Chicago-area public transit agencies are facing a fiscal cliff. The budget gap for CTA, Metra and Pace is at $200 million, according to the Regional Transportation Authority.

Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, the program will pay 3,250 residents of Cook County $500 a month for two years. It is the largest publicly-funded guaranteed income pilot in the nation to date.

“We've committed to strategies and measurable outcomes that hold us accountable to the public. It's not enough just to talk about equity. We must act,” Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle said.