Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) launched the “Forward for All” campaign to show transit is essential to the recovery and ongoing vibrancy of the Chicago region, contributing to the economy and environment and enabling opportunity in ways and at a scale nothing else can.

“The Chicago region’s transit system is in a rare category along with the lakefront, our architecture, and the history and culture of our people in defining who we are,” said RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden. “People here have deep, emotional connections to our public transportation, whether they ride it or not.”

In the face of COVID-19’s impact on transit ridership, this initial phase of “Forward for All” aims to strengthen this trust and pride in the region’s transit system by building awareness of the economic, environmental, and quality of life benefits of public transportation. Future phases of the multi-year campaign will address challenges to the system and build support for comprehensive solutions stemming from the Regional Transit Strategic Plan currently in development by the RTA and slated for adoption in early 2023.

The initial phase of “Forward for All” will include print advertisements running next week in a variety of regional publications, including Crain’s Chicago Business, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Daily Southtown, the Daily Herald, and more than a dozen independent and minority-owned publications throughout the six-county region. The ads feature a letter signed by the leaders of the RTA, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace, demonstrating a joint commitment to boldly leading the region’s transit system into the uncertain future.

Ads will also appear on 15 CTA bus shelters, 19 Metra stations along the Union Pacific North and Metra Electric lines, and 25 Pace bus shelters, as well as six billboards along highways leading into the city from the west and south. The campaign also features static digital advertising, a promotional video, and a webpage outlining the benefits of transit in terms of economy, equity, and climate.