Illinois would boost mass transit funding by $1.5 billion under a plan awaiting the signature of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who helped negotiate the deal to fund trains and buses by tapping money that had been earmarked for roadwork.
Lawmakers passed SB 2111 early Friday morning, in the last hours of an October session that also brought a major overhaul of the state’s electricity policy. In both cases, the sprawling legislative packages remained in flux until the final days as officials haggled over the details.
For transit, lawmakers ultimately landed on a collection of familiar revenue sources — raising or redirecting existing taxes and toll fees — after rejecting new taxes on streaming services, online deliveries, ride-share trips and the unrealized appreciation of billionaires’ assets.
Instead, the legislation draws most of its funding from a redirection of motor fuel sales taxes ($860 million) and from the interest accrued from the state road fund ($200 million). It also authorizes higher sales taxes for areas of northern Illinois served by mass transit.
