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The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) expressed disappointment to today’s close 6-7 Senate vote to defeat means testing for the senior free rides program. HB4654, which was sponsored by Leader Christine Radogno (R) and co-sponsored by Senator Martin Sandoval (D) would have amended the RTA Act, allowing low-income seniors, aged 65 and older in northeastern Illinois, to continue riding free on fixed route services operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace. All other seniors would have resumed riding fixed route services at a reduced fare.
“We viewed the legislation as a well balanced solution to reform the seniors ride free program by maintaining the benefit for those that are low income while still enabling all other seniors to resume riding for a reduced fare,” said RTA Executive Director Steve Schlickman. “This is an especially challenging time financially in our transit system’s history, and means testing would have helped us manage long-term program costs and contribute to our future financial stability.” He added that the RTA will continue to work with the General Assembly in the future to have them reconsider means testing for senior free rides as a practical and fair program reform.
Under the new legislation, qualifying low income seniors would have been eligible to ride the regional transit system’s fixed route service for free under the Illinois Department on Aging’s Circuit Breaker program. Earlier this year, the Circuit Breaker program increased its household income to $27,610 for a household of one and $34,635 for a family of two. All other seniors would resume riding fixed route services at a reduced fare.
Currently, there are more than 402,000 seniors registered for the Seniors Ride Free program. Means testing would have saved an estimated $30 million.
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