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CTA board approves omnibus: Forest Park design funding, security IGA, commuter-benefits consolidation
Summary
The Chicago Transit Authority Board approved an omnibus package July 8 that included a $28.2 million design agreement for the Forest Park (Blue) Line, a renewed intergovernmental agreement with the Chicago Police Department for voluntary special employment, consolidation of regional commuter benefits with the RTA, and agreements including City Year and several easements and contracts.
The Chicago Transit Authority Board unanimously approved an omnibus package July 8 that placed nine ordinances and eight contracts on the consent calendar for board approval.
Among the items the board approved was an intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation to advance design and track reconstruction work on the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line. Staff described the design phase as a $28,200,000 project and said IDOT and the Federal Highway Administration had secured additional grant and state funding to support reconstruction work.
The board also approved a renewed intergovernmental agreement with the Chicago Police Department that formalizes deployment of voluntary special-employment officers on CTA property. Chief security staff said the agreement supports approximately 180 officers and supervisors on a 24/7 basis and establishes reimbursement parameters for CTA; staff presented reimbursements capped in the materials at $75,000,000 annually (presented as $125,000,000 across three years) and noted that payments are limited to allocated budget funds.
Directors approved an agreement with the Regional Transportation Authority to consolidate CTA and RTA commuter pre-tax benefits onto a single regional platform; staff said the RTA (and successor entities) will fund administrative and migration costs and that CTA’s commitment is limited to providing staff time and marketing space.
Other omnibus items included a one-year co-promotion trade agreement with the City of Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management for ad and printing exchanges; permanent easements with Comcast and Astound tied to the Red Line Extension project; an amendment to the Innovation Studio ordinance to allow staff- and human-capital-supported pilots; a two-year volunteer-services agreement with City Year in exchange for CTA passes (staff estimated the passes’ value at about $200,000 per year in return for more than 8,000 volunteer hours annually); and multiple routine contract awards across operations and infrastructure.
Board members recorded yea votes in the roll call approving the omnibus. Directors recorded on the roll call included Rosa Ortiz, Lester Barclay, Jaques, Lily Diego Johnson and Michael Eady. No substantive objections or recorded nay votes were read during the meeting.
What happens next: items approved on the omnibus proceed under their stated schedules. Staff said Forest Park design work will move forward with IDOT funding and that the RTA consolidation will begin a joint transition plan to finalize within 30 days of execution.
