RTA 2018-23 Regional Transit Strategic Plan

Sam Schwartz led the development and design of the Regional Transit Strategic Plan, a visionary roadmap for near-term transit investment in the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) six-county area. The region’s transit agencies, Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace, serve more than 2 million riders every day, but face a nearly $20 billion State of Good Repair backlog. In this process, the Sam Schwartz team produced Beginning the Discussion, a document which explores the challenges and opportunities facing the region’s transit system today, focused on changing demographics, travel trends, and new technology.

A key element of the project involves the Sam Schwartz team’s meaningful engagement, both within the four transportation agencies and with regional stakeholders, to not only understand solutions for the transit system, but to prioritize their vision and strategic actions in the long- and short-term. The outcome of this process was a new vision and priorities which speak to the root of the issue: transit is the core of the transportation system and it is imperative to act now in the face of a critical funding situation.

The 2018–2022 Regional Transit Strategic Plan, Invest in Transit, is the region’s case for pursuing a dependable transit capital funding stream that will enable the transit agencies to provide vital service into the future. Sam Schwartz designed the plan, which includes visually compelling infographics and narrative which speak to complicated issues such as transportation network company policies and capital funding allocations.

Services / Strategic Planning