Summary as Introduced
Creates the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act. Establishes the Metropolitan Mobility Authority. Provides that the Chicago Transit Authority, the Commuter Rail Division and the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority, and the Regional Transportation Authority are consolidated into the Metropolitan Mobility Authority and the Service Boards are abolished. Creates the Suburban Bus Operating Division, Commuter Rail Operating Division, and the Chicago Transit Operating Division. Reinserts, reorganizes, and changes some provisions from the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act into the new Act. Includes provisions concerning the operation of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority. Repeals the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act. Amends various Acts, Laws, and Codes to make conforming changes. Creates the Equitable Transit-Supportive Development Act. Establishes the Office of Equitable Transit-Oriented Development and the Transit-Supportive Development Fund. Provides that the Office and the Fund are to aid transit-supportive development near high-quality transit by providing specified funding to municipalities that have adopted the standards in the transit support overlay district for that area or that have adopted zoning and other changes that the Office determines have benefits greater than or equal to such a District, including transit support overlay districts. Includes provisions relating to Office standards, procedures, and reports. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Amends the Department of Transportation Law of the Civil Administrative Code. Requires the Department to establish, staff, and support an Office of Public Transportation Support for the purpose of optimizing the operation of public transportation vehicles and the delivery of public transportation services on highways under the Department's jurisdiction in the Metropolitan Mobility Authority's metropolitan region. Describes the duties and operations of the Office. Amends the Toll Highway Act. Provides that the Chair of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority is a nonvoting member of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.
Staff Analysis
Senate Bill 5 proposes a transformative restructuring of public transportation governance and planning in the northeastern Illinois region. Through the creation of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority (MMA), the legislation consolidates several major transit agencies into a single, unified authority and introduces a new framework for transit-supportive development aimed at promoting equitable and accessible land use around high-quality transit services.
1. Creation of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority
SB 5 enacts the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, which consolidates the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), and the RTA’s Service Boards—Pace (Suburban Bus) and Metra (Commuter Rail)—into the new Metropolitan Mobility Authority. As part of this overhaul:
• The Metropolitan Transit Authority Act and the Regional Transportation Authority Act are repealed.
• The former agencies are replaced by three operating divisions under the new MMA:
• Chicago Transit Operating Division
• Commuter Rail Operating Division
• Suburban Bus Operating Division
This consolidation aims to eliminate overlapping administrative structures and enable more integrated regional transit planning, policy, and service delivery.
2. Operational Framework and Governance
The bill reinserts and reorganizes relevant provisions from the repealed Acts into the new statutory structure, establishing guidelines for the governance, funding, and oversight of the MMA. It also aligns various existing statutes with the new governance model by making conforming amendments to numerous Illinois laws, codes, and administrative regulations.
Additionally, SB 5 adds a provision to the Toll Highway Act, granting the Chair of the MMA a nonvoting seat on the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, further linking highway and transit planning across the region.
3. Equitable Transit-Supportive Development Act
In parallel with the governance reforms, SB 5 creates the Equitable Transit-Supportive Development Act, which aims to promote land use practices that support increased transit ridership and equitable community development. Key components include:
• The establishment of an Office of Equitable Transit-Oriented Development and a Transit-Supportive Development Fund.
• The provision of targeted funding to municipalities that:
• Adopt a transit support overlay district, or
• Implement zoning and land use reforms that meet or exceed the benefits of such districts.
• Oversight responsibilities for setting development standards, determining eligibility, and producing evaluation reports.
This initiative recognizes the importance of aligning transit investments with housing, jobs, and sustainable land use in order to create more vibrant, accessible communities.
4. Creation of the Office of Public Transportation Support
SB 5 also amends the Department of Transportation Law to require the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to establish an Office of Public Transportation Support. The Office’s mission is to optimize transit vehicle operations and service delivery on roadways under IDOT’s jurisdiction within the MMA’s service region. Its responsibilities include coordination with the MMA to enhance service efficiency, reliability, and intermodal connectivity.
5. Effective Date and Implementation
Some provisions of the bill are effective immediately, setting the stage for a staged implementation process. The complete transition to the Metropolitan Mobility Authority would require substantial administrative, legal, and operational work, likely over a multiyear timeline.
Summary
SB 5 is one of the most ambitious transit reform proposals in recent Illinois legislative history. It seeks to modernize and unify the region’s fragmented transit governance under a single agency—the Metropolitan Mobility Authority—while also laying the groundwork for equitable, transit-oriented development across the region. By aligning governance, planning, land use, and service optimization, the bill represents a bold shift toward a more integrated, rider-focused, and sustainable transportation system.