With three suburban counties outside Chicago getting more power on the area’s Regional Transportation Authority board, residents outside of the city could have a greater say on transit issues affecting the region. (Mass Transit — Marni Pyke)

Chicago Transit Authority becomes yet another agency to face soaring ridership and skyrocketing costs, and transit officials are now cutting $40 million and expecting to raise fares. (Chicago Tribune — Jon Hilkevitch)

Frustration over high gas prices in the Chicago area breeds a growing interest in transit-oriented development. (Chicago Tribune — John Handley)

A new report from Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council estimates that traffic is punishing the city to the tune of $7.3 billion a year. (Streetsblog – Ben Fried)

Chicago’s mayor takes a ride on China’s $7.7 billion subway in order to find clues for improving his own city’s transit system. (Chicago Tribune — Kathy Bergen)

A federal report from the National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board reviews the capabilities of 38 urban areas to evacuate citizens during an emergency and finds that many transit systems would struggle to deal with vulnerable groups, such as the disable and poor. (Chicago Tribune — Richard Wronski and Jon Hilkevitch)