State lawmakers passed a major transit reform bill last week to prop up the CTA, Metra and Pace with $1.5 billion in additional tax revenue — helping to stave off cuts that would have affected millions of transit users.

But the bill — now awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature — affects more than just users of public transit. The legislation raises the Chicago region’s sales tax and shifts the state’s gas tax revenue to transit. It also increases tollway fees, raising up to $1 billion annually.

“We can breathe a sigh of relief knowing our transit system isn’t going to unravel, but there will be pushback by retailers over the sales tax boost in particular,” said Joseph Schwieterman, a transit expert who is the director of DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.

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