Transit Future

The average American commuter sat in traffic for a full 38 hours last week, up significantly from the previous year. Chicago ranked second in congestion delays among major metropolitan areas. Only LA was worse.

According to the Sun-Times, “the delays cost the region $4 billion per year and caused individual commuters to use an extra 32 gallons of gas and spend more than $900 a year during peak travel periods.”

This news comes at a time when state legislators in Springfield have so far failed to invest enough money in the region’s transit system even to maintain current levels of operation. The urgency of not only maintaining but improving Northeast Illinois’ transit network becomes clearer in light of the enormous negative economic impact that congestion has on the region. Legislators must recognize that an investment in our transit system helps combat congestion and improves our region’s economy.

Links to relevant news articles:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/563551,CST-NWS-traffic19.article

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/563318,091907traffic.article

http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/562462,traffic091807.article

Transit Future Update, September 13, 2007

Governor offers CTA a bailout
Yesterday Governor Blagojevich attempted to stave off the looming service cuts and fare hikes scheduled for this Sunday, September 16th, by offering the Chicago Transit Authority a $24 million bailout. The money will come from funds already allotted to the RTA for 2008. By moving up the payment of these funds, the “doomsday” of fare hikes and service cuts scheduled can be pushed back to November 4th. The Governor said that he hopes delaying the doomsday scenario will give the legislature time to work out a long-term solution.

A long-term solution that would have both funded the RTA and reformed its governance system was rejected by the legislature earlier this week.

While the CTA board has accepted the bailout, it will not receive the money unless the Regional Transit Authority also accepts the measure at its board meeting tomorrow. While delaying the service cuts and fare hikes would give the legislature time to work on a long-term solution, avoiding the costs of re-hiring hundreds of employees and changing schedules, not to mention stranding thousands of riders, the bailout is not risk-free. Because the money comes from funds already allotted to the CTA, if the legislature does not provide additional funding, the fare hikes and service cuts that eventually go into effect on November 4th could be worse than those scheduled for Sunday. Jim Reilly, Chairman of the RTA board that meets tomorrow, has said that accepting the bailout “may create an even bigger problem in the coming months.”

The bailout also provides no money for Pace, the suburban bus service, which will go ahead with its doomsday plan on Sunday. Crucially, Pace provides paratransit services that would not be saved from fare increases by the bailout. Many of the region’s senior and disabled citizens depend on these paratransit services as their primary mode of travel, many of them living on fixed incomes and unable to absorb fare increases.

Mixed Reaction
Reaction from community and civic leaders to the news was mixed. Mayor Daley has announced that he supports the plan, and has encouraged the RTA board to accept the bailout. “It’s only a stopgap,” the mayor said, “[but] it’s better than the alternative. The alternative would be Monday morning, you cut service out for people and increase fares.”

Jacky Grimshaw, Vice-President for Policy at CNT, expressed the sentiments of many transit riders and advocates in the region: “It is heartening to see the governor take action, but I am also fearful that this band-aid will create a larger deficit for the CTA if the legislature fails to act. We cannot forget that we have a regional transit funding problem, and cannot just focus on the CTA, but must provide funding for Pace and Metra.”

In a statement released to the press, Jim Reilly wrote on behalf of the RTA expressing skepticism about whether the plan’s benefits were worth the risk. “On its face, the proposal averts an immediate crisis, but may create an even greater problem in the coming months. Given the current political dynamic in Springfield, the RTA has to decide whether it is prudent to ‘hope’ legislative leaders and the Governor will act to place the regional transit system on sound, permanent footing.”

Links
News articles on the story:

-The Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-ctameet_websep13,1,2335363.story?coll=chi_tab01_layout

- The Chicago Sun Times
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/556347,ctadaley13.article

- The RTA’s press statement on the bailout plan:
http://www.rtachicago.com/CMS400Min/uploadedFiles/9-12-07_RTA%20Reilly%20statement.pdf

Transit News

Transit Doomsday has been pushed back by a $24 million bailout that Governor Blagojevich has offered the RTA. The money will come from funds already allotted to the RTA for 2008. By moving up the payment of these funds, the “doomsday” of fare hikes and service cuts scheduled for Sept 16^th can be pushed back to November 4^th. The Governor hopes that delaying the doomsday scenario will give the legislature time to work out a long-term solution.

A long-term solution that would have both funded the RTA and reformed its governance system was rejected by the legislature earlier this week.

Legislative News
Last night the Illinois House failed to pass SB 572, a comprehensive transit funding and reform bill. The bill would have restructured the governance system for transit in Northeastern Illinois as well as guaranteed a long-term source of funding for transit. The bill would have prevented CTA and Pace’s “doomsday” scenarios from coming into effect on September 16.

Speaker of the House Michael Madigan has said that he will continue to try to pass the bill, calling a special session when enough votes can be found. Opposition to the bill comes mostly from suburban Republicans, who want to link any discussion of transit to a capital bill. Madigan and other supporters of the bill reject this approach because the need for transit operating funds is urgent, and the doomsday scenarios would likely go into effect before legislators could come up with a capital bill.

CTA Response

In response to yesterday’s vote, CTA president Ron Huberman issued the following statement:

“Today’s vote is a disappointment. The CTA has worked hard to build a coalition of bi-partisan support along with CTA union support. Without the much needed state funding, the CTA will be forced to move ahead with the proposed fare increases and service cuts in less than two weeks. This is not the result we wanted for our 1.6 million daily CTA riders. We intend to keep working with the legislature to win the necessary support to pass legislation by the 16th.”

Community Response

Community leaders spoke out quickly in support of the bill. Jacky Grimshaw, vice-president for policy of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, asked residents of the Chicago region to pressure their representatives to pass the bill:

“All of us who care about getting around the region must contact our legislators and the governor to stress the urgency of creating a sustainable transit system for our region. As transit riders, drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, we all have a stake in a viable transit system. We cannot accept a do- nothing response from the people we elect to office to solve our problems.”

She also called on lawmakers to consider the long-term effects on the region:

“We need a public investment of transit for the social, economic and environmental future of the region. If we want to be a sustainable and livable region, we must invest in transit. We need long-term solutions not band-aids. We have to invest in our transit infrastructure to efficiently move citizens from the homes to their workplaces. Without a viable transit system, we will be clogging up the roads, increase air pollution and the cost of living in our region.”

We urge you to contact your legislator and express your disappointment in yet again failing to properly fund our mass transit system. Find your legislator at www.civicfootprint.org. Also read more in a press release CNT sent out today.