Take Action
How to make your voice heard and avert a transit crisis:
If the CTA, Metra and Pace are to avoid potential service cuts and fare hikes, state legislators and the Governor must make transit a priority this legislative session. The most important action you can take is to tell your representatives in Springfield that you support reforming the RTA and finding a funding solution.
1. Find your representatives
2. Write a letter
3. Sign up for the Transit Future Listserv
4. Too busy?
1. Find your representatives
To find both your State Representative and your State Senator, go to the Illinois Board of Election website.
Once you have determined who your representatives are, download a map of the area and learn the average household transportation cost for your district here.
Governor Rod Blagojevich can be reached at:
Mail:
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: (217) 782-0244 or (312) 814-2121
Email: http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm
For a letter to be effective, it must be informative, personal, and unique. Below you will find some information to add to your letter, including some suggestions on points to emphasize. Most importantly, your legislators must understand that transit is a vital part of your community and that you are willing to invest in its future!
How does transit affect you on a daily basis:
• How long does it take you to get to work and home and what form of transit do you use?
• How many times a week are you on the CTA, Metra, Pace, or Paratransit?
• Which trains and buses do you ride regularly and when?
• Where do you live and why did you choose to live there? Did you choose your home or apartment due to its proximity to transit?
Need for operations funding:
• Transit service in my area has not kept up with increasing demand. Trains and buses do not come as frequently and reliably as they should.
• Funding has been cut to keep buses and trains clean, which reflects poorly on the system and the region.
• With the CTA, Metra and Pace currently on six-month budgets that expires on June 30, I want to know how I am going to get to work/school/home on July 1st.
Need for capital funding:
• Mass transit in my area has not grown to accommodate the needs of my community. We need to expand the system to include more bus and train lines.
• Many of the train cars and buses used in the system are old and in need of replacement.
• Transit in Northeastern Illinois has defined this region and made it as economically competitive as it is today. We must reinvest in the system in order to maintain our competitiveness and attract future investment in our region.
3. Sign up for the Transit Future Listserv
To sign up for the listserv, send an email to transitfuture-subscribe@mailings.cnt.org. Transit Future sends regular emails highlighting recent news, upcoming meetings and events, and how you can help improve transit in Northeastern Illinois.
While we strongly encourage you to write personal letters to your representatives, the following website offers the opportunity to send messages via the internet.
