Metra

Chicago’s public transit agencies are now entering an uncertain future. Public hearings on service cuts could begin this summer, but lawmakers say they are dedicated to finding solutions

Legislation to save public transit from a $771 million budget shortfall passed the Illinois Senate Saturday but fizzled in the House, leaving concerns about massive cuts to Metra, Pace and the CTA.

Legislation proposing a menu of fees and taxes to fill a gaping budget hole facing Metra, Pace and the CTA falls short, a Regional Transportation Authority analysis indicated Friday.

A $1.50 delivery fee that was part of a transit funding bill that passed the Illinois Senate failed to pass the House, which adjourned early Sunday morning without concurring as some of its tax hikes became too controversial. For now, the fee is not happening.

A new plan to reform public transit that emerged Wednesday in the General Assembly would establish the Northern Illinois Transportation Authority in place of the Regional Transportation Authority and create one universal fare system.

A man who authorities said arrived on a Metra train in Crystal Lake with cocaine and a loaded pistol has pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges.

Huntley has acquired more than 150 acres of land near the intersection of Kreutzer Road and the railroad tracks.

Huntley says it's acquiring 12 acres for "future municipal purposes." Could it be for a train station, with the village ID'd as a stop on the new Chicago-to-Rockford line?

Metra is moving ahead on a new site for train storage along the rail line serving McHenry County, moving storage from Crystal Lake and Barrington for train cars when they're not in use.

Gary Gordon has been appointed to represent Lake County on the Metra Board of Directors, replacing Melinda Bush, who resigned from the board in January.

Two separate reform proposals for public transit got an airing Tuesday during a Senate Transportation Committee hearing that produced pointed questions.

A pedestrian was fatally struck Tuesday morning by an inbound Metra train in Downers Grove. authorities said.

A pedestrian was struck and killed Monday afternoon by a Metra train in Downers Grove, authorities said.

Woodstock is getting closer to getting a Metra rail yard that would be moved from Crystal Lake. Officials say the change would benefit both towns and Metra UP-Northwest riders.

The clock is ticking for transit agencies facing a crater-sized budget hole, Metra Executive Director Jim Derwinski has warned.

Amid a $770 million budget gap facing Metra, Pace and the CTA, and a proposal to merge the three into a supersized agency, Regional Transportation Authority leaders have issued their own transit rescue plan.

The Chicago regional public transportation system is facing a fiscal cliff without new funding. Where does McHenry County fit into the funding picture?

A new bakery, Nicola's Heavenly Cucina, has opened in the Lockport Metra station specializing in sourdough bread and classic Italian recipes made with all-natural ingredients.

Melinda Bush, Lake County’s appointed member on the Metra Board of Directors, has announced her resignation, effective Jan. 3, 2025.

Pace buses every 20 minutes? Pace buses in every town? Or a hybrid system? It’s in your hands, officials say.

Metra is offering special one-day passes allowing unlimited travel for $7 on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, and Black Friday, Nov. 29.

A $400,000 state grant recently was awarded to DeKalb, and city leaders said they plan to use it to pay for another feasibility study to further assess if it’s possible to extend a Metra train line west of Elburn into the area.

After months of warnings about the “fiscal cliff” facing transit agencies when COVID-19 relief money expires, Metra leaders provided a stark hypothetical Wednesday.

Nicola’s Heavenly Cucina in Lockport, featuring Italian pastries, cookies and coffee, had it's grand opening on Saturday.

Funding for public transportation has become a top priority for some lawmakers over the past two years as transit agencies in Chicago area have sounded alarm bells on a looming financial crisis.

A body of an adult male was found near the Metra train tracks Sunday night in Cary, officials report.

The owner of Nicola's Heavenly Cucina announced on Facebook it plans to open its new bakery in the Lockport train station on Oct. 19.

Plans to extend rail service between Chicago and Rockford is the topic of public meetings Tuesday in Elgin and Wednesday in Huntley. Stops are planned for both towns.

Huntley has been chosen as a stop on a new Chicago-to-Rockford Metra train line, and local officials are mulling where in downtown Huntley the station might go.

Metra will offer special service on the Heritage Corridor Line on six Saturdays this fall, so residents can explore the communities along the route that begins in Joliet and ends in Chicago at Union Station.

Springview Sweets Bakery is no longer located at the Lockport Metra Station. As of Aug. 2, the bakery vacated the premises. Another bakery business has plans to move in.

DeKalb residents will soon have more opportunities to ride a public transit bus to the Metra train station in Elburn. That and other changes coming to public transit routes in DeKalb take effect Aug. 26. Learn more here.

The Kane County Committee of the Whole will discuss the future of public transit, as speakers will detail proposed legislation that would merge the CTA, Metra and Pace into a single agency.

A McHenry man has been identified as the person who was killed July 15 when a Metra train struck a vehicle in Ingleside, authorities said.

While the agencies are currently buoyed by pandemic-era funding and temporary allowances in state law, the agencies will face a cumulative annual budget gap of $730 million in operating costs beginning in 2026

Joshua Doss, 45, of New Lenox, was pronounced dead after he was struck by a Metra train.

Is the region ready for one supersized transit agency? You can learn more – and offer opinions – at a series of public hearings starting next week about combining Metra, Pace and the CTA.

Geneva police responded to a report shortly after noon today of a possible active shooter situation. A man causing a disturbance did not have a gun, more information about charges to be released later.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that repairs by Metra to a Milwaukee District North Line crossing on Milwaukee Avenue (Illinois 21) north of Lake Street, in Libertyville, will require a full closure starting, weather permitting, 9 a.m. July 8.

One person was struck and killed by a Metra train Thursday morning in Bartlett, ABC 7 Chicago is reporting.

State lawmakers unveiled an ambitious plan to fold Metra, Pace and the CTA into one supersized agency that would replace the Regional Transportation Authority Monday.

Open Roads ABATE Chapter is sponsoring a Train Fun Run on Saturday, April 13, at the Aurora Train Station

Whether you’re watching the Chicago River turn green or waving at marching leprechauns on the city’s South Side, public transit is your lucky charm this weekend, Metra officials say.

A Metra train went off the tracks Saturday in Crystal Lake, disrupting service but causing no reported injuries.

Metra’s launch of a new system for fares and zones hit a snag when its Ventra app crashed amid Thursday’s morning rush.

City of DeKalb leaders decided to throw their support behind an effort to study the feasibility of reviving the Twin Cities Zephyr Amtrak route from Chicago to East Dubuque, which previously included a stop in DeKalb County.

Since 2022, more than 33,000 migrants seeking asylum have arrived in Chicago. In recent weeks, communities in DeKalb, McHenry, Will, Kane and La Salle counties, among others, have passed ordinances to regulate migrant arrivals. Why is this happening? Here's what we know:

A man’s body was found Thursday morning inside the Metra depot at the Lisle train station.

Under a new policy, bicycles and scooters, including e-bikes and e-scooters, will be permitted on all Metra trains, beginning Feb. 1, free of charge. Racks will be installed on cars.

A streak of Texas bus drop-offs brought an estimated 400 migrants to Will County in December, but nearly all of the stops were in one community and most, if not all, of the passengers are believed to have moved on to Chicago.