It’s like the ultimate insult - out of all the shitty, horrible, insulting plans proposed, this one was the worst. “The cuts are structured in such a way that they would particularly wallop rush-hour commuters, who would face what officials described as ‘severe crowding’ and waits in many cases of twice as long as today.”
In addition, bus routes are going to be slashed, ensuring that the poor, elderly, and disabled will have to make long walks through gang territory and unsafe neighborhoods! NICE!
Higher fares for fewer services. What’s wrong with that picture?
Apparently this proposal is supposed to effectively hold a gun to the head of the state legislature, and get it to give the CTA more state funding. I doubt that downstate reps are going to give a rat’s ass about the CTA, however.
The only people in Chicago who would be liking this would have to be the cab drivers.
A 36% service cut??? Holy god. (Man, am I glad I moved!!)
I’m sure this is just a coincidence, but in the time I lived in Chicago it seemed like everytime CTA threatened to cut service unless they got more money, there were fewer buses on the routes I used and people crammed in every nook and cranny. Couldn’t help thinking that the CTA did it on purpose to “incentize” the ridership to call their legislator and bitch.
I am curious as to what the alternatives are/were. Was there a proposal for a stand alone fare increase or a stand alone service reduction? Did the concept of a fare reduction, as a way to increase ridership, cross anyones mind?
There were three options. I believe that one was a really large fare hike (to something like a $3.50 base fare - double the current base fare), one was a “rail or rush hour penalty” which would hike fares for not using buses or for using the el during a defined “rush hour,” and the third one, the “doomsday scenario,” was the reduction and hike.
Man, that shit just sucks. NYC subway and commuter rail user. We’ve had 2 raises in 2 years. This even though a judge found the first fair hike was based on cooked books. The MTA says we’re getting the best service EVA! Even though a week doesn’t go by without major delays.
I don’t know how it is over there in the middle of the country but over here it seems the MTA has found that commuters are impotent and helpless little cash machines. We are at their mercy and they know it.
It sound like things are the same all over. Calgary city council is yapping all the time about increasing transit use for commuters, and trying to get Calgarians out of their cars, then they keep raising transit fees large chunks at a time. I feel a hell of a lot less guilty about driving almost to downtown in my car when they keep hiking transit rates. (And the service is muy crappy if you’re trying to do anything except go to and from downtown during rush hour.)
Cutting the Purple Line Express really sucks for those people who work in the city. I’m happy that I live in an area that wouldn’t be that affected, but still, I don’t relish possibly having to deal with “severe crowding” on a train to the Loop in late July/early August.
This sucks. They were planning on enacting the Doomsday Scenario back in January and it would have totally fucked up my life - the bus I was taking from school to work would stop running after 8 pm. My class was over at 8.50. Fortunately, the CTA got the money to prevent this from happening at the time and now I’m not taking any classes. And I’m leaving in early August anyway, but…sucks, man.
And btw, downstate reps ought to just suck it up. The CTA helps Chicago run smoothly (well, relatively smoothly). Disrupting it disrupts the Chicago economy. Disrupting the Chicago economy disrupts the entire state, including the hick towns downstate.
This bites. At present I’m an infrequent user of the CTA since it isn’t practical for my job. Often I’ll ride downtown on Saturday to get photo supplies so I don’t have to deal with parking, and since I like to walk I’ll ride the train or bus somewhere, wander around taking pictures, then get back on at the most convenient stop when I’m ready to go home.
I’ll still do that since it’s easier than dealing with parking issues, but this really blows. And bites. And sucks, too.
I can never understand the CTA’s logic. It seems to me they should be finding ways to increase service and improve the buses and trains so more people want to use them.
Yeah, the purpose of downstate sure is to help Chicago run smoothly. Good to know I have a function down here. :rolleyes:
Don’t get me wrong, I love Chicago, but sometimes people ought to realize that it shouldn’t get things just because “hey, we’re a big city!” Sure, I ride the El when I’m there (once or twice a year), but why the heck should I pay more to subsidize it year round? Here’s a thought: I’ll kick in another buck or two when I actually DO ride it and you can keep your hands off my wallet otherwise, m’kay?
My city (one of the top 15 or so most populous in the state, by the way…) has about five buses. Unless you’d like to kick some money back here to reconnect us to Amtrak or at least buy a few more buses, you can understand my “hick town’s” reluctance to save you from actually having to gasp stand! on the El. Or maybe even having to shudder sit NEXT to someone!
And I agree with your point, Garfield, but there is also an issue of safety, to my mind. Ridership may drop in some parts of the city, and lord knows those that can afford cabs instead of waiting 45 minutes for a bus will likely do that, but I’ve been on many, many buses crammed so full that there are riders on the steps inside the door, blocking the driver’s view of his mirrors. Hell, I’ve practically sat on the dashboard on more than one occasion, m’self. So it can be more than just personal comfort.
Although I have no solution at all to the funding problem. And I feel really bad for the immobile/impaired/elderly/needy who really suffer when you cut service and/or increase fares.
Gov. Blago has suggested closing a software purchase loophole (for big businesses) that would bring in something like $56 million. Since closing this loophole would probably screw my employer, I’m all for it.
I ride Metra – which, unlike the CTA, has no urine scented cars – but I do drive in and take the Blue line once a week, so this will bite this Lake County boy too.
Ah yes, happy employees. What a wonderful world it could be.
Y’know, it’s possible you have a point. But lines like this really make those “hick towns” basically want to give you the finger. What is it about people who live in cities that they feel the need to take a wizz all over the rest fo the planet. Get some manners.
Does anyone know, at his point, why ridership has actually slacked off, or have they bothered to check on that? Maybe they should hire Disney to manage to place.
And finally, having the same people manage all espects of public transit is a bad idea.
I don’t think it’s all entirely a reduction in ridership. Expenses are going up, too. (Like the cost of fuel.) But I also remember reading articles in The Trib noting that the CTA was administration-heavy. Plus, they got kinda screwed on the deal when they bought all those stretchy double busses, so there’s a lawsuit pending for that.
NY ridership skyrocketed when they lowered prices by offering discounts and service improved. And the MTA answer to the increased ridership was to raise the prices even though it was unneccessary, reduce service even though the increased ridership strained the system and then raise the price again.
I dunno what the answer is. I asked my boss to get the other bosses in our buildings to complain about the bus service. We call all the time but 3 of the business owners would get a whole lot more attention than 50 bus riders. He wouldn’t do it. I’m out of ideas.
Re; the Purple Line: I don’t know why they don’t do what they used to do, which was charge an extra $0.40 for the Purple Line Express. Hardly anyone would mind. It’s bad enough that the Purple Line doesn’t run 24 hours anymore, and it’s hardly an express; most of you whippersnappers are probably too young to remember, but it didn’t used to stop at all between Howard St. and the Merchandise Mart. Then they added Belmont and Fullerton, and then Chicago, and next thing you know, the only stops it actually skips are the ones like Granville where nobody gets on anyway. I hardly see the point of calling it an express anymore.
It boggles my mind how NY, which has such an extensive system, can charge basically the same fare. And it boggles my mind how Frank Kruesi still has his jab. I bet he’s not taking a 50% salary cut for fucking up the rehab of the Brown Line, that’s for sure.