Will I Make It?
I hold my breath now, trotting up the steep stairs to get to the entrance of my CTA line. Sometimes I have to gasp for air between my steps; other times, I push through until I reach the pavilion, where the fresh air circulates much faster and replenishes my desperate need for oxygen.
Once I catch my breath, I stand, waiting on the delayed Red Line, pacing back and forth, strategically thinking, “where will I sit when the train arrives? Front? Middle?”
The train pulls up screeching. My eyes examine the train cars that are close enough for me to look at and fast enough for me to decide which car is best, before the conductor closes the doors shut like a man on a mission.
In 30 seconds, I analyze the seating arrangement with staple questions like: How many people are in this cart versus that cart? How long am I going to be on the train ride? If this train stops abruptly during the ride, will I be comfortable with my seat?
All the questions I ponder ultimately lead back to a deeper question: Am I safe? Will I make it from Point A to Point B without worry?
A First Time for Everything
As a native Mississippian, my relationship with public transportation is fresh.
I moved to Evanston for graduate school at Northwestern University. I didn’t have to take the train too frequently while in school. Thankfully, my necessities were within walking distance —a luxury that I still have today, living in Chicago. But it’s not everyone’s story.
My first introduction to the “L” was taking the Purple Line into the city during my summer apprenticeship. It was a trek—a 45-minute to an hour-long ride —but listening to music or reading a book would make the time pass more quickly.
I didn’t realize how the experiences could differ based on where someone lives in the city until I returned to Chicago after graduating from my master’s program. My new role at Culloton + Bauer Luce brought me closer to downtown living, but required me to commute to the office on the Red Line.
This is when my experience riding the train shifted.
The Passage to More
The odors of urine, cigarette smoke, and marijuana have become the scent that has welcomed me more than the linen air freshener scent in my apartment.
The broken entrance rails, out-of-order escalators, and rats have led me to question: how do people deal with this?
Hopping on the train is another world. Some days are pleasant, most days I’m on high alert– looking cautiously but trying to conceal it with curiosity and confidence.
I’ve seen a lot that I never thought I would. I’ve heard a lot that I never thought I could. My story is not uncommon; it’s a shared commonality for many people.
Moving from Mississippi has done wonders for my personal and professional development. I love Chicago. I appreciate how this city was built by hard-working men and women who don’t stop when it gets tough. I appreciate how Chicago has stood the test of time, despite the many efforts to tarnish its image. I proudly come from a similar environment—Jackson, Mississippi. The state alone gets second-hand judgment, but it’s the tenacity and perseverance of the people that keep it alive.
The Cost of Accessibility
The $771 million transit budget deficit is concerning me.
Millions of people rely on public transportation across the Chicagoland. The Regional Transportation Authority saw a total of 361 million rides taken on Metra, Pace, and CTA in 2024.
Without new funding from the state or another source, the agencies will have to cut services to balance their budgets, meaning fewer buses and trains, longer wait times, possible route closures, layoffs, or job cuts.
I’ve learned it’s an integral part of the city’s infrastructure, as well as the people who call it home and those who visit.
The mom and kids who must take the train for a trip to the grocery store. The dad who must travel from the suburbs to the city for work. The grandmother who must take the bus to her doctor’s appointment. The teens who have to take the train to school. Early career professionals who live in Chicago and must rely on transit. The explorer who wants to navigate the city without riding price-gouged rideshares during their three-day vacation.
There’s not one public transit system that’s perfect. Not D.C., San Francisco, NYC, or Atlanta. However, in Chicago, it should be as close to perfection as possible. As Mayor Brandon Johnson always says, it’s “the greatest freaking city in the world.”
How Much Longer Is the Ride?
The historic $55.1B state budget was passed without funding the RTA’s nearly billion-dollar deficit.
The disinvestment of this essential public service is like putting tissue over a busted fire hydrant that is spewing water. It’s simply not a solution.
Some legislators believe that funding the transit system won’t change until structural reforms, such as better governance and improved safety, are implemented. Others want the organizations to consolidate into one, which would give RTA authority over components like budgeting, fares, policing, and service coordination. Currently, each transit entity operates independently.
The next opportunity for lawmakers to act is during a summer session, if lawmakers are swift with policy revisions and agree, or a fall veto session, typically held in October and November.
If no funding solution is reached this year, the next chance would come during the regular legislative session starting in January 2026.
The estimated arrival time on this ride isn’t as promising either. Transit agencies may have to start making cuts sooner rather than later.
Until then, I have no choice but to pick myself up by my bootstraps like Mississippi taught me and keep my head high like Chicago is teaching me.
This article was written by Cianna Reeves. Cianna Reeves is a communications expert specializing in media, digital marketing, and crisis PR. Passionate about branding, reputation management, and staying ahead of the curve, she blends cultural moments into her writings on industry trends, new media, and AI, to educate and inform her audience.