State lawmakers debating the future of Chicago-area transit have a new proposal to mull over Thursday, after a labor-backed coalition announced it would file a bill calling for reforming public transportation finances and governance but stopping short of merging CTA, Metra, Pace, and RTA into a single agency.

The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), a key figure as the head of the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee who last year had backed a bill calling for creating a new, unified Chicago-area transit agency.

“Alongside the 15,000 union members that deliver public transit services through CTA, Metra and Pace, I am committed to ensuring that working- and middle-class families have an integrated public transit system that connects them to economic opportunities, services and each other for decades to come,” Villivalam said in a statement.

The group of more than 30 area unions, calling itself the Labor Alliance for Public Transportation, said in an early Thursday morning news release that it planned to file a bill it’s calling United We Move Illinois, sponsored by Villivalam and Assistant House Majority Leader Marcus Evans Jr.

The legislation aims to address a looming $750 million fiscal cliff facing CTA, Metra and Pace in 2026 after COVID-19 relief money making up for a loss of ridership revenue dries up.

The group backing the bill says it’s key to incorporate sustainable revenue sources into the budget lawmakers are due to pass by May 31 for the upcoming fiscal year, but has yet to offer nitty-gritty details.

On the website promoting the proposal, the alliance says it’s “currently looking at various funding opportunities and working with lawmakers to find a fiscally responsible solution for the state to fulfill its obligations to fully fund our public transportation networks in Illinois.”

Another fiscal reform the alliance is proposing would change the ratio for how much of transit agencies’ operating revenue must come from passenger fares, a far more onerous requirement for Chicagoland’s public transportation system than in other peer cities.

The bill’s backers are also calling for better coordination among transit agencies; improved safety efforts; ensuring board members have relevant expertise; and better accountability for transit boards and changes in governance, including holding back funding for transit agencies to ensure reform.

“Our bill addresses the system’s current shortcomings and critical needs, while providing support and a structure for delivering the improved public transit system the people of Illinois want and deserve,” Bob Reiter, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor, said in a statement.

Over several hours-long hearings last year, Illinois senators heard from a wide array of stakeholders who shared their thoughts on transit’s future. While many expressed interest in the idea of a transit merger, current leaders of CTA, Metra, Pace, and RTA pushed back hard at the notion that a merger would create the kinds of cost savings or operational efficiencies some advocates hoped for.

Similarly, labor leaders – including representatives of the bus and train operators, mechanics, and other unionized transit employees – threw cold water on the notion of a merger.

“The Labor Alliance for Public Transportation represents the diverse perspectives of those working within our region’s transportation systems,” Tim Drea, Illinois AFL-CIO President, said in a statement. “Our proposal ensures that our hard-working transit agencies are well equipped to address regional transit’s complex challenges and serve their riders better.”

The labor group’s plan does nod to one of the frequent criticisms of the current public transit system – the byzantine appearance of its four-board structure, with 21 different authorities making 47 appointments.

“Having one board is not adequate,” the alliance says on its website. “Each board, the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), CTA, Metra, and PACE, have vastly different systems and unique needs. Instead, we propose to make changes to the composition of the current boards. The Labor Alliance for Public Transportation’s proposal offers a solution for better coordination among agencies to ensure fiscal accountability and an improved rider experience.”

In a statement, the group that had backed the bill calling for replacing the current agencies and merging their transit operations into a new Metropolitan Mobility Authority said it welcomed Thursday’s proposal.

“The hard-working Illinoisans who operate and maintain Northeastern Illinois’ transit systems are essential to day-to-day reliability and operation, and we’re thrilled to see them joining the conversation about our system’s future,” the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition said in a statement to WTTW News. “We appreciate the work the Labor Alliance for Public Transit put into this thoughtful proposal and look forward to continuing the conversation to ensure Illinois’ transit system coordinates smooth, accessible and equitable service, connects folks to affordable active modes of transportation, and mitigates air and climate pollution.”

Contact Nick Blumberg: [email protected] | (773) 509-5434 | @ndblumberg