SB 2111 - Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act

Governor JB Pritzker signed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act, SB2111, into law, marking a landmark action in modernizing Illinois’ transit system. The law creates a new regional authority to oversee CTA, Metra, and Pace, while delivering significant investments in public transit, capital projects, and tollways across the state—all without raising statewide taxes.

The law will redefine how transit operates in Illinois, giving NITA expanded authority over service planning, capital projects, fare collection, and operational oversight, all while addressing the fiscal cliff that threatened the reliability and long-term stability of the state’s transit systems. These improvements extend beyond riders, as better transit expands job access, creates cleaner air, lowers congestion, and supports economic development. According to Argonne National Lab, each dollar invested in transit generates $13 in economic activity, highlighting the far-reaching impact of these investments.



The NITA Act updates requirements for NITA's Strategic Plan to include the identification of goals and objectives around:

- increasing per capita transit ridership and the
share of trips taken by transit in the region;
- using public transportation to reduce greenhouse
gas and other emissions from the transportation sector;
- access for transit-dependent populations,
including low-income communities, seniors, students, and
people with disabilities;
- access by low-income communities to places of
employment;
- improving roadway operations within the
metropolitan region to enhance transit options and to
improve mobility;
- land use policies, practices, and incentives that
make more effective use of public transportation services
and facilities as community assets and encourage locating
the siting of businesses, homes, and public facilities
near public transportation services and facilities to
provide convenient and affordable travel for residents,
customers, and employees in the metropolitan region;
- policies, practices, and incentives that will
better integrate public transportation with other active
modes of transportation


NITA Strategic Plan Requirements

Empowers Mass Transit Districts in the state and NITA to acquire, construct, own, operate, or maintain for public service transit-supportive developments and trail-supportive developments.

Requires NITA to create an inventory of Authority-owned lands that are within 1/2 mile of a public transportation station or within 1/8 mile of a bus stop and are suitable for allowing transit-supportive development.

Permits the NITA to establish a Transit-Supportive Incentive Program for investment in transit-supportive residential and
commercial development; grants to local governments to help cover the cost
of drafting and implementing land use, parking, and other
laws that are intended to encourage and shall reasonably
have the effect of allowing or supporting
transit-supportive residential or commercial development; and providing resources for increased public
transportation service in and around transit-supportive
residential and commercial developments, especially newly
created transit-supportive developments.

Enabling Transit Agency-led Transit-Oriented Development

Except as otherwise provided, a
unit of local government may not impose or enforce any minimum
automobile parking requirements on a development project if
the project is located within one-half mile of a public
transportation hub or one-eighth mile of a public
transportation corridor.

Enabling Transit Agency-led Transit-Oriented Development

Action History

Related Policies

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