Leland
Leland, IL · Traffic & Transit
NBC Chicago
wjol.com
More weekend lane closures on westbound I-80
IDOT announced today that bridge deck repairs and pavement patching on Interstate 80 between Richards Street and Wheeler Avenue, in Joliet, will require weekend lane closures. This is the third of four planned weekend closures along the corridor. Starting at 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, lane closures are scheduled to...
american-rails.com
Canal Street Maintenance Plan Will Get an FRA Review
CHICAGO — The Federal Railroad Administration will prepare an environmental assessment of Amtrak plans for a new Midwest Maintenance Facility at Canal Street, a former Union Pacific intermodal yard. Trains reported on October 26 that construction of the maintenance facility had qualified for a categorical exclusion, and that the agency changed course after Amtrak sought federal funding to repair 17 viaducts tied to the yard.
rtands.com
Metra Draft Plan Outlines Infrastructure, Costs for Regional Rail Service
Metra has released a draft Systemwide Network Plan outlining service changes and infrastructure investments needed to provide more frequent, all-day rail service across the Chicago region. The plan describes two service levels: Regional Rail 1.0, which aims for trains every 30 to 60 minutes on most lines, and Regional Rail...
NBC Chicago
Looming Chicago parking strike could lead to delays at airports, major events
Editor's note: The video in the player above is from a previous report. Chicago drivers could be backing into parking trouble after the union representing workers at some of the city’s busiest garages voted to strike. Workers represented by Teamsters Local 727 are expected to strike beginning Monday night...
The Center Square
Taxpayers fund expanded bike, bus lane enforcement
(The Center Square) – Chicago is expanding its camera system to enforce bus and bike lane regulations, with help from a taxpayer-funded transit agency created by state government. Mayor Brandon Johnson announced on Friday that the Smart Streets pilot program has collected more $3 million in revenue since it launched in 2024. “The goal of the program is traffic enforcement and safety. It is never our goal to aggressively fine and fee residents,” Johnson said. The program’s expansion is projected to generate $12.8 million in 2027, once cameras are added to 20 more city vehicles in January. Alderman Daniel La Spata said safety is the thrust of the Smart Streets pilot. “Smart Streets affixes cameras to city vehicles, to CTA buses, and is able to capture parking violations in our bus lanes, in our bike lanes as they go down the street,” La Spata said. Johnson said the city budget would include dedicated funding to support the program’s expansion. A statement from the mayor’s office said the number of city buses with cameras grew to 52 last month, thanks to $1 million from the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. NITA was created by legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in December
hoodline.com
Chicago's New Transit Overseer Proposes $5B Budget, Promises No Fare Hikes
The agency now overseeing Chicago's transit system has unveiled its first-ever regional budget proposal, a roughly $5 billion operating plan that would add all-night bus service, more frequent trains and over 200 new electric or hybrid buses — all without raising fares. The Northern Illinois Transit Authority, or NITA, released the draft Monday as the first step toward a vote expected next month.
KELOLAND
Rain can create sloppy gravel roads
evanstonroundtable.com
Northern Illinois Transit Authority prepares to release first regional transit budget
Northern Illinois Transit Authority is getting ready to release something that Chicago-area public transit has never had: a single budget for NITA and the three transit agencies it supervises, CTA, Metra and Pace. The three agencies used to develop their own budgets in October/November, with Regional Transportation Authority signing off...
WTTW - Chicago PBS
Metra 2026 Holiday Train Schedule Announced. Get a Behind-the-Scenes Look
Metra’s holiday trains are preparing to make their return this upcoming holiday season — and WTTW News got a preview of what riders can expect. The Metra holiday trains will run on six lines, the Chicago-area commuter rail system announced Monday. The popular holiday-themed trains are expected to have special round-trip runs with holiday characters on select weekends this holiday season. The trains also run as part of regular service.
hoodline.com
Chicago Region Plots 100-Year Survival Plan for Water, Power and Transit
Chicago's regional planning agency is trying to answer an unusually big question: what does this metropolitan area need to survive and thrive for the next hundred years? The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning has built a roadmap called The Century Plan to prepare the region's 284 communities for challenges ranging from drought-prone suburbs to a power grid that could face additional pressure from data centers and electric delivery trucks.