It seems odd not to mention this since the blog is basically about what it is like to get around in this city. We have a problem. The CTA is an issue now, and will even be worse if this happens. If you're reading this blog, and you live and work in Chicago, please click here and send an auto-generated message to the politicians: www.savechicagolandtransit.com
Latest doomsday article:
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From chicagotribune.com, October 12, 2007
CTA, Metra unveil plans for fare hikes, service cuts
By Jon Hilkevitch and Rich Wronski
The Chicago Transit Authority plans to eliminate 43 more bus routes and hike fares to as high as $3.25 per ride in January under the 2008 "doomsday" budget announced today.
On the CTA, regular cash fares would increase from the current $2 rate to $2.50 on Nov. 4. As of Jan. 6, that would go up again to $2.75. The cash fare would top out at $3.25 on trains during peak travel periods.
The January round of proposed cuts, combined with those already announced for next month, would also mean the elimination of more than half the CTA's bus routes.
The elimination of 43 bus routes in January—announced today by CTA President Ron Huberman—would come on top of the 39 bus routes to be cut effective Nov. 4. If both those rounds of cuts took place, that would leave the CTA with only 72 bus routes. It currently has 154 bus routes.
In addition, Huberman said the CTA would lay off nearly 1,800 employees in January. That would be in addition to the approximately 620 CTA employees already notified of layoffs effective in November. Those combined layoffs represent about 22 percent of the CTA work force of about 11,000.
The likelihood of the CTA contingency plan actually having to being implemented has increased because of a lingering stalemate in the Illinois legislature over how to fund Chicago-area mass transit as well as road and bridge repairs statewide.
But the deadline clock is ticking, with CTA customers facing uncertainties about their travel options starting in about three weeks, if lawmakers fail to make progress on funding.
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Great. Just what we need. MORE PROBLEMS. LESS BUS ROUTES.
Total chaos.
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