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Free Rides for Seniors May End
The free ride may be over for most Illinois seniors. State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook) says the state simply cannot afford free mass transit for everybody over 65. She presented a proposal to a House committee Wednesday that would require seniors to qualify for the Circuit Breaker program before they would be eligible for free rides.

Acknowledging the move is likely to be unpopular, Nekritz says the bill's approval could mean $25 million to the Chicago Transit Authority, $10 million to Metra, and $2 million to Pace. Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago area, while Pace is a suburban transit bus service.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich included the free-ride provision in a transit funding deal last year, to the surprise of lawmakers.

SB 941 has passed the House Executive Committee.

(Illinois Radio Network. WGIL News contributed to this report.)
10 29 09 by Newsroom
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