Celebrando el Mes de la Herencia Hispana en el RTA

September 22, 2016

Bea Reyna-Hickey is the Chief Financial Officer/Senior Deputy Executive Director at the RTA.

As a Mexican American woman I am proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month.  From September 15 to October 15 we recognize the contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the United States. We celebrate our rich heritage, culture and our strong commitment to family, faith, hard work and service.  Hispanics and Latinos have enhanced and shaped the United States with centuries-old traditions.

As a lifelong Chicagoan I have personally seen how important transit is to our community.  When I grew up no one drove you to school, movies, beaches, after school jobs or other activities.  If you wanted to get there you rode your bike or transit.  While my dad worked two jobs, my mom shuttled us on public transit to appointments, stores and wherever else we had to go.  This continues to be a way of life for many families today.  Recently I spoke to a rider on the Pink line who told me how important “el tren” was as he traveled between his three restaurant jobs to support his family.  This would not be possible without strong, reliable and affordable transit getting riders to and from their jobs throughout our six county service area in northeastern Illinois.

As the Chief Financial Officer of the RTA, along with our partners CTA, Metra and Pace, we are proud of the work we do to make this possible.  So as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month remember how important transit is to all members of our community.