2027 NITA Budget

[Busjack]

NITA has the responsibility for a region-wide Budget and Capital Improvement plan, and the 2027 proposal is posted here.

Some highlights:

• CTA is purchasing 150 new hybrid-electric buses ... with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.  {I said they were not going for a new procurement, so hello Gilligs, IMO.}
  • Pace has contracts for several types of vehicles that are expected to be delivered in 2027 and 2028.
• CTA is planning to install bathrooms at several bus turnarounds to improve conditions for operators.
• Pace: Cermak/22nd Street Pulse; New Suburban Passenger Facility in DuPage County
• Pace: New electric buses for the North Division Garage in Waukegan; Fully electric North Division Garage
• Pace: New coach buses to operate on I-55 out of Plainfield; new Hybrid buses operating from the Heritage garage serving routes in Joliet {I guess the 25514s were not the last.}
• CTA Forest Park Branch Kedzie and Cicero Station Design

• CTA Forest Park Branch Central Station Design: Design of a new Central Ave Station that will be fully ADA accessible and fills a gap on the Forest Park Blue Line. {Again, whatever the Act said, it's Central.}

• CTA Green Line Racine Station Reopening Design:
  • CTA Bus Reliability Improvements: Automated bus lane enforcement and priority zone painting to improve bus speed and reliability.
• NITA Regional Signage Program: CTA will install Digital Bus Stop Signs at key locations that can provide real time information including data from Metra and Pace at transfer locations.
• Bus Garage Study: Study to determine the needs and site for a potential new bus garage that could be used by CTA and Pace.
• 103rd Bus Garage Electrification: CTA’s 103rd garage will be the city’s first fully electric garage, benefiting an area that historically has seen higher levels of pollution compared to other parts of the region. 

Edited Thursday at 07:32 PM by MetroShadow
Without being too wonky, capital and planning are discussed wholesale.

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

Bus Garage Study: Study to determine the needs and site for a potential new bus garage that could be used by CTA and Pace.

So, for the first piece of speculation: Where do you think a garage that could be used by CTA and Pace would be? Probably not in DuPage County. My vote is for somewhere around Forest Glen (which eventually has to be replaced), especially with the number of Pace routes going into Jefferson Park under the reVision draft.

[Furious Law]

The California station on the Forest Park Blue line also deserves a reprieve 

[Sam92]

7 hours ago, Furious Law said:

The California station on the Forest Park Blue line also deserves a reprieve 

From a development standpoint I don't think anything changed to justify that compared to say Damen Green or suggestions for Madison Pink. At least those have massive growth or future growth in the surrounding areas; 20 and the Green Line can handle whatever 94 riders that need to make the trip east. 

[Sam92]

8 hours ago, Busjack said:

So, for the first piece of speculation: Where do you think a garage that could be used by CTA and Pace would be? Probably not in DuPage County. My vote is for somewhere around Forest Glen (which eventually has to be replaced), especially with the number of Pace routes going into Jefferson Park under the reVision draft.

I can see FG but I can also see somewhere around Midway/Ford City for similar reasons. 53A, 62, 63W aren't served by any close garages, C might need some relief with the extended 53, 54 and 57. So those along with the 315, 375, 383 and 384 can go to that hypothetical garage. 

[Busjack]

9 hours ago, Furious Law said:

The California station on the Forest Park Blue line also deserves a reprieve 

The whole Forest Park branch is to be rebuilt eventually, but piece by piece. If you read the linked document, there is a planning project from around Damen "to the I-290 bridge." But Kedzie and Pulaski are up next.

2 hours ago, Sam92 said:

I can see FG but I can also see somewhere around Midway/Ford City for similar reasons. 53A, 62, 63W aren't served by any close garages, C might need some relief with the extended 53, 54 and 57. So those along with the 315, 375, 383 and 384 can go to that hypothetical garage. 

That could be.

[Sam92]

The 84 and 85 changes don't make sense and have to be a typo. Do they mean 85A? I don't see what the 84 changes do that service in the area doesn't do already. Someone can take red/purple (or the extended 201 if that still happens) to Davis and to UP to get to the north burbs and Red/20 or Green to get to the west loop/ogilvie area 🤔.

[Busjack]

3 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

The 84 and 85 changes don't make sense and have to be a typo. Do they mean 85A? I don't see what the 84 changes do that service in the area doesn't do already. Someone can take red/purple (or the extended 201 if that still happens) to Davis and to UP to get to the north burbs and Red/20 or Green to get to the west loop/ogilvie area 🤔.

The 85 is obviously 201.

The description of 84 doesn't make sense, since 84 connects to the Peterson/Ridge station, unless they are saying they are eliminating overlap with the 201 extension, but then Peterson is cut off from the Red Line.

[Sam92]

6 hours ago, Sam92 said:

I can see FG but I can also see somewhere around Midway/Ford City for similar reasons. 53A, 62, 63W aren't served by any close garages, C might need some relief with the extended 53, 54 and 57. So those along with the 315, 375, 383 and 384 can go to that hypothetical garage. 

 

3 hours ago, Busjack said:

 

That could be.

Other possibilities:

Berwyn/Stickney area: For 21, 91, 60, 54, 302, 322/Cermak Pulse, 307/Harlem Pulse, 315, 311. Takes some pressure off of Kedzie, is near pace corridors receiving big upgrades in service so this facility could prevent West division from being overwhelmed. 

Skokie Industrial area: 22, 96, 97, 147, 155, 201, 208, 213, 250 can move NP's work that terminates in Rogers Park along with Pace's busier Evanston work under one facility. 

I want to say maybe Elmwood for all of the expanded West service and moving 65, 72, 74 there to help relieve C. Maybe somewhere further north can do this plus somehow be in proximity to replace FG as you suggest 

[Busjack]

51 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

Skokie Industrial area: 22, 96, 97, 147, 155, 201, 208, 213, 250 can move NP's work that terminates in Rogers Park along with Pace's busier Evanston work under one facility. 

That hits me as too close to Pace North  Shore (about a half mile). Also, a lot of that is now commercial (Walmart, Mariano's, Jolly Bee, etc). Stickney makes more sense.

[artthouwill]

48 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

A shared CTA/Pace garage opes up some possibilities.  If a Pace route is short of a bus, could a CTA bus from the same garage ( bus and/or driver) fill that route?  Could a Pace bus be seen on the 81W?   What would the CTA and Pace unions have to say?

 

[Busjack]

6 hours ago, artthouwill said:

... What would the CTA and Pace unions have to say?

That's the interesting question. It basically depends on what the bargaining units turn out to be. Clearly, CTA bus operators are one bargaining unit, represented by ATU Local 241.Other than that, 70 ILCS 3615/2.15 says

Quote

(b) There shall be no limitation on freedom of association among employees of the Authority nor any denial of the right of employees to join or support a labor organization and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing.

So, it's up to the service boards and the employees to work this out. Let's take for instance, a combination of North Park and North Shore. Both are represented by ATU 241, so I suppose the workers could work it out internally. There could be 2 scenarios--Pace and CTA share the work, or (as I previously thought), CTA could dump the suburban work (54A, 97, 201, 206) on Pace, but in that event, I suppose ATU would demand seniority and salary protection first.

If you take @Sam92's suggestion of a garage near Stickney, Pace West and Southwest are also represented by ATU Local 241, so similar situation.

But, take my proposal to build a new FG-Pace garage. I haven't found the current situation, but Pace Northwest was represented by the Teamsters, so that complicates matters further.

Of course, it might be possible to have both CTA and Pace employees working in one garage, but I think the unions would have to concur.

[Busjack]

Again on the union front, originally CSL (later CTA bus) had ATU 241 and CMC had ATU 260. Somehow CTA merged garages and the two locals merged. Maybe it is worked out that NITA becomes the bargaining unit.

[Sam92]

9 hours ago, Busjack said:

Again on the union front, originally CSL (later CTA bus) had ATU 241 and CMC had ATU 260. Somehow CTA merged garages and the two locals merged. Maybe it is worked out that NITA becomes the bargaining unit.

 

20 hours ago, Busjack said:

That's the interesting question. It basically depends on what the bargaining units turn out to be. Clearly, CTA bus operators are one bargaining unit, represented by ATU Local 241.Other than that, 70 ILCS 3615/2.15 says

So, it's up to the service boards and the employees to work this out. Let's take for instance, a combination of North Park and North Shore. Both are represented by ATU 241, so I suppose the workers could work it out internally. There could be 2 scenarios--Pace and CTA share the work, or (as I previously thought), CTA could dump the suburban work (54A, 97, 201, 206) on Pace, but in that event, I suppose ATU would demand seniority and salary protection first.

If you take @Sam92's suggestion of a garage near Stickney, Pace West and Southwest are also represented by ATU Local 241, so similar situation.

But, take my proposal to build a new FG-Pace garage. I haven't found the current situation, but Pace Northwest was represented by the Teamsters, so that complicates matters further.

Of course, it might be possible to have both CTA and Pace employees working in one garage, but I think the unions would have to concur.

For the sake of whatever transition may be involved for joint operations it sounds like Midway/Ford City or Stickney would make those things easier to deal with. If cta is already 241 along with West and Southwest that's at least one less thing to worry about. I figured areas where pace and cta meet up/overlap would be first choices to make deadheading cost effective for both while also placing a facility that can handle all the expanded services for both agencies. Looking at Midway by moving stuff like 52A, 53A, 54, 62, 63W, 55A/N, 21 to this new garage that gives these routes a closer home along with taking the strain off of C, 77th and 74th leaving room for the expansions on 8, 48, 59, 157 etc and on Pace's side all of the changes to stuff like 315, 383, 375, etc can all go there. Stickney again is near the Pace Cermak/Harlem upgrades add upgraded west routes while handling being in position to take on 91, 57, 21, 60 from cta. Throwing in the possibility of updating a facility then your suggestion of FG might be a better pick along with streamlining things at Jefferson Park and stuff like Harlem🤔

[Elkmn]

On 11/2/2026 at 10:02 PM, Busjack said:

So, for the first piece of speculation: Where do you think a garage that could be used by CTA and Pace would be? Probably not in DuPage County. My vote is for somewhere around Forest Glen (which eventually has to be replaced), especially with the number of Pace routes going into Jefferson Park under the reVision draft.

Evanston? Maybe they heavily upgrade and expand north shore? Would be good to take the load off of NP.

[Sam92]

4 hours ago, Elkmn said:

Evanston? Maybe they heavily upgrade and expand north shore? Would be good to take the load off of NP.

If it's a whole new site then Evanston is too close to North shore as @Busjacksaid. His suggested FG replacement could possibly take on 97 and 201 from NP at least. FG has had those in the past. 

[Busjack]

5 hours ago, Elkmn said:

Evanston? Maybe they heavily upgrade and expand north shore? Would be good to take the load off of NP.

 

37 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

If it's a whole new site then Evanston is too close to North shore as @Busjacksaid. His suggested FG replacement could possibly take on 97 and 201 from NP at least. FG has had those in the past. 

I don't think he was proposing a whole new site.

The question basically consists of the various posts that the Evanston CTA routes are interlined with other routes. I supposed @Elkmn proposed putting some CTA buses at North Shore garage, but given something like 93 has an X49 trip, that's too far.

[Sam92]

7 hours ago, Busjack said:

 

I don't think he was proposing a whole new site.

The question basically consists of the various posts that the Evanston CTA routes are interlined with other routes. I supposed @Elkmn proposed putting some CTA buses at North Shore garage, but given something like 93 has an X49 trip, that's too far.

 

 

On 11/3/2026 at 1:11 PM, Busjack said:

That hits me as too close to Pace North  Shore (about a half mile). Also, a lot of that is now commercial (Walmart, Mariano's, Jolly Bee, etc). Stickney makes more sense.

I'm confused. Going back through the topic I thought the study was for a new site vs upgrading an existing garage to handle joint operations? If it can be done by upgrading NS then no argument from me about moving 97, 201 and etc there. But if it's a new site isn't that too close just like my suggestion for the Skokie Industrial area?

[Busjack]

2 hours ago, Sam92 said:

 

 

I'm confused. Going back through the topic I thought the study was for a new site vs upgrading an existing garage to handle joint operations? If it can be done by upgrading NS then no argument from me about moving 97, 201 and etc there. But if it's a new site isn't that too close just like my suggestion for the Skokie Industrial area?

Fair enough. I don't know how often I complain about tangents or follow someone into one. But clearly, nobody is going to build a new garage in Skokie or Evanston (especially after the 1991 litigation by Evanston vs. RTA, Suburban Bus Division of RTA, et al.; RTA won, but doesn't need that problem again).

To get really facetious, there was @strictures proposal to level the North Howard (or other derogatory designation) and put a garage there, but the land ssembly cost would be too high. Other than that, the necessity to build an actual garage at  North Park was recognized in the electrification plan, but in like something like 2038.

[Bus1807]

59 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Fair enough. I don't know how often I complain about tangents or follow someone into one. But clearly, nobody is going to build a new garage in Skokie or Evanston (especially after the 1991 litigation by Evanston vs. RTA, Suburban Bus Division of RTA, et al.; RTA won, but doesn't need that problem again).

To get really facetious, there was @strictures proposal to level the North Howard (or other derogatory designation) and put a garage there, but the land ssembly cost would be too high. Other than that, the necessity to build an actual garage at  North Park was recognized in the electrification plan, but in like something like 2038.

That makes sense. From my point of view, I was looking at it more from the standpoint of a completely new facility rather than expanding or upgrading an existing one. If North Park is already recognized as needing a replacement or major expansion down the road, I could see that being a longer-term solution. I still think the Midway/Ford City or Stickney areas would be worth considering for a new shared facility, especially with the amount of expanded CTA and Pace service being proposed in those areas.

[wayfaringrob]

On 11/3/2026 at 9:12 AM, Busjack said:

The whole Forest Park branch is to be rebuilt eventually, but piece by piece. If you read the linked document, there is a planning project from around Damen "to the I-290 bridge." But Kedzie and Pulaski are up next.

Nowhere in that document nor in the chatter surrounding the Eisenhower is rebuilding a California station mentioned.

[Tcmetro]

The budget doc was updated, removing reference to expanded Owl service and providing some different changes.

CTA Service Improvements

CTA’s service proposal includes an additional more than 330,000 bus service hours and an additional 49,000 rail service hours compared to 2026. CTA’s service improvements for 2027 prioritize two key areas of expanding weekend, evening and midday service (off-peak service), and improving regional service connections.

On the bus network, CTA is expanding span of service (operating earlier and later in the day) and adding more frequency on weekends, weekday evenings and weekday middays on at least 20 bus routes including #7 Harrison; #10 Obama Presidential Center / Griffin MSI Express; #18 16th Street/18th Street; #30 South Chicago; #43 43rd Street; #73 Armitage; #86 Narragansett/Ridgeland; #92 Foster; #201 Central/Ridge; and many more. Routes targeted for improvements were identified based on existing demand; underlying demographic and market analysis; and service availability. 

CTA is seeking proposed bus extensions to rail stations and regional destinations including

• #54 Cicero to the Midway Orange Line station, replacing #54B South Cicero with Pace service continuing south of Midway

• #57 Laramie extending north to Jefferson Park and south to Morton College

• #8A and #108 South Halsted service changes to improve frequency and connections in coordination with Pace

• #147 Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express to LaSalle Street Station, improving connections to the Metra Rock Island Line and supporting the Rock Island Regional Rail pilot.

Additionally, improved service frequencies are proposed on the Red Line to address growing ridership demands on the busiest rail line in Midwest.

[TaylorTank1229]

2 hours ago, Tcmetro said:

The budget doc was updated, removing reference to expanded Owl service and providing some different changes.

CTA Service Improvements

CTA’s service proposal includes an additional more than 330,000 bus service hours and an additional 49,000 rail service hours compared to 2026. CTA’s service improvements for 2027 prioritize two key areas of expanding weekend, evening and midday service (off-peak service), and improving regional service connections.

On the bus network, CTA is expanding span of service (operating earlier and later in the day) and adding more frequency on weekends, weekday evenings and weekday middays on at least 20 bus routes including #7 Harrison; #10 Obama Presidential Center / Griffin MSI Express; #18 16th Street/18th Street; #30 South Chicago; #43 43rd Street; #73 Armitage; #86 Narragansett/Ridgeland; #92 Foster; #201 Central/Ridge; and many more. Routes targeted for improvements were identified based on existing demand; underlying demographic and market analysis; and service availability. 

CTA is seeking proposed bus extensions to rail stations and regional destinations including

• #54 Cicero to the Midway Orange Line station, replacing #54B South Cicero with Pace service continuing south of Midway

• #57 Laramie extending north to Jefferson Park and south to Morton College

• #8A and #108 South Halsted service changes to improve frequency and connections in coordination with Pace

• #147 Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express to LaSalle Street Station, improving connections to the Metra Rock Island Line and supporting the Rock Island Regional Rail pilot.

Additionally, improved service frequencies are proposed on the Red Line to address growing ridership demands on the busiest rail line in Midwest.

So does this means that all the other extensions/improvements have been scrapped? Or maybe just putting them to the side for now to focus on what’s currently on the report?

[Tcmetro]

1 hour ago, TaylorTank1229 said:

So does this means that all the other extensions/improvements have been scrapped? Or maybe just putting them to the side for now to focus on what’s currently on the report?

It's hard to say, but some of the concepts may still be under review as part of CTA's Bus Vision Study. 

[Sam92]

I don't get the point of the New Lenox connection if there's already a SWS/RI connection planned at 74th. Nothing in the document nor Metra's SNP plan mentions the purpose.