The city of Chicago plans to make available $12.5 million in prepaid gas and public transit cards in an effort to address soaring gas prices, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday.
That will include gas cards worth $150 each for as many as 50,000 drivers, and transit cards worth $50 each for as many as 100,000 riders, she said.
“This is one of the many tools in the city’s toolbox to eradicate poverty and build generational wealth across Chicago,” Lightfoot said. “Additionally, boosting CTA ridership is not only good for our recovering transit system, but a step in the right direction to reduce carbon emissions.”
The program comes weeks after businessman Willie Wilson spearheaded several rounds of free gas giveaways throughout Chicago and the suburbs. Wilson, who has run unsuccessfully for mayor of Chicago, has said he will soon announce whether he will run again for mayor in 2023, potentially setting up a match against Lightfoot.
Lightfoot is expected to announce her own reelection campaign in the coming weeks, though she has at times played coy about whether she will run again even though she has been fundraising.
It also comes as the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the city of Chicago was $4.84 on Thursday, according to AAA. That’s up from $3.33 a year ago.
Asked why she chose gas and transit cards instead of city gas tax relief — a move similar to one under consideration by the state — Lightfoot said the city had not rejected the move but thought the transit and gas cards were a better way to provide more impact, and transit cards were a way to emphasize reducing carbon emissions.
The gas and transit cards will be distributed via a lottery system in waves throughout the summer, according to the city.
For three-quarters of the transit cards, priority will be given to residents in low-income neighborhoods who use CTA often. The remainder will be distributed throughout the city.
“It will benefit CTA riders across the city, but especially on the South and West sides,” CTA President Dorval Carter said. “Areas that saw the lowest ridership declines during the pandemic, areas where public transit is the best and sometimes the only option.”
Applications will open April 27, pending City Council approval. To be eligible, applicants must live in Chicago and their household income must be no more than 140% of the area’s median income, or about $130,000 for a family of four. Gas card applicants must have a valid city sticker.
Only one card will be issued per household, and they will be valid for one year. Gas cards can only be spent at gas stations in Chicago.
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