Mayor Doug Scott of Rockford and Mayor Fred Brereton of Belvidere are leading efforts to expand Metra service into Boone and Winnebago counties, but Metra expansion to DeKalb remains a distant possibility.

Currently, Metra provides commuter train service in a region of northern Illinois encompassing Chicago and its suburbs in Cook, Lake, McHenry, DuPage, Kane and Will Counties, but leaders in outlying counties would like to see Metra expand its service.

To bring Metra to DeKalb, it would require both an act by the state legislature and money from the state, federal government, DeKalb County, the City of DeKalb and possibly the university. The additional funds would be required to pay for building infrastructure and for maintaining the line, said Gary Foyle, director of planning for Metra.

Foyle said Metra was looking to expand beyond Elburn, either to DeKalb or Maple Park in Kane County. Representatives from Metra met with officials from DeKalb to discuss the possibility of extending the line, but found DeKalb unable to support the required taxes.

A one percent sales tax in the suburban Metra service area supports the system’s financial requirements. A higher sales tax would be required in DeKalb county to support Metra because of its lower population density.

DeKalb City Manager Jim Connors noted that the question of Metra expanding service to DeKalb has come up several times in the past, but the cost to add DeKalb County to the RTA system would be prohibitive, at least for now.

Metra opted not to expand service to Maple Park, which Foyle explained is the last community within RTA’s jurisdiction in that part of the state.

Funding the RTA

The RTA oversees mass transit systems in the greater Chicago area, including the Chicago Transit Authority, Pace and Metra.

Fifty-five percent of Metra’s operating costs are covered by fares and 45 percent are covered by the RTA sales tax.

Tax revenue generated for the RTA by county governments is distributed to provide additional funding for the CTA, Metra and Pace in each county based on how many tax dollars each county generates. Eighty-five percent of the tax dollars then are used for the operational costs of CTA, Pace and Metra, while 15 percent is reserved by the RTA to cover operational costs.

“In the City of Chicago, the tax money is used exclusively to subsidize the CTA,” Foyle said.

In suburban Cook County, the money is shared by the CTA, Pace and Metra, while in the five collar counties, the money is divided between Pace and Metra.

“Twenty percent of Metra’s riders live in Chicago and 95 percent of the riders go to downtown Chicago,” Foyle said.

The RTA was created in 1974 as a special service unit of government and municipal corporation of the State of Illinois. Originally instituted to provide public subsidies to privately owned mass transit companies, the RTA’s role subsequently expanded to include the acquisition and operation of public transportation carriers as well as contracting to provide service.

Expansion in other areas

“We have a funding commitment from Sen. Dick Durbin’s office on a commuter rail feasibility study to extend Metra service to Rockford, Belvidere, Cherry Valley, Marango and Huntley,” said Jim Ryan, Rockford’s construction program manager.

John Strandin, communications coordinator for Mayor Scott’s office, said Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Rockford, and Sen. Durbin, D-Ill., are trying to get money approved for a feasibility study.

“Belvidere has been working on this for a while,” Stradlin said. “My understanding is that Metra has a five-year plan to expand service from Elgin to Huntley.”

Rich Carter, press secretary for Rep. Manzullo, said the office is in the process now of coming up with an estimate for a study.

“In the very near future, we’ll be requesting the funding,” said Carter. “The request would go the House’s Appropriations Committee’s Transportation Subcommittee to include in their bill for the 2002/2003 budget. I think Sen. Durbin’s staff will make a similar submission to the Senate’s Appropriations Committee.”

Foyle said there are several obstacles to the expansion of the rail service.

The rail commuter division of the Regional Transportation Authority says the ultimate decision to expand outside of the current service region is not in their hands.

“Metra will be expanding service out to Elburn in southwestern Kane County, but it would take an act of the state legislature for the RTA to provide ‘extra-territorial’ service beyond the six county region,” Foyle said. “There would have to be a dedicated funding source with an ongoing revenue stream.”

“Metra will tell you that Rockford and Belvidere are not in their five year plan, but plans can change,” Strandin said. “A couple of gubernatorial candidates have supported expansion to Belvidere and Rockford. Sen. Durbin suggested to local officials that they hit up all the candidates, because there are so many of them running around the state trying to drum up votes.”