CTA, Metra, Pace leaders oppose legislation to merge them into 1 public transit agency; RTA chair says more state funding needed [Video]

CHICAGO (WLS) — There was major opposition to a plan to merge Metra, Pace and the CTA into one agency the first public hearing on the matter Tuesday.

Chicago area public transportation has had a bumpy ride over the last several years; while ridership is up on CTA, Metra and Pace, it still has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and when it comes to service there is no shortage of complaints.

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Illinois lawmakers invited the heads of CTA, Metra, Pace and the Regional Transit Authority to a public hearing on the state of public transit. On the heels of a $730 million funding cliff and an effort to reform, there is now proposed legislation to combine all agencies into one big agency.

“If you are taking public transit, it should not be three or four hours of your life to get to your …