i don't know that i consider it a way for the cta to bail itself out by tapping into the rta's reserves - the rta has its own existential funding crisis that is comparable to what the cta is facing - but the state knows they need to do something.

there was a plan during the last budget cycle to impose a $1 tax on all amazon/other online deliveries, but it died before it got to the governor. the collective hole these two are facing is massive - and that's with an existing sales tax of 1.25% in cook and 0.50% in the collar counties (including your native kane).