a 14.6 percent increase in 2024 compared to the previous year, continuing into 2025 with more than a million rides in January alone. This service is especially critical for disabled residents across the region (Pace).
The responsibility for this crisis does not lie solely with reduced funding, but also with the leadership of both the Democratic and Republican parties, who have long agreed on policies of austerity.
Despite controlling the entire state government – including both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s office – and holding most seats in Chicago and Cook County, the Democratic Party has failed to take meaningful action to address the transit funding crisis.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, part of a billionaire family known for its Hyatt hotels corporation, has recently made public appearances on the CTA while avoiding accountability for the transit crisis. Instead, he has touted the need for reforms without proposing any tax increases to help fund public transit.
Hyatt Hotels, notorious for labor abuses, has received tens of millions in public funds to back property development projects, furthering the narrative of prioritizing corporate interests over public needs.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, who previously organized within the Chicago Teachers Union, has called on residents to “do more with less,” while compounds the suffering of the city’s sports and transit sectors by enforcing austerity measures.
The complicity of a pseudo-left perspective groups weakens organized labor initiatives, leaving the impact of these policies largely unchallenged. Despite the severity of the transit crisis, only one of the six Democratic Socialists of America city council members spoke out publicly about it.
This crisis reflects a broader struggle in other sectors, indicated by earlier protests in which as many as 11 million individuals took to the streets across the United States against the oligarchic strategies employed by the Trump administration. The collective outcry demanded an end to assaults on democratic rights and public services.
On the education front, school districts are facing crucial contract negotiations, highlighted by 77,000 educators in 32 California districts prepared for potential contract battles by mid-2025 and 14,000 Philadelphia educators voting by 94 percent to authorize a strike. Additionally, around 9,000 municipal workers in Philadelphia recently voted by 95 percent to authorize a strike coinciding with the expiration of their contract in June.
This unrest is not isolated; global movements echo similar sentiments. For instance, transit workers in Peru organized a nationwide strike demanding the resignation of their president.
In stark contrast, the actions of U.S.-based trade union leaderships aim to contain societal anger, which can stifle any workers’ progressive expectations. Recent press conferences by Democratic state officials and local union leaders have attempted to rally lawmakers in Illinois, calling for funding to avert impending disaster.
“Pink slips for those cuts begin to go out in September,” said SMART-TD Local 653 legislative director Orlando Rojas. He pointed out the irony of penalizing workers deemed essential during the COVID-19 pandemic who provided transportation services for fellow essential workers, urging politicians to meet their responsibilities.
Yet, the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union and SMART-TD (Metra) have redirected opposition towards the Democratic Party, blocking any independent transit worker movements.
Instead of rallying transit workers alongside the broader working class, the ATU resorted to lobbying efforts with local politicians in the state capital.
Similarly, the Chicago Teachers Union has fallen prey to bureaucratic maneuvers that concealed the budgetary crisis until after a new contract was negotiated, a decision seen as a major betrayal by educators.
Claiming a successful contract would safeguard educational funding from the whims of antithetical fiscal policies, the union leadership was blindsided just days after ratifying the deal when the mayor announced unforeseen budget changes, effectively rendering the contract ineffective.
In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, the CTU initiated a pressure campaign on the state legislature, imploring for further funding to realize the promises made in the “transformative” contract.
Securing funding for transit necessitates a radical redistribution of wealth away from the oligarchs, who currently exploit the working class and siphon public resources. This redistribution must also address the collapse of public infrastructure and the declining quality of essential services.
To enact the substantial changes required, a concerted effort is necessary to dismantle the capitalists’ stranglehold on political influence, steering power back to the working class.
Fundamentally, this requires united action among workers across various sectors and states, forming autonomous committees to confront and resolve shared interests and design strategies towards achieving a comprehensive citywide strike.
Such initiatives would champion fully funded essential services, including public transit and education – necessary components of a functional society.
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