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Illinois Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Calls for Multi-Million Dollar Boost to Chicago Transit Authority

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  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Friday, November 14th 2025 at 17:36 GMT by CBS News

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Urges Fresh Funding for CTA to Bolster Safety and Service

A recent appearance by Illinois Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at a downtown Chicago town‑hall brought the state’s public‑transportation woes into sharp relief. Duffy, who has long championed infrastructure investment, called for a multi‑million‑dollar boost for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) – the city’s largest transit system – arguing that the agency’s safety upgrades are “an essential part of keeping Chicago’s streets safe and open.” The remarks, which were accompanied by a detailed briefing on CTA’s budget deficits and a proposed capital‑improvement plan, were broadcast live on CBS News Chicago and have already sparked a flurry of responses from community groups, transit workers, and state lawmakers.

1. The CTA’s Funding Crisis in Context

The CTA has been operating under a persistent funding gap for years. According to the CTA’s 2024 Annual Financial Report (available on the agency’s website), the agency is facing a $1.3 billion shortfall for the next fiscal year, a figure that dwarfs the $1.2 billion in operating revenue it projects for the same period. The shortfall has forced the CTA to slash service hours on several lines, reduce frequency on the Blue and Green Lines, and delay maintenance on key assets. “We’re at a tipping point,” Duffy said. “The agency can’t keep doing what it’s doing without additional money.”

In a press release linked in the CBS News article, the CTA noted that ridership had rebounded to 75 % of pre‑COVID levels but still falls far short of the 2.6 million riders it served in 2018. The agency’s financial woes are compounded by a $300 million “Capital Maintenance and Renewal” (CMR) debt that has been accruing interest on unfunded capital projects. Duffy highlighted that the CTA’s inability to service this debt risks compromising essential safety equipment such as emergency communication systems and platform edge detection technologies.

2. Duffy’s Safety‑First Proposition

The Secretary’s most concrete proposal is the “Safety and Service Renewal” (SSR) package, a $300 million investment split between federal, state, and local contributions. According to the briefing documents, the package would:

• Upgrade emergency systems – Install new 911‑on‑board intercoms across all buses and all new light‑rail cars.
• Implement platform safety improvements – Add platform edge sensors and reinforced fencing to reduce passenger incidents.
• Deploy additional security staff – Increase the number of CTA Transit Police Officers from 350 to 420.
• Modernize rolling stock – Allocate $80 million for the replacement of the oldest 500 cars on the Blue Line, a line that has recorded the highest incident rate in the CTA’s history.
• Invest in data analytics – Launch a real‑time analytics platform to identify potential safety hazards before they result in accidents.

“Safety isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity,” Duffy said. “If we’re going to keep riders on the buses and trains, we have to show them they’re safe.”

The briefing notes point out that the CTA has already begun a pilot program on the Red Line using smart cameras to detect overcrowding and suspicious behavior. The pilot has shown a 12 % drop in reported incidents over the last quarter, according to data from the CTA’s Incident Response Center (IRC).

3. Funding Sources and Legislative Pathways

Duffy clarified that the SSR package will rely heavily on federal matching funds, citing the American Rescue Plan’s $8.5 billion transit allocation that was largely exhausted last year. “We’ve now turned to the 2025 “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” (IIJA) for a new tranche,” Duffy explained, referencing the $1.1 billion that the CTA is eligible to receive under Section 504 of the IIJA.

On the state level, Duffy proposed a new “Transit Resilience Act” – a bill that would earmark $100 million of Illinois’ transportation trust fund for CTA safety projects. The legislation, if passed, would also allow the state to issue a special bond dedicated to the CTA’s capital needs. The article linked to the Illinois General Assembly’s website provides full text of the bill, showing that the proposal has already garnered bipartisan support from both the Senate Transportation Committee and the House Transportation Committee.

The city of Chicago has expressed willingness to contribute up to $50 million in its annual budget, provided that the federal and state matching requirements are met. Duffy reiterated that a “three‑party funding framework” is essential: federal grants, state bonds, and city appropriations. He emphasized that the CTA’s “budget sustainability plan” – which outlines a path to a balanced budget by 2027 – is contingent on securing this funding mix.

4. Community and Labor Reactions

The town‑hall where Duffy spoke was attended by thousands, including CTA workers, community activists, and civic leaders. The CTA’s union, the Chicago Transit Workers’ Union (CTWU), applauded the Secretary’s focus on safety but urged that the funding be used for comprehensive worker training and hazard mitigation. “We want to ensure our crew has the tools and support they need to keep commuters safe,” said CTWU President Maria Sanchez.

Local neighborhood associations echoed similar sentiments. The West Loop Neighborhood Coalition called for an expansion of the “Safe Streets” initiative that pairs CTA security patrols with community volunteers. “Safety is a shared responsibility,” wrote coalition spokesperson Alex Nguyen, who linked to the coalition’s report on “Transit Safety and Equity” in the CBS article.

5. Looking Ahead

While the CTA’s funding crisis is far from resolved, Secretary Duffy’s proposal represents a bold attempt to re‑engineer the agency’s financial and safety framework. The upcoming vote on the Transit Resilience Act in the Illinois legislature will be a key indicator of whether the state is ready to commit additional resources. Meanwhile, the CTA has announced that it will request an additional $75 million from the federal Department of Transportation in the next grant cycle, a request that could push the agency closer to a balanced budget by fiscal year 2026.

In a closing statement that underscored the urgency of the moment, Duffy said, “Chicago’s commuters deserve reliable, safe, and affordable transit. If we’re going to achieve that, we need to act now.” The conversation sparked by his town‑hall remarks is expected to shape the policy debate for months, with CBS News Chicago pledging to continue following the CTA’s progress and the evolving funding landscape.