Two riders of the Chicago Transit Authority recently filed a class-action civil rights suit in federal court against the State of Illinois, the Ill. Dept. of Transportation, the Regional Transportation Authority and Metra alleging racism in public transit funding.
The plaintiffs, a Black woman and Hispanic man, claim more funding is granted to Metra, whose ridership is majority white –– at 70 percent – while CTA is shortchanged. Sixty percent of CTA riders are Black and Hispanic, according to the suit.
At issue is less access to mass transit, route reductions and eliminations, and fare increases at CTA.
“The RTA’s funding scheme favors the white ridership and Metra over the minority ridership of the CTA,” said Rafael Vargas, the plaintiffs’ attorney.
The suit calls for the current funding breakdown to cease until the playing field is leveled.
The plaintiffs, a Black woman and Hispanic man, claim more funding is granted to Metra, whose ridership is majority white –– at 70 percent – while CTA is shortchanged. Sixty percent of CTA riders are Black and Hispanic, according to the suit.
At issue is less access to mass transit, route reductions and eliminations, and fare increases at CTA.
“The RTA’s funding scheme favors the white ridership and Metra over the minority ridership of the CTA,” said Rafael Vargas, the plaintiffs’ attorney.
The suit calls for the current funding breakdown to cease until the playing field is leveled.
