The outcome will determine whether there will be a fare hike for CTA, Metra and Pace riders.
The RTA does not project its revenue based on fares or ridership.
Funding comes from various sources, including the government and sales tax, and the good news is that sales tax revenue is up. The question is whether it is enough to make up for a budget shortfall.
"Even with positive assumptions on sales tax, the service boards will still be below where they would have expected to be prior to the recession."
Right now, the RTA is looking at a 6.5 percent revenue increase over last year, but it is not clear whether that will be enough to prevent a fare hike.
