Transit Future

Yesterday the Chicago City Council voted 41-6 to increase the Real Estate Transfer Tax in Chicago, which they were authorized to do by the passage of HB 656 in the Illinois legislature. The vote came after prolonged debate, and much ballyhoo about the “terrible, terrible choice” of either underfunding the CTA or increasing the transfer tax. With the vote, the funding package put together by HB 656 is now complete.

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A bill substantially similar to the much lauded SB 572 passed the Senate yesterday. This bill provides a permanent funding solution for transit in NE Illinois, reforms the governing structure of the region’s transit agencies, and sorts out the CTA pension mess. The additional funds it provides come from a quarter-percent sales tax increase in the region.

So, what’s not to like?

Governor Blagojevich, who had previously stated his opposition to the bill because it raises taxes, has appeared to moderate his stance over the last week. This spurred hopes that perhaps he would be willing to sign the bill after all. However, shortly after the bill’s passage, he announced that he intends to slap an amendatory veto on the bill so that seniors will be allowed to ride for free.

Giving seniors a free ride isn’t a bad idea, necessarily, but many lawmakers are irked that the governor would choose to bring up this concern at the last minute, forcing the legislature to return to Springfield for a special session next week.

All in all, the situation still looks hopeful. We can hope that this latest hurdle the governor has placed before transit advocates will also be the last. If not, the Jan 20th doomsday is a short 9 days away…

Join other transit riders on November 5th to demand
action to save transit! Several public transit advocacy organizations are hosting a rally to call on our elected officials to address this serious regional crisis. November 5th will be the first workday after the CTA “doomsday” goes into effect unless the governor and other officials can find a way to fund transit in our region before then.

What: A rally to save transit - and hold our elected officials accountable!
When: Monday, November 5th at Noon
Where: Thompson Center Plaza at the corner of Randolph and Clark

To RSVP, click here:
http://illinoispirg.org/IL.asp?id=2481&id4=ES

On Friday, Oct 12th, CTA released its proposed budget for 2008. Though it has long been clear that Springfield is not funding CTA sufficiently, the new budget makes it even clearer. As CTA President Ron Huberman wrote, “…while the CTA continues to look for every opportunity to cut costs, there is simply no way we can manage our way out of a $158 million deficit in 2008.” The budget, which is $50 million less than the 2007 budget, which was already insufficient to maintain operations, includes provisions for steep fare increases and service cuts in January, which will be in addition to those scheduled for November4. More than half of the CTA’s bus routes will be cut in the two service reductions, and rush-hour fares will rise to $3.25 on L lines.

The costs of disinvestment in our region’s transit system are incalculable.  Not only will thousands of riders be stranded, many without alternative transportation, but the overall economic health of the region will suffer as congestion grows exponentially worse and moving around the region becomes increasingly difficult.

Please let your legislator know that you support a long-term funding solution to the transit crisis looming over Northeastern Illinois. If you can’t write or call your legislators directly, go to www.transitchicago.com to send them and the governor a message.

Yesterday the mass transit committee of the Illinois General Assembly met at Harold Washington college in downtown Chicago to discuss the looming transit crisis and new funding ideas.

The hearing began with testimony from the heads of RTA and the three service boards. CTA president Ron Huberman spoke about the severity of the situation, painting a bleak picture for Chicago’s millions of transit riders. In addition to the scheduled fare hikes and service cuts of November 4th, Huberman said that January would bring further reductions in service that would make the November cuts look light by comparison.

A chorus of further testimony from organized labor, civic and business leaders as well as citizens and advocacy groups, supported SB 572, a bill that would both reform the RTA and provide a source of long-term funding by raising sales tax a quarter of a percent and authorizing the City of Chicago to raise its Real-Estate Transfer Tax. Despite receiving broad support from groups as diverse as the Mayor’s office, transit workers’ unions, and local corporations, the bill is currently stalemated in the legislature due to opposition from suburban lawmakers and some of the governor’s key legislative allies.

A sense of frustration pervaded the hearing. Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), the chairwoman of the committee and principal sponsor of the bill, asked for suggestions for possible alternative funding sources, since “looking for other options is not an idle exercise at
this point”

One such suggestion was a proposed monthly tax of $5 on each parking space. The suggestion spurred much debate, with business leaders criticizing the tax as a poorly thought out increase in property taxes. The committee members had concerns about the feasibility of collecting such a tax, and whether it might have unintended consequences, since no such blanket parking tax exists anywhere else in the country.