Legislation would help pay for rides for disabled

SPRINGFIELD — Legislation moving through the Illinois General Assembly would prevent Pace from having to raise rates on disabled riders, Pace officials said.

With the recession flattening sales tax revenues that typically pay for Pace’s services for the disabled, the bus agency faces a shortfall in its funding to transport disabled riders. In 2009, state officials came to an agreement to take care of that shortfall.

But that agreement runs out this year, and Rep. Elaine Nekritz’s plan would require the Regional Transit Authority to give Pace the paratransit money it needs.

The federal government requires local transit agencies to provide transit for the disabled. So a funding shortfall, deputy executive director Rocky Donahue said, would mean Pace would have to consider raising rates for disabled riders.

“Our only option was to raise fares,” Donahue said.

Instead, the Illinois House approved legislation recently that would prevent those increases. The plan now moves to the Senate.

Nekritz said her plan lets RTA decide where the money comes from. But the agency would have to pay out money for disabled services first, because it’s a required program.

“It has to come off the top,” she said.

Lawmakers are now on a break from Springfield, but the Senate could take up the legislation in May.