The meeting is held in person at the CTA Headquarters, located in the West Loop at 567 West Lake Street. The meeting agenda could be found online at: transitchicago.com/assets/1/21/Ju…

Meeting is called to order at 9:28 am.

First up is the presentation of the report on route realignment of bus routes #53 Pulaski, #N53 Pulaski Owl, and #53A South Pulaski B, as well as the implementation of Sunday service and an extension of bus route #93 California/Dodge

One of the proposed changes of the Pulaski corridor is the overlapping of #53 and #53A service routes, which is projected to benefit students at Daley College.

The proposed extension of #93 bus, which currently runs from Evanston to the Kimball CTA station, to the south of the Brown Line is envisioned to "fill a two-mile transit gap."

In the context of the ongoing CTA budget shortfall crisis, a board member emphasizes that the CTA's 2025 service plan remains unchanged (as evidenced by the proposed but service improvement) and any discussion on service cuts are for 2026 and beyond.

The ordinances authorizing the services changes to #53 and #93 buses are approved by the Committee on Strategic Planning and Service Delivery.

Independent Auditor’s Report for Fiscal Year 2024 is up next. Four staffers who participated in the audit are speaking about their findings. They report to the board a clean audit.

The board unanimously approves an ordinance amending Ordinance 024-143 approving the Fiscal Years 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program.

There are 12 more ordinances on the agenda that the board is reviewing one by one. Among them are 4 ordinances related to real estate purchases for the Red Line Extension: 11900 S. Cottage Grove Ave, 411-413 W. 105th St, 12200-12256 S. Cottage Grove Ave, and 401–407 W. 104th St.

Board member Roberto Requejo points out the high price tag of the 6 million dollars at stake for the real estate acquisitions and relocations for the Red Line Extension, and asks about how these processes are presented and explained to the public.

CTA is selling 5446 S. Calumet Ave, declared to be no longer necessary for transit operations, to the City Colleges of Chicago to be used for the Malcolm X College Learning Center, with a price tag of $370,000. This ordinance is approved, as all other ordinances presented so far.

Through its Innovation Studio program, the CTA is asking for the board to approve spending $110,000 for a pilot program agreement with Sensonic US for using fiber optic technology to address right of way (ROW) intrusions along CTA train tracks.

After board approval of a few more ordinances on the agenda, next up for discussion is the ordinance authorizing an amendment to a contract with CRRC Sifang America JV for railcars crrcsifangamerica.com

Price tag of a new railcar per the original CRRC contract: $1.5 million Price tag of a new railcar per the amended CRRC contract: $2.7 million Price tag of a new railcar on the current marketplace: $4.5 million These rough numbers were just given by the CTA staff to the board.

The CRRC contract amendment ordinance is approved. Next is the last ordinance up for a vote today: authorization of a license agreement with the County of Cook to install, operate, and maintain public health vending machines on CTA property dispensing naloxone at rail stations.

A flurry of comments from the board commending the CTA for this contribution to public health. At the same time, board members expressed some reservations about whether the naloxone vending machines will be properly kept up in the years to come.

After the naloxone vending machine ordinance approval, 10 contracts are approved by the Committee on Finance, Audit, and Budget without any discussion. These approvals seem pretty routine. Now after a recess we will proceed to the board meeting proper.

The public comments are next, and they're capped to three minutes each. The first speaker thanked the CTA for its work on braille bus signs on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois.

The second member of the public to speak alleges that she saw drug dealers selling drugs to CTA bus drivers.

The third member of the public is speaking about CTA bus #31, which runs in Bridgeport and Bronzeville. He hopes the bus service headway could be reduced and the service hours could be extended.

The acting board president Nora Leerhsen is now speaking on the issue of the impending CTA funding shortfall. She mentions that the RTA is asking transit agencies to prepare two separate budgets, one with and one without the approval of requested funding.

Leerhsen is emphasizing again the positive correlation between adequate budget and adequate transit service frequency. Other board members echo the sentiment that the public needs to pressure the legislators in Springfield to approve needed funding for the CTA.

Minutes from the special board meeting held May 8, 2025 and regular board meeting held May 14, 2025 are approved unanimously. The board then moves into its executive session.

The board unanimously approves 6 million dollars for the proposed settlement for Bianca Murphy, Independent Administrator for the Estate of Sherry Fisher, deceased, vs. Felicia Gage & Chicago Transit Authority, Case No. 2024 L 002673.

After voting to defer the construction report, the board adjourned the meeting at 12:20 pm. The board's next regular meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2025. This concludes my live-tweeting for today's regular meeting of the Chicago Transit Board for #CHIdocumenters @CHIdocumenters