About Fair Transit

About Fair Transit

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle stands behind a podium at the Metra Train Station. A quote above her reads,"The goal is to increase service and lower costs for our South Chicago, Cook and Will County residents who experience longer commute times than north side residents and who spend half of their income on transportation expenses. Now is the time given the economic challenges from COVID-19, to address the critical need for essential workers, and all residents, to use transit to get where they need to go. This pilot will help us better understand transportation challenges facing our residents and businesses and implement the right solutions. It aligns with the other transportation and economic investments we are making to strengthen our overall economic health."

The Fair Transit pilot provides residents and commuters in south Cook County with greater opportunities to make transit their choice for getting to work, school, shopping and regional destinations. The goal of this pilot is to ease commuting burdens by partnering with transit agencies to provide improved and more affordable transportation options. The methods for attaining this goal include fare reductions and an increase in service options for commuters. Learn more about why South Cook was chosen through our findings: Why South Cook – Maps and Data.

Metra, Pace and DoTH are working together towards achieving:

  • Fare reduction
  • Improved service options
  • Simplified transfers

The County is underwriting costs for each participating agency and part of this pilot is funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Accelerating Innovative Mobility program. You can learn more about the grant process and awardees here.

Timeline Activities

  • The Metra, Pace and Cook County Boards approved participation during their respective 2020 November and December Board meetings. 
  • A formal kick-off event celebrating the launch of Fair Transit was held at the LaSalle Metra Station on January 4, 2021. Watch the event in its entirety on Cook County's YouTube channel. 
  • Leading up to the launch event, community partners were also interviewed about the impact Fair Transit will have on their communities. Watch the highlight video here. 
Timeline for the pilot program. Pilot ramp-up in April 2020; pilot approval November through December 2020; pilot kickoff and pilot implementation January 2021; pilot evaluation and findings in January 2023.