Naperville Residents Face Transit Overhaul as NITA Board Takes Shape With $1.2 Billion in New Funding
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority replaces the RTA on September 1 with $1.2 billion in new annual funding. Four of 20 board directors have been appointed. Naperville residents who ride Pace and Metra will be affected by fare and schedule decisions.
A New Transit Authority Replaces the RTA on September 1
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority will replace the Regional Transportation Authority on September 1. The new agency will oversee the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace. Four of the 20 board directors have been appointed. Sixteen more are still waiting to be named.
Naperville residents ride Pace buses and Metra trains every day. The decisions made by this new board will determine fares, schedules, and service levels for those commutes.
"NITA is a transformational plan that will modernize Illinois’ transit system," a Pritzker spokesperson said Thursday.
Who Has Been Appointed
Four collar counties have named their single NITA director each. DuPage County has not yet made its appointment.
- Will County: Romeoville Mayor John Noak
- Lake County: Gary Gordon, chief financial and administrative officer at the Shedd Aquarium
- McHenry County: Brian Sager, former Woodstock mayor and current RTA director
- Kane County: Brian Dahl, former county board member and president of the Fox Valley Building and Construction Trades Council
The governor, the mayor of Chicago, and the Cook County Board president have yet to name their five directors each.
The Money Behind the Change
The NITA Act passed in 2025. It comes with new annual funding for the region.
- $1.2 billion in transit operations funding
- $180 million in capital improvements
The Regional Transportation Authority board approved a 0.25 percent increase in the RTA sales tax. The increase takes effect on August 1 across Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. The higher tax is expected to bring in more than $199 million this year and more than $500 million in 2027, according to Railway Supply.
What Changes for Riders
The NITA board will have broader authority over fares and schedules for all three transit agencies. The goal is a universal fare system by 2030. That means a single pass would work on CTA trains, Metra commuter lines, and Pace buses.
"I think the new NITA board will really focus on efficiency of resource usage and planning, and making sure that we are listening to the needs of the people that we serve," said Brian Sager, the McHenry County appointee.
Director salaries range from $15,000 to $25,000, depending on whether they serve on one or two boards. Seventeen of the 20 directors will hold dual appointments to either the CTA, Metra, or Pace boards.
Leadership Questions Remain
The 20 directors are expected to vote on a chair at their first meeting in September. Kirk Dillard, current RTA Chairman, has served for 12 years and said he would be willing to stay when NITA replaces the RTA.
"The chair and the leadership at NITA have to understand what it’s like to live and work in the six-country region and how they all fit together," said Dillard, a former state senator who was born in Chicago and lives in Hinsdale.
RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden’s contract runs out at the start of 2027. Sources say she is not expected to stay. Rumored candidates for NITA chief include Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency Executive Director Erin Aleman and former Illinois tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur.
Service Improvements Already Starting
Metra is using added operating funds to expand service on the Electric District starting June 15. The new schedule adds stops at all three Hyde Park stations. Service runs every 20 minutes on average. The Blue Island Branch receives more midday service. The South Chicago Branch extends morning outbound service by 40 minutes and increases evening inbound service by two hours.
Metra Executive Director Jim Derwinski said the timetable revision moves the agency closer to implementing regional rail service across the system. The changes support reverse commuting, suburb-to-suburb trips, and leisure travel.
"I believe that we will find commonality that allows for the entire region to benefit from this," said John Noak, the Will County appointee and Romeoville Mayor.
The transition from RTA to NITA marks the largest restructuring of Chicago-area transit since the RTA was created in 1974. The six-county region moves 1.6 to 1.8 million riders daily, according to Dillard.
The deadline for all appointments is September 1.