CTA Archer Garage closes amid economic concerns

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

By Sarah Severson

As part of the Chicago Transit Authority’s recent cutbacks, on Feb. 7 the 103-year-old Archer Garage at 2600 W. Pershing Rd. ceased operations. Also last month, the CTA cut service by implementing less frequent runs on 119 bus routes and seven of the CTA’s eight rail lines; reducing hours on 41 bus routes by starting service later, ending service earlier, or both; and eliminating nine express bus routes around the city. In addition, the CTA has removed its oldest buses from service to lower operating costs further.

Before it closed, the Archer Garage operated 22 routes. Only one of these—the #X49 Western Express—was eliminated; the CTA has redistributed the rest of the routes and Archer’s buses among its seven remaining garages. CTA cutbacks have wiped out more than 1,000 union positions, but not all of these were associated with Archer Garage. Bus operators and maintenance personnel who worked at Archer and still have jobs have been reassigned to other locations.

Meanwhile, workers have removed batteries and drained fluids from the old buses taken out of service, which are being stored at Archer Garage.

Environmental concerns (more…)

Filed under: Accidents, CTA, Chicagoland, Public Transportation, Transit Justice, bus by king1028skwirl
Tags: « - - - - - - »
No Comments »

Next on Labor Beat: Rally for Mass Transit

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

A two-part show

On CAN TV Chicago cable tv Channel 19:

  • Thurs.,  Feb. 18, 9:30 pm
  • Fri., Feb. 19, 4:30 pm
  • Thurs., Feb. 25, 9:30 pm
  • Fri., Feb. 26, 4:30 pm

On Evanston Cable Channel 6:

  • Mon., March 1, 5:30 pm
  • Wed., March 3, 9:00 pm
  • Sat., March 6, 12:30 am
  • Mon., March 8, 5:30 pm
  • Wed. March 10, 9:00 pm
  • Sat., March 13, 12:30 am

1. Rally for Mass Transit

Chicago Transit Authority union members and CTA transit users protested in front of the CTA headquarters on Wednesday, January 20. The ongoing and future threatened cuts by the CTA management will double wait times for bus riders, cut service to low income/minority areas, overcrowd buses and trains, to mention only a few serious effects. Speeches and interviews from Marcellus Barnes, International VP, Amalgamated Transit Union; Debbie Pittman, Concerned Citizens of Paratransit; Carlos Acevedo, Asst. Business Agent, ATU Local 241; Michael Simmons, Recording Sec., ATU Local 241; Diane Simons, ATU 241 member.

2. Public Workers Unite MLK Demo

A coalition of public workers targeted several locations in Chicago’s Loop to dramatize the areas of the public sector that are being dismantled by corporation-controlled government. To commemorate Martin Luther King day, on Jan. 18, 2010, Public Workers Unite began at Chicago Transit Authority headquarters, then marched to Boeing headquarters, then on to Chicago Public Schools headquarters, and ended up at the State of Illinois Building. Speaking are.: Earl Silbar, Public Workers Unite; Carlos Acevedo, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241; Mike Pitula, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization; Gwen Johnson, former CTA bus driver; Erek Slater, CTA Bus Driver; Andy Thayer, Gay Liberation Network; Joleen Kirschenman, Public Workers Unite; Rosita Chatonda, Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE); Kurt Hilgendorf, CORE; Jackson Potter, CORE; Bunny Johnson, Public Workers Unite, member AFSCME 2858. For more information on Public Workers Unite: http://publicworkersunite.org/.

Photo: Andrew Freund / Labor Beat

Debbie Pittman, Concerned Citizens of Paratransit, speaks at Rally for Mass Transit, Jan 20, 2010

Photo: Labor Beat

PWU March passes by Chicago City Hall on MLK Day, 2010

Produced by Labor Beat. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner. Labor Beat is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member of IBEW 1220. Views are those of the producer Labor Beat. For info: mail@laborbeat.org, www.laborbeat.org. 312-226-3330. For other Labor Beat videos, visit Google Video, YouTube, or blip.tv and search “Labor Beat”.

To order a dvd:

(Put title of DVD, “Rally for Mass Transit” in Description box. Put $15 in Unit Price box.)

To make a donation:

Filed under: 31st Street Bus, CTA, Chicagoland, Public Transportation, RTA, Trains, Transit Justice, bus by king1028skwirl
Tags: « - - - - - - »
No Comments »

Rally for Mass Transit

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010


Chicago, Jan. 20, 2010

Chicago Transit Authority union members and CTA transit users protested in front of the CTA headquarters on Wednesday, January 20.

The ongoing and future threatened cuts by the CTA management will double wait times for bus riders, cut service to low income/minority areas, overcrowd buses and trains, to mention only a few serious effects.

Speeches and interviews from Marcellus Barnes, International VP, Amalgamated Transit Union; Debbie Pittman, Concerned Citizens of Paratransit; Carlos Acevedo, Asst. Business Agent, ATU Local 241; Michael Simmons, Recording Sec., ATU Local 241; Diane Simons, ATU 241 member

Filed under: CTA, Chicagoland, Public Transportation, Transit Justice, paratransit by Transit Justice
Tags: « - - - - - »
No Comments »

Update from Chicago–senators, doomsday layoffs

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Click here to read LVEJO’s Guest Blog entry at TRPT this week.

Filed under: Public Transportation by Transit Justice
No Comments »

Doomsday – Weeks 2 & 3

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

We’ve heard a lot more complaints about the service cuts since the first week.

We will be updating as soon as possible. Check in next week!

Filed under: Public Transportation by Transit Justice
No Comments »

Doomsday 2010 – Day 1

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

We’ve had a couple updates from riders on how the Doomsday is affecting them.  So far here is what we’ve heard:

  • One rider from the Art Institute to Little Village told us a one train, one bus trip that normally takes 40 minutes took an hour.  There was a longer wait on both the Pink Line and the #82 bus.
  • Bus bunching on the #7 and the #82 routes.  How are the buses coming 2 at a time if CTA does not have the money to run them every 10 minutes?
  • A bus driver pulled over waiting for a relief.  He remarked that now the CTA doesn’t have enough drivers to fill all the runs.
  • This has been what I’ve experienced personally so far:

Sunday, Feb. 7

#71 71st/South Shore from 78th to 92nd/Commercial 7:27 AM

Waiting time: 0 – bus was at my front gate as I walked out (mid-block). I waved, driver stopped and I boarded.

#30 South Chicago from 92nd/Commercial to Ewing/106th.

Waiting time: 4 minutes. Bus left at usual Sunday time 7:40 AM. NOTE: Buses operate every 20 miunutes Sunday. Unchanged. (more…)

Filed under: 31st Street Bus, CTA, Chicagoland, Public Transportation, Trains, Transit Justice, bus by Transit Justice
Tags: « - »
No Comments »