Improving equity in transportation fees, fines, and fares

ON TO 2050, the region’s comprehensive plan, recommends both fully funding the region’s transportation system and leveraging it to promote inclusive growth. To support these goals, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning conducted its first comprehensive analysis of the impacts of transportation fees, fines, and fares on residents with low income.

Fees, fines, and fares are just one piece of a household’s transportation costs and overall tax burden. Still, residents with low income would benefit from reforms that make transportation fees, fines, and fares more affordable. For example, many residents with low income, particularly those without bank accounts, are unable to access I-PASS accounts and Ventra cards, which offer cost savings. Fines also disproportionately burden households with low income and can lead to late fees, high debt levels, and other negative impacts.

This project sought to both assess the impacts of fees, fines, and fares on residents with low income and recommend policy changes to improve equity. The report was developed with significant contributions from transportation agencies, researchers, and advocates. CMAP also convened a group of partners from across the region to provide feedback on the analysis and identify strategies. CMAP and many of these partners will work to implement these recommendations through legislation, policy changes, new initiatives, and other reforms.

Two documents are available:

Thank you to our partners:

Active Transportation Alliance	Center for Neighborhood Technology	City of Chicago, Department of Transportation	City of Chicago, Office of Equity and Racial Justice
Chicago Jobs Council	Chicago Transit Authority	Cook County	Equiticity
Equity Institute, YWCA of Evanston	Heartland Alliance	Illinois Tollway	Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
Metra	Metropolitan Planning Council	Muse Community Design	Pace
Regional Transportation Authority	Union of Concerned Scientists	University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab	University of Illinois at Chicago

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Improving equity in transportation fees, fines, and fares

ON TO 2050, the region’s comprehensive plan, recommends both fully funding the region’s transportation system and leveraging it to promote inclusive growth. To support these goals, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning conducted its first comprehensive analysis of the impacts of transportation fees, fines, and fares on residents with low income.

Fees, fines, and fares are just one piece of a household’s transportation costs and overall tax burden. Still, residents with low income would benefit from reforms that make transportation fees, fines, and fares more affordable. For example, many residents with low income, particularly those without bank accounts, are unable to access I-PASS accounts and Ventra cards, which offer cost savings. Fines also disproportionately burden households with low income and can lead to late fees, high debt levels, and other negative impacts.

This project sought to both assess the impacts of fees, fines, and fares on residents with low income and recommend policy changes to improve equity. The report was developed with significant contributions from transportation agencies, researchers, and advocates. CMAP also convened a group of partners from across the region to provide feedback on the analysis and identify strategies. CMAP and many of these partners will work to implement these recommendations through legislation, policy changes, new initiatives, and other reforms.

Two documents are available:

Thank you to our partners:

Active Transportation Alliance	Center for Neighborhood Technology	City of Chicago, Department of Transportation	City of Chicago, Office of Equity and Racial Justice
Chicago Jobs Council	Chicago Transit Authority	Cook County	Equiticity
Equity Institute, YWCA of Evanston	Heartland Alliance	Illinois Tollway	Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
Metra	Metropolitan Planning Council	Muse Community Design	Pace
Regional Transportation Authority	Union of Concerned Scientists	University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab	University of Illinois at Chicago