FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 9, 2009

CHICAGO – To broaden its online outreach and better inform transit riders and advocates, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) today announced an updated strategic plan website.  The MovingBeyondCongestion.org website will inform visitors about the urgent need to improve our region’s transit system that includes the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will.  Central to the website is information describing the transit system’s $10 billion capital need over five years to maintain, enhance and improve the transit system at a time when ridership has grown dramatically on the CTA, Metra and Pace.  The website also features a link to Facebook.

“We are expanding our public outreach by utilizing online resources to help Internet users understand how they can be educated about efforts to improve the quality and accessibility of our transit system,” said Steve Schlickman, RTA Executive Director. “There is not a more important time for everyone who uses and depends on public transit to be informed and get involved.”

Out-of-date equipment and an aging transit infrastructure have been left without any funding since 2004.  While the transit system will benefit from recent allocations of $414 million from the federal economic stimulus program and $900 million through the state’s capital bill last week, it costs $1 billion annually just to maintain the system. 

“This is a great jump start on our most pressing needs, but we have a lot of catching up to do.  We need an ongoing state capital plan to address the significant needs of the system.  We look forward to helping develop that plan this spring. The health of our regional mass transit system is directly tied to the health of the community, the economy and the environment,” said Schlickman.”