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When Empty Trains Rattle, the Taxman Enters

Statewide Delivery Levies, Rising Transit Crime, and the Question: What Comes First — Safety or a New Surcharge?

By Staff Writer | October 17, 2025

The Ghost Train of Chicago

Picture this: a lone commuter steps onto a Chicago “L” platform long after rush hour. The flicker of fluorescent lights hums overhead, echoing across the empty steel. She clutches her tote, eyes scanning the shadows. Each approaching footstep sounds like a threat. The train arrives—half-empty, fully anxious.

This isn’t a dystopian movie. It’s the new normal for riders navigating a public transit system haunted by fear and financial collapse. And as Chicago’s trains run emptier, Springfield lawmakers have found an unlikely lifeline: your next food delivery.

House Speaker Chris Welch is reviving a plan to slap a statewide fee on apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats. His logic? Use your pizza order to prop up a mass-transit system bleeding riders and revenue. Critics say that’s like patching a bullet hole with a coupon.

A Transit System on Life Support

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), which oversees CTA, Metra, and Pace, is running out of track. It faces a $230 million shortfall in 2025, ballooning to $790 million by 2027, and nearly $890 million in 2028 as federal COVID-era relief fades.

“Fiscal cliff” isn’t just a bureaucratic buzzword—it’s an existential threat. With fewer riders paying fares, the system spirals: less revenue means fewer services, fewer services mean fewer riders, and emptier trains invite more crime.

“Instances of crime and unruly behavior on our system are negatively impacting rider experience.”
— CTA “Meeting the Moment” plan

Even CTA leadership admits the problem. Despite security campaigns and a modest increase in police presence, ridership lingers far below 2019 levels.

Crime on the Rails: More Than Anecdote

Violent crimes per million CTA passenger trips have more than tripled since 2015, according to WBEZ. In 2024 alone, CTA police logged 2,893 violent incidents at stations and platforms. On the Green Line, riders face 1.9 crimes per 100,000 trips, while West Englewood’s 63rd & Ashland stop hits nearly 7 crimes per 100,000. Across the system, Illinois Policy Institute estimates “one crime every three hours” on CTA property.

The human side is worse. A chilling Blue Line shooting in 2024 left four dead—shot while they slept on the train.

“You don’t think it’ll happen to you until it does.”
— Angela Reyes, teacher and former CTA commuter

Even as officials tout small declines in “overall” transit crime, the serious offenses—armed robbery, assault, shootings—remain stubbornly high. For riders, data trends are cold comfort.

Soft Policies, Hard Consequences

Critics say years of soft-on-crime policies have corroded public confidence. Fare evaders rarely face consequences; disorderly behavior often goes unchecked.

“The city overall is soft on crime and the state of CTA is a reflection of that.”

Arrest rates have plummeted even as incidents rise. Police unions blame political leadership; reform advocates counter that poverty and mental-health crises—not policing—are the true culprits.

One X user summed it up:

“Because of the soft on crime policies … people are afraid to take public transportation … the CTA will never recover the full 40% lost ridership.”

When fear is the fare, it’s no wonder trains run empty.

The Delivery Tax: A Statewide Surcharge for a City Problem

To close the budget gaps, lawmakers have proposed a new statewide delivery fee—potentially 25 cents to $1.50 per order—that would apply to meals and goods ordered through major delivery platforms.

“This has become a bailout for Chicago CTA. We’re giving the mayor more control. We’re giving him more than a billion dollars in revenue.”
— State Sen. Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett)

Welch, meanwhile, insists the idea isn’t dead:

“A controversial charge on DoorDash and Uber Eats deliveries could still be used to help fund Chicago’s mass transit system.”
— Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch

Delivery drivers and restaurants say it’s a hit they can’t afford.

“We’re already paying gas, insurance, and platform fees. Now we’ll be taxed to fix trains I’ve never even seen?”
— Jamal Carter, DoorDash driver, Peoria

The Political Chessboard

Behind closed doors, it’s less about trains and more about turf.
Transit unions back the plan, fearing layoffs. Retail and restaurant groups warn it’ll cripple small businesses. Big delivery platforms—DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub—hint they’ll simply pass costs to customers.

Governor J.B. Pritzker, once firmly against “taxing services,” has softened his stance. House Democrats are polling voters to gauge reaction before the veto session ends.

“If we can’t fix the trains, at least we can fix the budget optics.”
— Unnamed legislative strategist

Will Another Tax Win Back Riders?

You can’t tax people into feeling safe.

Riders don’t abandon transit because of ticket prices—they abandon it because they fear for their lives. Until Chicago restores order underground and above, no new revenue stream will stem the exodus.

“If Chicago doesn’t address the CTA crime problem, it won’t have the ridership necessary to generate the revenue it needs.”

So far, Springfield’s solution sounds less like reform and more like a DoorDash surcharge for dysfunction.

The Last Stop

As the Blue Line screeches into an empty station, a flickering ad for DoorDash glows against the tiled wall: “Your favorites, delivered fast.”

The irony writes itself. Riders fear the train—but their next delivery might just be paying for it.

Illinois stands at a crossroads: fix what’s broken or tax what’s convenient. Until safety outranks revenue, those empty trains will keep rattling through a city where fear rides free, and trust costs extra.

Sources:
WBEZ Chicago analysis on CTA violent-crime trends • Illinois Policy Institute reports on transit safety • CTA Meeting the Moment plan • Chicago Sun-Times & Tribune coverage of transit funding proposals • CBS News Chicago on proposed rideshare and delivery service taxes • NPR Illinois reporting on legislative transit reform discussions • Public statements from Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and State Sen. Seth Lewis.