A bus on LaSalle street with the Chicago Board of Trade in the background

Finance & budget

This page contains information about CTA's finances and budget.

On this page:

See also: For latest available financial reports/statements presented before the Chicago Transit Board's Finance, Audit & Budget Committee meetings, see Board Presentations

2024 budget recommendations

“I am pleased with the continued progress and positive trends that CTA continues to make, but we still have work to do to provide the service that I believe our customers deserve and expect. The CTA’s proposed 2024 budget puts a high premium on providing the highest levels of service, customer comfort, modernization and equity. And I am committed to returning more scheduled service to our bus and rail systems in 2024.”

– CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. 

Cover of the 2024 budget book, featuring renderings of the proposed Red Line Extension.For fiscal year 2024, the CTA is proposing a $1.99 billion operating budget that keeps fares at their current levels, maintains the delivery of bus and rail services, with plans to add additional service to meet growing ridership demand—all while continuing to make important investments to upgrade and modernize the system.

The proposed spending budget reflects a 9.2 percent increase (or $168.2 million) over the previous year’s budget and supports CTA’s ongoing workforce initiatives for hiring and retaining key operations personnel, while also introducing several new measures that will help improve the overall customer experience with enhanced security and improved Ventra fare system features. This includes a new ChatBot for improved customer service, ongoing work with our transit partners at Metra, Pace and RTA to deliver innovative fare products, plus a new, dedicated program that will provide pre-loaded Ventra Cards to victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

The continued strengthening of CTA’s workforce is critical to further improving the delivery of its services. Overall, CTA is projecting to hire more than 2,000 new employees for the current year, also far exceeding the 1,200 annual hiring norm. CTA will continue to plan, monitor, and respond to the shifting employment landscape to meet its people and service needs. As such, CTA anticipates continued optimization of its service schedules to reflect its growing workforce–additional service is expected to be added in 2024.

The proposed $3.6 billion Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan for 2024-2028 includes funding for critical transit improvement projects that are underway or set to begin in 2024:

  • All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP): A total of 14 rail stations are now fully-funded for future accessibility modernization construction work. Of these stations, five are currently under construction, three are in design and five are in various stages of planning. In addition to station improvements, CTA has $37M in funding for elevator replacements and/or modernizations of existing elevators across the system-up to 16 elevators.
  • Bus System Electrification: Funds allocated for the full-electrification of the 103rd Garage, plus an allocation of funding for the ongoing Chicago Garage implementation.
  • Rail Fleet Modernization: Increased production of the 7000-series railcars – CTA’s newest generation of rail vehicles. Plus, ongoing quarter-life overhauls of the agency’s 5000-series
  • Refresh & Renew: Expansion of this annual facilities improvement program to include more CTA employee workplaces, while continuing to focus on rail station repairs and enhancements.

The President's 2024 Budget Recommendations book provides an overview of the proposed operating and capital budgets, plus key initiatives highlighted in an easy-to-read manner with accompanying charts and graphs. In addition, historical and reference data is presented in a detailed appendix section.

PDF2024 Budget Recommendations

PDF2024 Budget Recommendations (accessible text version)

Past budget recommendations

 

Financial statements

 

Pension Obligation Bond Sale Report

PDFPension Obligation Bond Sale Report (text version)

 

IRMA representation notice

PDFIndependent Registered Municipal Advisor ("IRMA") Representation Notice, eff. January 11, 2024

 

Official statements for CTA bonds

 

Miscellaneous reference

PDF CTA Debt Policy
The Debt Management Policy serves as a management tool to enable the Chicago Transit Authority to identify transactions that utilize debt in the most efficient manner and provide for full and timely repayment of all borrowings. It establishes guidelines for the appropriate amount and type of debt as a means of achieving the lowest possible cost of capital within prudent risk parameters and ensuring ongoing access to the capital markets. And it also addresses the method of bond sale and the selection of bond professionals.

PDF CTA Investment Policy

 

Presentations

PDF 2016 Chicago Investors Conference presentation (8/3/2016)

2019 Budget BookThe President's 2019 Budget Recommendations book provides an overview of the proposed 2019 operating and capital budget. Key initiatives are highlighted in an easy-to-read manner with accompanying charts and graphs.

In addition, historical and reference data is presented in a detailed appendix section.

PDF2019 Budget Recommendations
PDF2019 Budget Recommendations accessible text version

System status snapshot
‘L’ route status
Red Line
Normal Service
Brown Line
Normal Service
Green Line
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Orange Line
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Pink Line
Normal Service
Purple Line
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Yellow Line
Normal Service
Bus routes w/alerts
Elevator alerts