March 11th, Scott Hennings of the McHenry County Department of Transportation appeared before the Senate Transportation Committee which is considering the re-structuring of the Regional Transportation Authority along with a massive infused of new tax dollars.
Here is his testimony:
Remarks to the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee – March 11, 2025
Good morning Chairman Villivalam, Minority Spokesperson DeWitte and members of the Transportation Committee, and thank you for convening this important subject matter hearing on SB5 (Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act) and SB1938 (United We Move).
Let me first start by talking not about specifics, but instead about McHenry County’s three guiding principles when it comes to transit reform.
First, we believe that the system is facing a funding crisis brought about by years of underinvestment by the State of Illinois and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. New state operating funding should be everyone’s highest priority to keep the buses and trains running in 2026.
Secondly, we believe that this historical lack of transit funding for northeast Illinois has resulted in vast swaths of our region lacking even the most basic transit services. This is especially true in McHenry County. We would support the development of new legislation to fund service enhancements in transit deserts so that all sales tax-paying residents of this region realize the benefits of our transit system.
Lastly, we recognize that the transit governance structure we have today can and should be updated for the system we want in the future. McHenry County believes the best way to do this is to strengthen the RTA by giving it more authority over
- fare policy,
- safety and security,
- capital planning,
- funding allocation, and
- regional service planning.
This was the recommendation developed after months of research by our MPO and the governance model favored by the majority of stakeholders in this region.
It is through this lens that we have reviewed the two proposals before you today.
It is our opinion that SB5 (Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act) is a visionary piece of legislation that would be more worthy of consideration if we were building a transit system from scratch.
We support aspects of the bill, such as the attention to agency executive performance and board member accountability.
We also support the bill’s focus on equitable transit-oriented development incentives and the recognition that roadway agencies such as the Tollway, IDOT and County DOT’s have pivotal roles to play in helping improve transit service.
However, we continue to believe that consolidating all transit services under the MMA is both unnecessary and potentially counterproductive to the goal of improving transit for our residents.
By requiring only a simple majority for all actions, the MMA has the potential to be captured by interests representing only one part of our region, to the detriment of others.
It is for these reasons that McHenry County and our municipalities oppose SB5 (MMA) and the governance changes contained therein.
Alternatively, SB1938 (United We Move) does a better job recognizing that the system we have today needs to be incrementally improved, rather than overhauled.
By keeping the RTA and service boards in place, local priorities will be preserved – both in the City of Chicago and in the suburbs.
Granting the RTA more authority over fare policy and system safety are reforms with broad support.
Reducing the fare box recovery ratio requirement to better align with national standards will ensure that service is maintained and expanded throughout the entire region, including in areas with less population and employment densities.
But perhaps most importantly for us, SB1938 maintains a supermajority voting requirement on the RTA Board for major items, albeit at a lower threshold (66% vs 75%).
This will ensure that all parts of the region receive the attention and funding they deserve, while at the same time minimizing the potential for gridlock and stalemate on the future RTA Board.
Still, McHenry County would like to see three changes to SB1938 before receiving our full support.
First, we acknowledge the importance of gubernatorial appointments to the RTA Board, including voices from labor, the business community and transit advocacy.
However, it is important that these five appointments reflect the varied geographies of our region.
To achieve that, we would like to see a requirement that at least two state appointees reside in the collar counties.
Next, we want to see SB1938 include an equitable transit-oriented development incentive program in the final bill.
After all, locating well-planned, mixed-use developments near a train station or bus route increases accessibility to transit service and makes service more cost effective for taxpayers.
Finally, SB1938 must include IDOT and the County DOTs in both the planning and governance of the regional transit system, perhaps as a non-voting member on the new RTA Board.
Thank you for allowing me to summarize McHenry County’s thoughts on SB5 and SB1938 and we very much look forward to answering any questions you have.
