SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons held a press conference Tuesday alongside his colleagues to highlight ongoing work to provide safe, reliable, accessible public transit across every corner of Illinois.

“Delays, ghost buses, lack of service, paying multiple fares to get to one destination — I hear these complaints time and time again,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “To combat these issues, I joined my colleagues in passing House Bill 3438 through the Senate – a comprehensive package of robust reforms and transformational $1.7 billion investment to provide a world-class public transit system for Illinois residents.”

House Bill 3438 is a comprehensive plan that looks to strengthen and stabilize public transit in Northeastern Illinois through the creation of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, or NITA. This would strengthen the ability to make transit safer, more accountable, sustainable, enforce a unified regional fare system, and focus on public engagement on how to better access and coordinate transit.

At the press conference, Simmons stressed that Illinois families are already stretched thin as a result of the federal administration’s cuts to essential programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as well as a shrinking job market and the continued rise of inflation.

“Now is not the time to risk service cuts to trains or buses that people rely on daily to get to school, work and appointments,” said Simmons. “We must come together to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, equitable, safe and integrated transit. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make lasting change for the future of public transit in Illinois.”

House Bill 3438 awaits further action.

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