Opinion: Transit funding was secured, but the CTA paid a price

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Public policy achievements never arrive neat and tidy. The historic transit bill just passed in Springfield was an eleventh-hour reprieve from an unthinkable fiscal cliff and an improved framework for funding going forward.

But the law also creates significant concerns for those of us who believe that the city of Chicago’s transit system should be ultimately governed by (and responsible to) Chicagoans. It’s important to be transparent and clear-eyed about what this new law delivers.

The transit bill is, without question, a landmark moment for our region. For decades, our funding system was inequitable — leaving the CTA to shoulder a disproportionate share of the cost to keep our buses and trains running. The new law finally corrects that im