Metra, CTA reach out for public input at Farmers Market

Representatives from Metra, the CTA and the newly formed Northern Illinois Transit Agency, or NITA, shrugged off an early light rain Saturday to spend six hours talking with the public at the Oak Park Farmers Market.  Wednesday Journal observed a general public clearly interested both in hearing what public transit officials are planning, and in expressing their own views on the transit developments they want to see in the Chicago area.  The Oct. 31 event was one in an ongoing two month outreach effort by NITA and the three public transit agencies it is tasked by the Illinois State Legislature to oversee Metra, CTA and Pace.  “NITA is responsible for regional planning now,” said Michael Gillis, Metra’s communications director. “So this final plan will be used by NITA for their planning efforts going forward.”  Gillis said there remains a lot of work to do, but the picture is becoming clearer.  “We’re discussing our system-wide network plan (SNP), a plan we’ve been w