Contact Contact

RTA to Pilot “Sky Line” in 2018

April 1, 2017

Airbusrta

In a region infamous for traffic congestion, with infrastructure in dire need of capital investment, the RTA is proud to announce a pilot project that will “raise” expectations of public transportation in our region.

Later this year, the RTA will begin working with several local aviation services to develop the “Sky Line,” an airborne public transportation service.  We have identified six sites — one in each county in the region — as “take off” points for small aircraft, with direct service to four Loop office buildings equipped with landing pads.

“The idea is not a new one, but it’s the first to be tried in public transportation in the country,” said Leanne Redden, RTA Executive Director.  “Last year Airbus formed a division called Urban Air Mobility to investigate ideas such as a using a vehicle to transport individuals or a helicopter-style vehicle that can carry multiple riders. When we heard about it, we knew our region was a perfect one to pilot this public-private partnership.”

We are in discussions with various other partners as well who are working on "vertical take-off and landing" (VTOL) technology that would allow vehicles to pick up passengers in busy urban areas. We hope to start providing this service in our region as soon as next year.

The RTA’s Sky Line will be reservation-only during the pilot and open only to those 18 and older.  For more information, text "Skyline Info" to 312-APRIL-FOOLS.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required
Type your email address here
What emails would you like to receive from the RTA
Tagged in:

Related Articles

RTA ADA AWARENESS 2020 1 RTA celebrates 30 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act

This month the RTA is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA transformed society and provided opportunities f...

July 29, 2020
Pace Buses 3569195969 1588881889263 Take a survey to help improve mobility options for older adults and people with disabilities

Do you or someone you know face transportation challenges? The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) wants to hear from you about transportation issues and...

May 7, 2020
Transportation Tuesday Event Brite Banner V3 004 Transportation Tuesday Webinar Series: Attend the 2020 RTA Annual Planning Workshop Virtually

The RTA is launching a four-part webinar series in place of the Annual Planning Workshop due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The free, virtual sessions wil...

April 17, 2020
Call Banner 3485388325 1590696008966 Announcing the 2020 Access to Transit Program Call for Projects for Small-Scale Capital Projects

We are excited to announce that the call for projects for the RTA  Access to Transit Program is now open. The RTA launched the Access to Transit program in 2...

March 13, 2020
22 RTA 0646 Happy International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month from the RTA

Each year the RTA celebrates Women’s History Month in March to recognize the women who work at, and ride, CTA, Metra, and Pace every day. The celebration coi...

March 8, 2020
Survey image How's Your Ride? Take This Survey

We’d like to hear your thoughts about public transit!  The RTA is sponsoring a system-wide customer satisfaction survey and would like your feedback about yo...

March 2, 2020
RTA
CTA
Metra
Pace
Copyright © 2022 Regional Transportation Authority. All Rights Reserved.