CTA Approves Service Cuts To Bus, ‘L’ System

Bob Roberts Reporting
CHICAGO (WBBM) — As disgruntled riders paraded outside the CTA’s West Loop headquarters with picket signs, the agency’s board approved a 2010 budget that holds the line on fares but threatens service cuts Feb. 7.

“I think they would prefer to go with stability over the next two years,” said CTA Chairman Terry Peterson as he defended the decision to forego threatened fare increases to $2.50 on most bus lines, $3 on 19 express routes and the ‘L’ and $110 for a monthly pass, that had been included in the CTA’s draft budget unveiled last month.

The budget leaves intact plans to scale back service hours on 41 bus routes and reduce service on 110 lines, allowing CTA to retire its 287 oldest buses and lay off 1,067 employees. And that didn’t sit well with rider Joe Rappold, one of 40 riders who hoisted signs reading, “No cuts.”

“No, it’s not good enough,” Rappold said. “It’s time for better service. If we want to be a global green city, we need better transit.”

Peterson said that negotiations with CTA unions will resume Wednesday, and both Peterson and CTA President Richard Rodriguez said that every dollar in concessions won at the bargaining table would be used to shrink the threatened service cuts. Protesters said they had their doubts about the ability of Gov. Pat Quinn, legislative leaders and CTA officials to keep their no-fare-hike promise.

“Why should we believe them in any respect?” asked rider Charles Paidock, who said CTA has lurched from one crisis to another since the January 2008 agreement that was supposed to secure transit funding for years to come. “Six months later there was a fare increase, and more turmoil and more turmoil for a solution that was going to last decades,” he said.

Peterson said that no one could have foreseen the economic downturn that, he said, has played havoc with transit agencies across the country, forcing many to undertake far more draconian fare hikes and service cuts. “This is a nationwide issue,” Peterson said. “If you read the news you saw that out in San Diego they’re talking about eliminating routes. They’re talking about raising fares. they’re talking about laying people off. This is not just anything that is a CTA issue. The city is going through its challenges. The state is going through its challenges. All over.”

He cited several other transit agencies that have faced far worse problems in recent months.

The agreement, announced Wednesday, authorizes the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to borrow $83 million in each of the next two years to cover the revenues CTA expected to get by raising fares. The state will pay the interest charges for at least two years on the bonds, expected to be around $15 million.

The deal also provides $17 million to Pace to help shoulder the costs of providing paratransit service regionwide. Pace will increase paratransit fares to $3 Sunday, but will forego any additional increases in paratransit fares for two years.

Contents of this article are Copyright 2009 by WBBM.

Tags: buses, chicago, CTA, fare hike, Little Village, Public Transit, rail, Regional Transportation Authority, RTA, Trains, Transportation, Transporte publico