Chicago’s transit future just missed its train.

State legislators wrapped their spring session this weekend without passing a critical funding and reform package meant to plug a $770 million hole in the Regional Transportation Authority’s 2026 budget, as reported by WTTW . Now, with federal COVID relief money set to expire, the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace are staring down a fiscal cliff—and the consequences could be dire.

If nothing changes, officials warn the region could see 40-percent system-wide service cuts beginning in 2026, along with nearly 3,000 layoffs. The CTA alone may be forced to shut down half of its L lines and eliminate 60-percent of its bus routes, a move that would cut off service for 500,000 Chicagoans and strand 260,000 workers. RTA leaders have

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