>>> REGIONWIDE COORDINATION, AND IT PUSH TO DRAW IN MORE WRITERS THAN EVER.

THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE AMBITIOUS IDEAS IN AN EFFORT TO CREATE A BOLD NEW VISION FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT IN THE CHICAGO REGION, AS CTA, METRO, FACING A LOOMING FISCAL CLIFF WHEN COVID RELIEF DOLLARS DRY UP.

THEY SAY IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ERIN OLIVER JOINS US NOW.

WELCOME BACK TO CHICAGO TO TONIGHT.

CREATING A PLAN TO RETHINK TRANSIT IN THE REGION, AND THE COVID RELIEF MONEY IS EXPECTED TO DRY UP IN 2025, 2026.

>> IN OUR REGION ALONE, WE HAVE 250 COMMUNITIES AND WE HAVE METRO STATIONS AND MANY OF THOSE.

NOW RIDERSHIP IS DOWN, BUT REALLY, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS ACROSS THE REGION, WERE MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET TO THEIR JOBS, TO VISIT FRIENDS AND HAVING A MULTIMODAL NETWORK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

>> THAT PLAN LAYS OUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR HOW THINGS CAN AND SHOULD LOOK AND ACT IN YEARS TO COME.

WHAT IS THE KEY PRINCIPLE TO CREATING THAT PLAN?

>> A COUPLE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AS YOU MENTIONED, WHERE REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHERE A PERSON SHOULD BE POST-PANDEMIC AND NOT NECESSARILY WHAT WE HAD IN 2019, BUT LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR OUR TRANSIT AGENCIES SO WE ARE NOT BACK YOU'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN.

I THINK CRITICALLY, WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY.

WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE OPTIONS THAT AREN'T JUST DRIVING.

>> A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC THINGS YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU MENTIONED THE FUNDING.

BUSINESSES REQUIRE MONEY.

AND IT WOULD INVOLVE $1.5 BILLION IN ANNUAL FUNDING.

WHERE'S THAT MONEY COMING FROM?

>> THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO THINK ABOUT FUNDING OUR AGENCIES.

ONE OF WHICH IS COST SAVINGS FROM THE AGENCY IT SELF ACROSS THE BOARD, THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY CAN COORDINATE TO CUT DOWN COSTS.

WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW TO TRANSFORM THE WAY THAT WE TAX GOODS AND SERVICES ACROSS THE REGION THAT REALLY WE HAVE BEEN RELIANT ON A TAX ON GOODS, BUT A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS THINK ABOUT SERVICES, SO AS WE MODERNIZE OUR TASK CODE.

AND THEN OTHER THINGS LIKE, DO WE WANT TO CHARGE MORE FOR PARKING?

COULD WE THINK ABOUT, AS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMES ONLINE LONG-TERM, WILL IT BE AS DIMINISHING?

BUT YOU CAN HELP PROVIDE SOME TRANSIT.

>> REPORT ALSO LAYS OUT FOR COORDINATION, INCLUDING TURNING THE EXISTING SERVICE BOARD INTO SENSUALLY SOMETHING THAT COULD HANDLE THE DAY-TO-DAY TRANSIT SERVICE OPERATION, BUT THAT THERE WOULD BE AN UMBRELLA OF THIS REALLY POWERFUL NEW REGIONAL AGENCY THAT WOULD HANDLE ALL THE TRANSIT AND BUSINESS FUNCTION THERE.

ESSENTIALLY A MERGER.

>> THINKING ABOUT REGIONAL FAIR POLICY, RIGHT NOW, IF YOU ARE GETTING ON CPA OR THINKING ABOUT A MONTHLY PASS AND THAT RIGHT COST, AT METRO YOU GOT A DIFFERENT MONTHLY COST.

THERE ARE SOME SURGES IN THE SYSTEM DAY-TO-DAY.

WE THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESTRUCTURING GOVERNANCE.

IT FEELS LIKE ONE SYSTEM THAT HAS ONE PASS.

WE ARE DOING IT HOLISTICALLY AND NOT PIECEMEAL, SO I THINK THOSE ARE COUPLE OF WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT DIFFERENT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES TO COME UP WITH THESE OPTIONS.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT LINKING, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RAIL SYSTEM.

THE REGIONAL RAIL SYSTEM, BUS INFRASTRUCTURE.

>> YEAH.

THIS IS SOMETHING THE CUSTOMER SEE IN THE EUROPEAN MODEL, REALLY THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A PREDICTABLE SCHEDULE FOR YOUR RAIL.

AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC IS THAT PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING MORE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, LESS OF THE A.M. AND P.M.

RUSH HOURS THAT ARE TRADITIONAL.

IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET AROUND AND RUN ERRANDS DURING THE DAY.

BUSES HAVE BEEN VERY NIMBLE THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.

WE CAN THINK ABOUT LOOKING AT WHERE THE JOBS ARE AND WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE, AND CREATING SOME HIGH CAPACITY, HIGH'S BEAD BUS CORRIDORS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

>> WHATEVER VERSION OF THIS PLAN IS FORWARD WILL REQUIRE A LOT OF ACTION FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AND HOW THOSE CONVERSATIONS STARTED?

>> THEY HAVE.

I'VE BEEN UP TALKING TO OUR COUNTY BOARD, TALKING TO OUR COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS ACROSS THE REGION, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME BROAD RECOGNITION THAT IT IS, THAT PEOPLE BOUGHT HOUSES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO ACT IS THAT.

THERE ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT REALLY DEPEND ON PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO GET TO THEIR JOBS.

SO LOSING A NUMBER OF THOSE ASSETS COULD BE A HUGE BLOW TO OUR REGION.

>> AS YOU TRY TO PUSH FORWARD TO THINKING MORE ABOUT A REGIONAL MODEL, WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE PUSHED BACK TO THAT IDEA?

>> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS HOW DO YOU TRANSFORM A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION THAT IS RESPONSIVE?

AND NOT REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE STRUCTURES OF THE PAST.

THAT'S THE VISION WE ARE TRYING TO LAY OUT THERE