Mayor Brandon Johnson said a $3.6 billion plan to build 5.6 miles of new train tracks, as well as four stations, would “right a historic wrong” and provide a “critical connection that has been missing for half a century.”

Unprecedented regional coordination, $1.5 billion in new annual funding and a push to transform service and draw in more riders than ever. Those are just some of the ambitious ideas up for debate as part of an effort to create a bold new vision for public transit in the Chicago area.

The CTA says in July of 2023, it delivered an average of 88% of scheduled rail service, compared to 71% in August of last year. And it says it delivered 96% of bus service this July, compared to 81% last August.

The CTA touted the lockers as a convenience for customers and a way to reduce congestion and pollution from Amazon’s ubiquitous delivery trucks and vans. The program is a three-year deal, with two options to extend it by a year.

Construction often means disruption. That’s certainly been true in Edgewater and Uptown as the CTA’s been working to rebuild century-old tracks and stations. And with that project kicking off just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the challenges have been felt even more acutely.

The CTA is still short more than 600 full-time bus and rail operators. As the transit agency tries to reverse service and staffing losses, it’s been putting a big focus on hiring.

Buses that never show up and unreliable train travel times. Filling a CTA staffing shortfall. And a push for better bike safety. Those are just a few of the transit topics on the minds of voters

Alex Nitchoff, 56, of Lemont, was charged with one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official and two counts of using a facility in interstate commerce in order to facilitate the acts of bribery, federal authorities announced Monday.

Community-driven development centered around future CTA stations. That’s the idea behind a new “transit-supportive development” plan to revitalize South Side neighborhoods that are part of the proposed Red Line extension to 130th Street.

Alejandro Arellano, 31, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 26-year-old woman, whom he allegedly stabbed at least four times with a folding pocket knife. He was ordered held without bail during a hearing Monday.

After years of efforts to reopen the shuttered stop, there’s been momentum in recent months — including an outpouring of support at the ballot box last week, with 93% of area voters calling on the CTA to get Racine back up and running.

Even if the federal grant is approved by Congress, Chicago would need an additional $2.4 billion to cover the total cost of the project, much of which is city officials hope will come from the federal government in future years.

The job fair, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the CTA’s 567 W. Lake St. main office, will give job seekers a chance to attend information sessions on the bus positions and apply on site. 

The CTA started experimenting with electric buses in 2014 and plans to move to an all-electric fleet by 2040. But as the temperature drops, lithium-ion batteries that run the buses aren't as efficient and lose range.

The staffing shortfall is one of a plethora of issues plaguing the CTA in recent months. Frustrated riders and alderpeople have slammed agency leadership for late or missing buses and trains, inadequate cleaning, safety issues and not providing social services to unhoused people.

James Jackson, 55, appeared in court Friday on charges of aggravated battery of a transit employee and aggravated battery of a victim over 60 years old after he allegedly struck a CTA worker at the Washington Blue Line station.