Chicago Transit Authority ridership is still below pre-pandemic levels. Crime and a budget shortfall make matters worse, but there are cost-effective ways to make it safer.
Chicago Transit Authority violent crime hit its second-highest level since 2015, while the arrest rate dropped. CTA crime is threatening federal funding.
As housing prices continue to soar out of reach for more Americans, an impulse from policy makers across the country has been to attempt to mandate “affordable” prices through legislation. One common idea is rent control, which limits how much landlords can increase rents on residents. A related one is inclusionary zoning, which forces developers...
The Illinois Senate attempted to pass a “rescue package” for Chicago area mass transit that would punish suburban homeowners with a new real estate transfer tax. State leaders must instead focus on reforms to boost housing and economic growth.
Ridership on Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace is still down 30% from pre-pandemic levels. The agency overseeing all three needs to look at spending before demanding $1.5 billion from taxpayers.
The Chicago City Council will allow residential developments near public transit to build without imposing parking space minimums, offering a major boost for affordability and the city’s housing supply.
A violent Independence Day weekend has Chicagoans worried about violent crime, but it was a spike and not a trend. Crime is falling, thanks to new law enforcement efforts.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson likes to parrot platitudes about taxing the rich to fix the city, CTA and Chicago Public Schools finances. But all three made bad decisions and did not adjust to post-pandemic realities. And the rich can move away.
Adding sales taxes to services is limited in the U.S., with 46 states not generally taxing services. Illinois may break from the pack and start adding sales taxes to haircuts, lawn care, car repair and a long list of other service expected to cost $2.7 billion.
Illinois lawmakers are looking to expand sales taxes to include things such as streaming services, gym memberships, vehicle repairs, hair care and other services to bail out Chicago’s failing transit systems and put more money in government budgets.