Wednesday, an appellate court overturned Governor Quinn’s Illinois Jobs Now, the $31 billion capital spending plan. The four capital project acts propose to increase taxes on sales of alcoholic drinks and candy, privatize the Illinois Lottery and legalize video poker.

Now many proposed capital projects are in limbo, potentially including the Chicago Transit Authority’s plans to modernize the Red and Purple lines. The agency has been gathering public input this week about possible upgrades to the lines. Rail service from the Belmont stop to the Linden station in Evanston would be affected for work on those upgrades. But what’s driving calls for these changes? And what does the possible spending crunch mean for commuters?

To learn more, Eight Forty-Eight spoke to Joe Schwieterman, a transportation expert and professor at DePaul University’s School of Public Service.