Governor Pat Quinn announced today that you will not pay more to ride the CTA - at least for the next 2 years.  Quinn says the state is prepared to boost the finances of the cash-strapped agency to "ensure that people get to work, people get to school, people can go shopping, go where they need to go."

Quinn also alluded to the fact that this financial band-aid (32-million-dollars over the next two years) may buy him and transit officials time to petition for some Federal monies.

Jim Riley, the RTA Board Chairman said this "adversity brought out the best in everyone" when it came to getting this deal done in Springfield.  Riley said he came together with collegues at Metra and Pace to make progress... admitting those relationships have been stressed nearly to the breaking point in the past.

Riley DID say eventually there will be fare increases, but he said it was just too soon -- less than a year after the last fare increase.  He did suggest that service cuts are un-avoidable.