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 Transit Mass transit must be recognized as key to the health of the state's economy, the key to transit-oriented development, and a key moral obligation of a carbon-conscious society. Subsidies at least equivalent to those we provide for automobile use must be established and coupled with oversight to increase per-rider efficiency and reduce waste, and decoupled from competing regional interests. Although more funding is needed, money alone is not enough to solve the problems facing the RTA, the CTA, Metra and Pace. Illinois Auditor General William Holland's report released earlier this year is a good road map for reform. The report echoes my experience and that of others who have worked in and around transit. The Auditor's report rightly calls for a top-down overhaul of the system. The RTA and the Service Boards, as authorized by the legislature, must:
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