On December 16, 2025, Governor Pritzker signed a new transit funding bill known as “The Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act” (NITA) into law. The bill will go into effect on June 1, 2026. The full text of the law can be found here. The law replaces the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) with the newly created Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA). NITA will oversee and streamline the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace. Among its responsibilities, NITA will be required to create and implement a universal fare system and coordinate scheduling between CTA, Metra, and Pace. This is a power that RTA did not have in the past. NITA will also have expanded authority over service planning and performance standards, capital projects, and funding allocation. CTA, Metra, and Pace will focus their attention on day-to-day operations.

Other features of the law include the creation of a law enforcement task force, which will focus on mitigating problems relating to safety on public transit. The task force will be led by the Cook County Sheriff’s Department and will be responsible for coordinating responses to criminal activity across jurisdictions. A Transit Ambassador Program will place unarmed staff members who will assist riders, coordinate social services to riders experiencing homelessness or mental health crises, and alert law enforcement to safety issues. NITA is also tasked with developing and implementing a mobile application that will allow riders to report safety issues in real time across all forms of public transportation.

One of the key goals of this law is to encourage housing and commercial development near public transit. To help effectuate this, NITA removes mandatory parking minimums within either a half mile of major transit hubs or within 1/8 mile of transit corridors. The removal of mandatory parking minimums has both pros and cons for municipalities. The benefit is that it removes a potential obstacle with respect to attracting new development projects. However, it also preempts municipal authority regarding minimal parking allocations. The removal of mandatory parking minimums will not impact contractual agreements with local governmental units that have been executed or approved prior to the effect date of NITA, but it will apply to an amendment or extension of such a contractual agreement. NITA will not prohibit local governments from establishing maximum parking requirements or regulating access to on-street parking.

Additionally, NITA is permitted to participate in transit-oriented development and joint development in partnership with local communities. Communities can also partner with NITA to provide enhanced transit services. The Act also creates a Transit to Trails Grant Program, which will award grants to eligible entities, including municipalities, to facilitate travel via public transit to public outdoor recreation sites.

The Act also establishes a new regional Dial-a-Ride program to expand on-demand transit and increase connectivity outside of Chicago, particularly with suburb-to-suburb transportation. This program will be particularly impactful to senior citizens and those with disabilities. NITA has the potential to have significant impacts on public transportation across the Chicagoland area and expand access to many underserved populations. It will be critical for local governments to carefully review the law to understand how it may be used to benefit their communities.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this topic further, please contact Megan M. Olson at MOlson@tresslerllp.com.

About Megan M. Olson

Megan focuses her practice on serving cities, villages, townships, school districts, library districts, road districts, park districts, and other local government entities. In addition to providing general counsel, she provides guidance on establishing and drafting new ordinances and policies, contract negotiations, building and code enforcement, administrative proceedings, Freedom of Information Act compliance, and intergovernmental agreements. Megan also has experience in eminent domain, land use, development, and public water supply matters. Click here to read Megan’s full attorney bio.