>> A FISCAL CLIFF THAT THREATENS THE CHICAGO REGION.

THAT'S WHAT LOCAL LEADERS WARN WILL HAPPEN WITHOUT BIG CHANGES TO PUBLIC TRANSIT FUNDING LAWMAKERS AND ADVOCATES GATHERED THIS MORNING TO THROW THEIR SUPPORT BEHIND A BOLD PLAN TO MAKE TRANSIT MORE EQUITABLE, SUSTAINABLE AND EFFICIENT.

WBTW NEWS REPORTER NICK BLOOMBERG WAS THERE AND JOINS US NOW WITH MORE NOW.

NICK ADVOCATES SAY THE TRANSIT IS FACING A CRISIS.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

JOANNA CTA, METRA AND PACE ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE A 730 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT IN TWENTY-TWENTY 6.

IF LEADERS DON'T TAKE ACTION.

>> AND THAT'S ESTIMATED TO GET WORSE EVERY YEAR.

THAT'S BECAUSE RIDERSHIP HASN'T RETURNED TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS AND FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY IS RUNNING OUT ADVOCATES AD.

THAT'S BECAUSE TRANSIT HAS BEEN UNDERFUNDED FOR YEARS ANYWAY, TOO.

SO STATE LAWMAKERS TOLD THE REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY SEEM APT TO THINK BIG ASK THEM TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO IMPROVE SERVICE, MAKE BUSES AND TRAINS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND MAKE SURE ALL THOSE DIFFERENT BUS AND TRAIN LINES ACTUALLY LINE UP WITH ONE ANOTHER.

NOW STATE REPRESENTATIVE EDINA DELGADO WAS ONE OF THOSE LAWMAKERS.

SHE SAYS, EVEN IF YOU DON'T RIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT, YOU RELY ON IT.

AND IF IT FACES HUGE SERVICE CUTS OR FARE INCREASES, PEOPLE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET TO THEIR JOBS.

TRAFFIC WILL GET WILL POLLUTION.

DELGADO ALSO SAYS IT'S A NECESSITY FOR MANY LOWER AND MIDDLE INCOME FOLKS AND BLACK AND BROWN CHICAGOANS.

TRANSIT AT ITS CORE IS ABOUT EQUITY.

IT'S ABOUT PROVIDING SERVICE TO EVERYBODY REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU LIVE.

WE YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE.

SO YEAH, WHEN I THINK OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS, I THINK OF SOME OF THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, AT THE LOWEST INCOME BRACKET, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET AROUND.

>> DELGADO ADDED THAT HER DREAM IS TO ONE DAY HAVE A TRANSIT SYSTEM.

SO GOOD PEOPLE SEE IT AS A FIRST CHOICE TO GET AROUND AND THEY WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PLAN?

WELL, THERE ARE A TON OF SPECIFIC IDEAS IN THERE ABOUT IMPROVING SERVICE, BETTER COORDINATION.

SOME OF THE THINGS WE MENTIONED, THOSE ARE DRIVEN BY METRICS AND DATA AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.

LEADERS SAY OVERHAULING THE SYSTEM WILL DROP BACK RIDERS, BUT CHANGES LIKE THAT.

TAKE MONEY.

THE REPORT ALSO CALLS FOR UP TO 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS IN NEW PUBLIC TRANSIT FUNDING.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT ADVOCATES SAY THE COST OF INACTION IS WAY HIGHER THAN THE COST OF ACTION.

>> THE LONGSTANDING UNDERFUNDING OF TRANSIT OPERATIONS COUPLE WITH THE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES SPURRED BY THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT US TO A CRITICAL INFLECTION POINT IN TRANSIT HISTORY.

SO TODAY WE CANNOT SHY AWAY FROM THE SCALE OF THE FUNDING NEEDS OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM FACES.

IT IS SIGNIFICANT.

BUT THE VALUE THE TRANSIT PROVIDES FOR THE CITY FOR OUR REGION IS IMMEASURABLE.

>> IN ADDITION TO MORE FUNDING THE PLANS, MAP CAME UP WITH PROPOSE IT SOME UNPRECEDENTED CHANGES TO THE WAY TRANSIT IS RUN.

NOW, ONE OPTION WOULD GIVE MORE POWER TO THE REGIONAL AUTHORITY OVERSEEING CTA, METRA AND PACE, THE OTHER AND FAR BOLDER OPTION WOULD CREATE A SINGLE REGIONAL TRANSIT AGENCY ESSENTIALLY COMBINING THE CURRENT HODGEPODGE OF TRANSIT AGENCIES INTO ONE.

>> YOU HAVE OUR TRANSIT AGENCIES WORK TOGETHER.

WELL, NOW.

THERE'VE BEEN MANY YEARS DECADES, EVEN AND WHICH THE SERVICE BOARDS WORK ACROSS PURPOSES THE SYSTEM WE NOW HAVE.

THERE ARE 47 BOARD MEMBERS.

47 BOARD MEMBERS ACROSS 4 BOARDS APPOINTED BY 21 ELECTED OFFICIALS.

THAT MEANS THAT EVERYONE AND NO ONE, NO ONE IS RESPONSIBLE.

>> THE PLAN NOW GOES TO STATE LAWMAKERS.

AND JOANNA, YOU CAN BET THERE WILL BE A LOT OF DEBATE ON THIS ISSUE IN THE