Evanston students who take public transit to school might soon be in trouble if the state doesn’t step in. City and school district officials met Tuesday night to discuss how to defend local bus service as struggling transit agencies warn of possible route decreases.
“It is really concerning,” said Sarah FioRito, the city’s transportation coordinator. “If they do end up cutting service, it is going to be really detrimental to not only ETHS students, but the entire region.”
Leaders from Evanston/Skokie School District 65, Evanston Township High School District 202, and the city met at District 65’s Joseph E. Hill Center to discuss their transit concerns and how to urge the Illinois General Assembly to allocate more money for transit.
Budget gaps
For the past several years, the CTA, Metra Commuter Rail and Pace Suburban Bus have been pumped with federal stimulus money to help survive during low ridership caused by the pandemic. Now, though, federal aid is drying up and the controlling body for these agencies, the Regional Transit Authority, needs money.
“Our state legislature right now is having a really big conversation about whether they are going to step in and do something about that,” FioRito said.
The RTA estimates the three agencies would face a combined $770 million budget shortfall without state aid, which would require each of them to cut 40% from their respective budgets.
In the worst-case scenario, Evanston could lose all but one CTA bus route, evening and weekend service on all Pace bus routes and some Union Pacific North Metra Line service.
Urging state action
Councilmember Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th Ward) told those gathered that a resolution urging the state to cover these budget pitfalls is expected to go before the City Council at its next meeting.
If the resolution passes, the two school districts could take language from this resolution to write their own similar documents and approve them at upcoming school board meetings.
“Whatever we need to do to add our voice to the advocacy from the city, we’re happy to do that,” said ETHS Superintendent Marcus Campbell.
“It impacts all our families,” said District 65 school board President Sergio Hernandez. “Some of our middle school students utilize [transit] too.”
Sidewalk improvements
Besides public transit, members of the group discussed another way students get around: walking.
There will be a number of sidewalk updates this summer, using both Illinois Department of Transportation and city funding to repair or replace sidewalks.
State-funded improvements will affect Willard, Lincolnwood, King Arts, Washington, Kingsley, Dewey, Chute, Park, Orrington, Lincoln and Oakton schools this summer. The work might impact summer school operations as well as students’ ability to walk to school during this time.
District 65’s Stacy Beardsley, assistant superintendent of performance management and accountability, asked the city to keep the district updated on the full schedule of improvements once it’s available.
Also see: Evanston legislators ‘hopeful’ on averting transit fiscal cliff — even if it comes down to the wire.
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