Winfred Wilson, a senior living on less than $700 a month, has long relied on public transportation to get around Chicago’s southern suburbs. After giving up his car, he moved in with his daughter in Harvey, Illinois, and began using buses exclusively to shop, attend appointments, and stay connected with his community.
At a busy transit hub in Harvey, Wilson pointed out fellow riders many of whom, he noted, ride for free because they simply can’t afford fares.
“People in wealthy neighborhoods drive to avoid traffic. We ride transit because we don’t have a choice,” he said.
That essential service is now under dire threat. The Chicago area is staring down a $770 million transit funding gap, and if Illinois lawmakers fail to address it before adjourning their legislative session this weekend, sweeping service cuts could soon follow.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has warned of a doomsday scenario: shutting down half of its train lines and eliminating more than 70 bus routes. For suburbs like Harvey where over 25% of residents live below the poverty line the potential fallout could be devastating.
Harvey has recently secured funding for a modern transit facility, integrating Pace buses with Metra trains and laying the groundwork for a high-speed bus connection to downtown Chicago. But without the basic service to support it, the investment could be rendered meaningless. “It would be chaos,” said Cheyane Felton, a local worker. “We’d be completely cut off.”
Pace, the suburban bus network, says it may be forced to eliminate weekend service and stop running after 8 p.m. on weekdays. “It’s disastrous,” said Pace director Melinda Metzger.
“People might get to work but they won’t get home.”
Cities across the US face similar transit crises as federal pandemic-era funding dries up.
Philadelphia is confronting a &213 million shortfall. New York implemented congestion pricing to boost funding, though it faces political pushback. Boston, DC, and San Francisco are all scrambling to avoid major cuts.
In Illinois, lawmakers are pushing for structural reform before offering a bailout. Governor J.B. Pritzker has floated a plan to unify CTA, Metra, and Pace under a single oversight body to reduce inefficiencies and competition. But without an immediate fix, transit officials say cuts will be inevitable.
“It’s not a light switch we can just flip back on,” warned Regional Transportation Authority head Leanne Redden. “Once cuts begin, reversing them takes time and resources.”
Despite the looming threat, Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark remains cautiously optimistic. He envisions the city’s new transit hub as a catalyst for revival, not decline. “I have to stay hopeful,” he said. “Government is a long game.”
But for Wilson and thousands like him, time is running shortand the buses may soon stop running altogether.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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