Northern Illinois Transit Authority holds first meeting to oversee Chicago transit

The Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) held its first meeting on Thursday, marking the official transition from the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). The new agency is tasked with overseeing and integrating Chicago-area transit systems, including Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), and Pace.

During the meeting, the 20-member board unanimously elected former RTA director Tom Kotarac as NITA chair and named former Chicago Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee as interim executive director. The NITA Act provides the agency with increased authority to coordinate schedules, set fares, and simplify ticketing. A key mandate is the implementation of unified fares, allowing riders to use a single system when transferring between different transit agencies.

Beyond fare integration, NITA is responsible for improving transit safety and reliability. The agency is tasked with deploying trained transit ambassadors by next July and will decide next year whether to establish a new police department to patrol all three transit systems. The transition follows legislative reforms aimed at providing a “complete reset” for the region's transit infrastructure, supported by $1.5 billion in additional annual funding.