Metra is the primary commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad,BNSF Railway,and other railroads. The system operates 243 stations on 11 rail lines. It is the fourth busiest commuter rail system in the United States by ridership and the largest and busiest commuter rail system outside the New York City metropolitan area. In 2023,the system had a ridership of 31,894,900,or about 147,800 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024. The estimated busiest day for Metra ridership occurred on November 4,2016—the day of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series victory rally.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) of the United States is an independent federal agency that serves as an adjudicatory board. The board was created in 1996 following the abolition of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and absorbed regulatory powers relevant to the railroad industry previously under the ICC's purview.
Anthony A. Beale is an American politician and the alderman of the 9th ward of the City of Chicago,Illinois United States. Beale is noted as having been one of the youngest members to serve as elected official on the City of Chicago's City Council. Beale was first elected in 1999. In 2023 Beale was elected to his seventh term in office. In 2013,Beale was an unsuccessful candidate in the Democratic primary for the special election to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. as U.S. Congressman from Illinois' 2nd congressional district.
Thomas M. Tunney is an American politician and entrepreneur from Chicago,Illinois. From 2003 to 2023,he served as an alderman on the Chicago City Council. He represented the prominent 44th Ward of the city,which includes major tourist destinations,Northalsted and Wrigleyville neighborhoods. He was also vice mayor from 2019 to 2023.
Michael Joseph Madigan is an American politician who is the former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. He was the longest-serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in the history of the United States,having held the position for all but two years from 1983 to 2021. He served in the Illinois House from 1971 to 2021. He represented the 27th District from 1971 to 1983,the 30th district from 1983 to 1993,and the 22nd district from 1993 to 2021. This made him the body's longest-serving member and the last legislator elected before the Cutback Amendment.
The SouthEast Service is a proposed commuter rail line to be operated by Metra,the commuter railroad service for the Chicago metropolitan area. The route of the proposed line would use tracks owned by CSX Transportation and the Union Pacific Railroad.
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the financial and oversight body for the three transit agencies in northeastern Illinois;the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA),Metra,and Pace,which are called Service Boards in the RTA Act. RTA serves Cook,DuPage,Kane,Lake,McHenry and Will counties.
Edwin Eisendrath is former CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times and former alderman of the 43rd ward of Chicago.
Toni Lynn Preckwinkle is an American politician and the current County Board president in Cook County,Illinois,United States. She was elected to her first term as president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners,the executive branch of Cook County government,in November 2010,becoming the first woman elected to that position.
Gery J. Chico is an American politician,Chicago lawyer,public official and former Democratic primary candidate for United States Senate.
Jesús G. "Chuy" García is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 4th district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party,he served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners,as well as in the Illinois Senate and on the Chicago City Council before his election to Congress. He was also a candidate for mayor of Chicago in 2015 and 2023. Throughout his career in Chicago and national politics,he has been described as a progressive.
Jason C. Ervin is an American politician who serves on the Chicago City Council. He became the alderman for Chicago's 28th ward,located on the west side of Chicago,in 2010.
The 2019 Chicago mayoral election was held on February 26,2019,to determine the next Mayor of the City of Chicago,Illinois. Since no candidate received a majority of votes,a runoff election was held on April 2,2019,between the two candidates with the most votes,Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle. Lightfoot defeated Preckwinkle in the runoff election to become mayor,and was sworn in as mayor on May 20,2019.
Lori Elaine Lightfoot is an American politician and attorney who was the 56th mayor of Chicago from 2019 until 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor,Lightfoot worked in private legal practice as a partner at Mayer Brown and held various government positions in Chicago. She served as president of the Chicago Police Board and chair of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force. In 2019,Lightfoot defeated Toni Preckwinkle in a runoff election for Chicago mayor. She ran again in 2023 but failed to qualify for the runoff,becoming the city's first incumbent mayor to not be reelected since Jane Byrne in 1983.
Brendan Reilly is an American politician who has served as alderman of Chicago's 42nd ward since 2007,when he unseated septuagenarian incumbent Burton Natarus. He served as Vice Mayor of Chicago,being elected to that position by the Chicago City Council,from 2015 to 2019. From May 2019 to May 2023,he served as President pro tempore of the Council,which means that he presided over council proceedings in the mayor's absence.
Byron Sigcho-Lopez is a Chicago politician and community activist. He is the alderman of Chicago's 25th ward,having taken office as a member of the Chicago City Council in May 2019. He won an open race to succeed outgoing alderman Daniel Solis in the 2019 Chicago aldermanic election. He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He was elected as 25th Ward Democratic Committeeperson in 2020.
The 2023 Chicago mayoral election was held on February 28,2023,to elect the mayor of Chicago,Illinois. With no candidate receiving a majority of votes in the initial round of the election,a runoff election was held on April 4. This two-round election took place alongside other 2023 Chicago elections,including races for City Council,city clerk,city treasurer,and police district councils. The election was officially nonpartisan,with winner Brandon Johnson being elected to a four-year term which began on May 15.
Dick Weldon Simpson is an American professor,author,politician,activist,political consultant,and filmmaker who formerly served as a Chicago alderman from 1971 through 1979.
Timmy Knudsen is an American politician,currently serving in the Chicago City Council as alderman for the 43rd ward. He was appointed to the position by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and confirmed by the City Council in September 2022,following the retirement of Michele Smith. The 43rd ward is on Chicago's North Side,including much of Lincoln Park and a small portion of the Near North Side.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited,doing business as CPKC,is a Canadian railway holding company that resulted from the merger of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) on April 14,2023. It operates about 32,000 kilometres (20,000 mi) of rail in Canada,Mexico,and the United States,and is the only single-line railway ever to connect the three countries. CPKC is headquartered in Calgary and led by President and CEO Keith Creel.
