May 27, 2016
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Meet Leanne Redden!

Leanne Redden
Executive Director
Regional Transportation Authority, Northeastern Illinois
Member, APTA Board of Directors, Authorization Task Force; Legislative, Policy and Planning, Sustainability committees; Commuter Rail, Rail Transit CEOs subcommittees


Please describe your agency’s scope and responsibilities.

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the unit of local government responsible for funding, regional planning and oversight of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra commuter rail and Pace Suburban Bus, including Pace’s ADA paratransit service.

The RTA region’s transit system is the second largest in the country by passenger miles traveled and the third largest by ridership. The system provides more than 2 million rides each weekday in six northeastern Illinois counties covering approximately 3,700 square miles.

Regional planning and coordination, along with budgetary and financial oversight, are at the core of what RTA does.

The RTA has the authority to levy a regional sales tax and disburse the revenues to the member public transit operators. We negotiate among the three operators; we’re responsible for producing an annual consolidated region-wide operating and capital budget, working from budgets created by the agencies.

Each year, the RTA essentially establishes the funding levels for each operator. Each agency is required to set specific operating and capital budgets and submit them to RTA. We then review and compile them and make sure the region has a balanced budget.

The process culminates in December, when the RTA Board of Directors approves the regional budgets as a package. For 2016, these budgets total almost $3.8 billion—$2.9 billion for operations and $872 million for capital. Public transit agencies in Illinois don’t currently receive state capital funding, so funds mostly come from federal and other sources.

Working regionally means the RTA assures that each operator is funded as equitably as possible.

How long have you worked in public transportation?
I’ve worked in public transportation for 12 years, since I joined RTA as its deputy executive director overseeing planning, but I’ve worked my entire career in transportation. I’ve been the executive director of RTA for about two years.

I came to the U.S. from Australia to attend graduate school at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. While I was working toward my master’s degree, I began a municipal planning internship in Schaumburg, IL, that grew into a full-time position. That served as a wonderfully well-rounded overview of transportation, including public transit and general aviation projects. Then I joined the Illinois Tollway in a newly created position, chief of planning, and from there I came to RTA and began working in public transit.

I’ve always been interested in the interaction between land use and transpor­tation; I don’t think one can survive without the other.

Please describe your involvement with APTA.

Technically, I’ve been involved with APTA since I joined the RTA, but my role has obviously evolved now that I’m an executive director. I’ve served on the board of directors since 2014.

To me, an important value of APTA is how it creates connectivity among the people in the industry, providing opportunities for members to develop relationships and create a go-to list of people on specific issues or ideas.

What APTA benefit or resource most helps you do your job?
APTA has been helpful as a forum to help me engage with others in the industry. I’ve found this especially important as I continue to learn the ins and outs of public transportation. Beyond that, I’ve found elements of the website and many member resources to be helpful just for doing research, making connections.

What do you like most about your career?
I like to think that in some small way, I’m giving back to my community and the public transit industry. I truly care about public transportation.

Also, it’s never dull. I’m never doing the same thing twice. One day I may be discussing state funding issues and the next talking with vendors or dealing with strategic planning issues.

What is unique about your agency? What would readers be surprised to learn?

I would consider RTA almost a microcosm of some of the bigger public transit issues.

We’re unique in that we’re an umbrella organization with a regional focus. We have to work together to negotiate the budget, driven by consensus. We have to balance different needs and diverse interests, making sure that we treat ­everyone equitably, advance everyone and ultimately provide the best ­public transportation system we can.
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