HARVEY, Ill. — Winfred Wilson found himself in a challenging financial situation, managing on less than $700 per month. To make ends meet, he moved in with his daughter, sacrificed his car, and became reliant on public transportation across Chicago’s southern suburbs. During a recent wait for a bus connection in Harvey, he waved to familiar faces at this crucial transit point in one of the region’s less affluent areas, noting how drivers often let them board without payment.
“Affluent neighborhoods have cars and personal transport,” Wilson remarked, highlighting the necessity of transit in his community. “We couldn’t live without it.” Public transportation agencies nationwide face a fiscal dilemma due to shrinking ridership and the end of federal COVID-19 relief funds. The situation is particularly dire in Chicago, with forecasts of severe service reductions if Illinois legislators do not address a $770 million transportation budget shortfall by Saturday.
In the worst-case scenario, the Chicago Transit Authority could close four out of eight elevated train lines and cut 74 of 127 bus routes significantly affecting city commuters. The situation is particularly alarming in Harvey—a suburb once a bustling “metropolis of the Southland” according to Mayor Christopher Clark, but now grappling with factory closures and a decline in investment.
As the busiest station for Pace, the suburban bus system that also supports paratransit services, Harvey has secured state and federal funding for a modern facility that will house buses and the Metra commuter rail station. Future plans include a high-speed bus link from Harvey to the Red Line L train downtown. This development could economically revitalize Harvey, tackling its current state of empty downtown businesses and poverty affecting over a quarter of its residents. However, proposed transit cutbacks threaten to derail these efforts.
“It would be chaos for us in the suburbs,” stated Cheyane Felton after her shift at a coffee stand in City Hall. She warned that cutting transit could sever vital links for the community. Pace’s executive director, Melinda Metzger, expressed concerns about the potential weekend and evening service stops, leading to severe disruptions and a 40% service reduction. “It’s disastrous,” she remarked, outlining how these cuts would force many to find alternate, less reliable ways home.
Public transit systems across the country are experiencing varying levels of success in their appeals for funding support before the expiration of federal emergency funding at the year’s end. Philadelphia, for instance, anticipates a $213 million deficit, even after reallocating some highway funds to mass transit, risking fare rises and service reductions without additional funding. In contrast, New York’s system received a bailout and introduced congestion pricing as a new revenue source, though its effectiveness is yet to be fully determined. Boston, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and other transit-dependent cities are also striving to avoid drastic service cuts.
In Illinois, legislators rallying under the “No funding without reform” chant are attempting to resolve the crisis before their session ends. Although technically funding persists until year’s end, planning for service reductions may commence imminently if funding does not materialize. “It’s not a light switch,” explained Leanne Redden, head of the Regional Transportation Authority, indicating the challenges of reversing potential service cuts.
There has yet to be a major breakthrough in funding solutions, though a proposal has emerged to form a new umbrella organization to enhance cooperation among transit agencies. Governor J.B. Pritzker emphasized the importance of cohesive transit experiences for commuters. Chicago’s transit agencies argue that they operate more efficiently than counterparts in other states, relying on less state funding.
Harvey’s mayor, Christopher Clark, remains hopeful, despite the looming challenges. “I can’t paint that picture of a nuclear Armageddon,” he noted optimistically. “Government is a long game,” Clark concluded, holding onto the possibility of economic revitalization through improved transit facilities.