(70 ILCS 3615/2.01) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 702.01)

Sec. 2.01. General Allocation of Responsibility for Public Transportation.

(a) In order to accomplish the purposes as set forth in this Act, the responsibility for planning, operating, and funding public transportation in the metropolitan region shall be allocated as described in this Act. The Authority shall:

(i) adopt plans that implement the public policy of the State to provide adequate, efficient, geographically equitable and coordinated public transportation throughout the metropolitan region;

(ii) set goals, objectives, and standards for the Authority, the Service Boards, and transportation agencies;

(iii) develop performance measures to inform the public about the extent to which the provision of public transportation in the metropolitan region meets those goals, objectives, and standards;

(iv) allocate operating and capital funds made available to support public transportation in the metropolitan region;

(v) provide financial oversight of the Service Boards; and

(vi) coordinate the provision of public transportation and the investment in public transportation facilities to enhance the integration of public transportation throughout the metropolitan region, all as provided in this Act.

The Service Boards shall, on a continuing basis determine the level, nature and kind of public transportation which should be provided for the metropolitan region in order to meet the plans, goals, objectives, and standards adopted by the Authority. The Service Boards may provide public transportation by purchasing such service from transportation agencies through purchase of service agreements, by grants to such agencies or by operating such service, all pursuant to this Act and the "Metropolitan Transit Authority Act", as now or hereafter amended. Certain of its actions to implement the responsibilities allocated to the Authority in this subsection (a) shall be taken in 3 public documents adopted by the affirmative vote of at least 12 of its then Directors: A Strategic Plan; a Five-Year Capital Program; and an Annual Budget and Two-Year Financial Plan.

(b) The Authority shall subject the operating and capital plans and expenditures of the Service Boards in the metropolitan region with regard to public transportation to continuing review so that the Authority may budget and expend its funds with maximum effectiveness and efficiency. The Authority shall conduct audits of each of the Service Boards no less than every 5 years. Such audits may include management, performance, financial, and infrastructure condition audits. The Authority may conduct management, performance, financial, and infrastructure condition audits of transportation agencies that receive funds from the Authority. The Authority may direct a Service Board to conduct any such audit of a transportation agency that receives funds from such Service Board, and the Service Board shall comply with such request to the extent it has the right to do so. These audits of the Service Boards or transportation agencies may be project or service specific audits to evaluate their achievement of the goals and objectives of that project or service and their compliance with any applicable requirements.

(Source: P.A. 98-1027, eff. 1-1-15.)