CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in The public transit mess

Re: The public transit mess

Six Degrees of Separation — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 22:51:57 -0000

Reality check, y'all.

Phoenix works as an auto-centric city because it is so spread out and they have room to expand the highways. The rail system that will be put in will be a nice little amenity, but will barely carry a percent or two of the total passenger traffic when it is all built out.

Chicago on the other hand has a dense urban core that grew up around the existing transit lines, and the freeways really can't be expanded without major expense until you get about 20-30 miles out or more. This area has the US's second most extensive public transit system (NY is #1) which city dwellers make use of for maybe 20% of their trips. Most US suburban cities would die for a service as regular as Metra Electric, whose riders complain about the service and amenities on a regular basis (albeit with some validity). And many planners in Phoenix would love to have a dense core with 200,000 jobs in the CBD like Chicago that could support a more-than-token transit system, but it *ain't* gonna happen. The Chicago area doesn't get down to 2% transit usage until you hit the fringes of the collars.

The grass is always greener on the other side. All things said and done, Chicago can only play the hand it's dealt, and that hand depends on the transit system that brung it to the dance...or preferably, an improved version thereof.

Re: The public transit mess

Illini CanDo — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 21:52:47 -0000

Why is public transportation the exclusive purview of the state? It used to be privately run. Why not remove the laws limiting private sector participation and allow anyone to run on those same bus routes? Might that not end the problem at least for those who use public transportation?

Re: The public transit mess

cleanairguy — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:35:12 -0000

(cut off mid sentence)

Re: The public transit mess

cleanairguy — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:32:35 -0000

CLEANING UP CTA/PACE BUSES SHOULD BE MANDATED BY THE STATE!
At a time when metro Chicago STILL doesn't meet minimal federal air quality standards for particle "soot" pollution, CTA and Pace's bus fleets are among the dirtiest in the nation. A simple device called a particulate filter (looks like a muffler) can eliminate 90% or more of the soot from a diesel transit bus, for a cost of under 10 grand. Particle soot is nasty -triggers asthma attacks, strokes, heart attacks and can kill you dead.

NYC and Boston have already retrofit thier existing diesel transit bus fleets with these devices, and in fact, if you buy a brand new transit bus in 2007 or later years, it has to have one of these devices on it.

Less than 15% of CTA's fleet now has these devices, and none of Pace's buses do. If you've ever been on, behind or around CTA and Pace buses, you know the smell. Surprise - the air on a bus 4X more polluted that outside the bus. CTA bought HUNDREDS of brand new buses last year (sorely needed to replace ancient 1991-era buses), but got them WITHOUT the devices that would make them 90% cleaner.

Keeping transit viable has to be done, but when the state attempts to fix this financial problem, it ought to require that these devices be added - pronto. There are about 1500 buses less than 7 years old (including hundreds from 2006) that should be retrofit and the equipment to do so would cost

Re: The public transit mess

NIEVA — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:23:04 -0000

How about some research to find out how much of the state transportation budget is spent in the collar counties and Chicago.

Re: The public transit mess

Truthful James — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:39:16 -0000

Anonymous --

Even a blind pig finds an acorn on the ground from time to time.

This is not politics, it is sound economics. I agree, it is easy to be ironic.

We have a lot of smart, elected people in Springfield who are safe in their seats. For many of them the essential constituencies are not the voters, but those that provide campaign lubrication. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, they say We need some squeakers -- some problem solvers.

Where is Pat Quinn? If we add the increased cost daily of public transportation, I would almost bet that the burden on the working stiff is greater than the utility rate increase for a one BR apartment.

Where is a successful business owner like Dick Mell?

Re: The public transit mess

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:46:53 -0000

To develop a new capital, labor and managament structure for public transportation in Northeastern Illinois would require leadership in Springfield.

There's a thought.

Re: The public transit mess

Truthful James — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:27:50 -0000

"...The Illinois Auditor General recently completed an independent audit of the finances and management of the CTA and concluded that our current financial situation is not one that we can manage our way out of -- our problem is structural and needs to be addressed by the General Assembly...."

Of course that is so. The AG's results presupposed the same management structure and the same revenue sources spent in the same way. It will ever be so.

We have got to adjust our thinking regarding management and service and costs and build a new capital, labor and management system which which best matches the supply of PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION assets and the demand for services on a schedule basis.

Anything less continues the folly.

Re: The public transit mess

Cal Skinner — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:20:37 -0000

How many cents of Motor Fuel Tax in Cook County goes to finance the completely unrelated function of the Cook County Jail?

Is it 4 cents?

Re: The public transit mess

Dooley Dudright — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:50:46 -0000

Skip the 0.25 percent sales tax increase for the RTA.

Instead (y'all correct me if I'm wrong) -- but -- using home rule powers, Daley could levy a penny-per-gallon gasoline tax, couldn't he?, and fund the CTA with that, no? Or if the CTA is so great for tourists (really?), tack a fraction onto the hotel/motel tax? (Yeah, I know, drive away McCormick/convention traffic even faster.)

A related note. RTA chair Jim Reilly really is in no position to posture just now. If memory serves, he and Jim Thompson completely balkanized mass transit in the 1980s by carving the RTA into fiefdoms -- i.e., CTA, Metra and Pace. So with that, we got four executive directors, four planning directors, four chief financial officers, four press officers, four personnel officers, blah, blah, which has been another patently stupid waste.

As part of transit reform, reunify the agencies and slim down staff. (Yeah, I know, like putting toothpaste back into the tube.)

And IMHO, Reilly is at this point another Frank Kruesi: politically way overdue for retirement.

Re: The public transit mess

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:29:39 -0000

Operating expenses of the CTA, like every other transit agency in the world (including Pace and Metra), are subsidized by their state or local government. Revenues from fares only cover approximately 50% of operating expenses. The government subsidy should cover the rest. The CTA's subsidy has not kept up with the rate of inflation. In real dollars, we are getting less money than we received in 1983 (when adjusted for inflation). The Illinois Auditor General recently completed an independent audit of the finances and management of the CTA and concluded that our current financial situation is not one that we can manage our way out of -- our problem is structural and needs to be addressed by the General Assembly.

Re: The public transit mess

michael_k — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:05:50 -0000

You're arguing your own point, Rich. The RTA bill calls for taxes, coming from our own region, to pay for our own transit. No one is asking the rest of the state to pay. And as a poster said above, we here in the Chicago region provide the state with most of it's budget. It's time we're treated like it.

Re: The public transit mess

Brian — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:02:11 -0000

The arguement in favor of paying for roads and transit with user fees strikes me as a bit odd. The benefits of transportation infrastructure are broad and widely dispersed. It makes sense for taxes to suibstantially cover the cost of each. This is also true for other services with broad benefits -- Should I pay full freight to send my kids to public school? Should I pay a user fee to call 911 when I have a fire at my house?

However: It does so happen that by many calculations, road transportation is more heavily subsidized than transit. And it so happens that driving generates discernable negative externalities.

Finally, as an urban economist I'm alarmed by the suggestion that Phoenix is successful in spite of (and perhaps because of) its paucity of transit. Last time I checked, Phoenix was in a region experiencing tremendous secular growth related to population inmigration and overflow from costly Southern California. By contrast, we are in the Midwest... Chicago is a lone bright (but somewhat flickering) spot amidst a sea of states in long-term decline. We need transit to fuel the Chicago CBD, the engine of Illinois' professional and business services industry, the potential savior of our otherwise doomed economy.

Re: The public transit mess

Captain America — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:53:10 -0000

I disagree complete with Rich Miller on this issue.

I thought the 1/4 per cent sales tax increase levied in the RTA/CTA service/Chicago metropolitan area, passed by the House Committee last week with bipartisan support,was an entirely appropriate way to deal with the mass transit funding problem.

Funding mass transit makes sense in the Chicago metropolitan area - mass transit benefits everyone who lives in the metro area by reducing the number of cars on the road. Modest fare increases each year also make sense.

Draconian fare increases and service cuts make absolutely no sense politically or economically.

Re: The public transit mess

Tweed — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:41:20 -0000

VanillaMan,

If you want to use another city to prove all of your points, Phoenix is possibly the worst city you could have picked. First of all, Phoenix's population is about 1.4 million while Chicago is about 2.8 million. Instead of the populations being equal, Chicago is actually twice the size of Phoenix. That's somewhat of a big difference if you ask me.

When it comes to physical size, Phoenix has 515 square miles whereas Chicago has 227 square miles. The growth of Phoenix has much more to do with the natural development that has taken place in cities all over America than any edge Phoenix has over Chicago. For example, if you look at population growth in DuPage County and compare it to Phoenix, the percentage in growth is similar and the population is similar once you take into consideration that DuPage County has less square miles than Phoenix.

In fact you might want to write a letter to Phoenix's elected officials because in 2008, their light rail system, Valley Metro Rail, will be up and running.

If you took the RTA away, 2 million people would have to find an additional way to get to work. Tell me, how is that just an individual problem where a couple of people are going to have to buy cars to go to work. Where are all of these people going to park? How is the road system going to absorb all of these new drivers?

Public transportation means that many people don't have to own cars so they don't have to put money into monthly car payments, car insurance, gas, and all of the other burdens of owning a car. Instead that money can be spent on other things where the profits are closer to home (When buying gas, who do you think is getting most of the profit? The gas station owner or the gas company itself?). Not only does this help local business, but having less drivers means shorter commute times for all, more productivity at work, and less road maintenance cost on Illinois highways. If you take all of those factors into the big picture, you realize that funding Chicago public transportation is a wise investment that can benefit everyone statewide.

Re: The public transit mess

Good Grief — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:41:07 -0000

Do like the Illinois Tollway does, throw mega amounts of money on it and at it. Problem solved, at least till next year.

Re: The public transit mess

fedup dem — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:31:49 -0000

We need something comprehensive to fix public transit in the Chicagoland area. That probably means additional state funding in exchange for fixing the pension mess at the CTA; mandating an increase in the $3 million contribution by the City of Chicago (which is an absolute disgrace; I would mention my true feelings about Mayor Daley on this issue, except that listing them would likely get me banned from this site); and forcing the CTA to dump all of the nutty plans Kruesi came up with (like the separate express line from O'Hare to the Loop or the Circle Line) and concentrate on fixing the crappy service riders now have to endure. If that means firing half or more of the bureaucrats there, so be it (their political scalps will provide Downstate lawmakers with the cover that they may need to vote for the overall plan).

Re: The public transit mess

Truthful James — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:29:28 -0000

Why are we still trying to solve the problem, blindfolded in the same old box?

This is a Public Transportation problem, not a CTA problem. It is not going to be solved until all forms of public transportation are placed in the mix. That would include elevated and subway transportation, large vehicle public transportation (busses and rolley busses) small vehicle transportation (taxi cabs and jitney cabs) as well as the net financial support to part time vehicle storage. Include as well maintenance and epair of such vehicles.

Instead, we attempt to solve it as within the major constratint of union satisfaction -- don't disturb the worker voters.

The net effect5 is seen in the pension fund debacle, but discussion of that hides the fact that we must review the bidding for a public-private system. We already have private but regulated taxicabs.

With what should the City as regulator be concerned: Safety and movement of people. Beyond that warps the system.

The first step is the return of the jitney cabs as a means by which, small group (down to one person), multiple destination service can be provided.

The next step is the bidding by qualified drivers for specific routes and schedule times. (Routes with little or no passenger usage might initially be negatively bid -- a subsidy. Fare collections would be split in accordance with the bidding instructions.

Just like there is a need for tandem and triplex trailers in interstate trucking, there is a ned for articulated vehicles on the CTA. Running these behemoths on all lines at all times is silly. On some routes at some schedule times mini-busses and vans would do.

But first we have to properly define the Public Transportation problem.

Re: The public transit mess

i d — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:26:03 -0000

Chicago has multiple public transit systems and Springfield cannot even provide bus service for second shift workers much less third shift workers unless the workers can find a taxi. How can people who cannot afford cars, pay for taxi service to get to and from work? Who is worse off, Chicago or Springfield? Springfield has so little employment opportunities except for service jobs so much of the city is sliding swiftly towards penury.

Re: The public transit mess

Phoenix? — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:16:27 -0000

Actually, Phoenix is desperately trying to retrofit its landscape with transit and more density, because the growth and traffic are not sustainable.

http://www.valleymetro.org/...

And by the way, the region's taxpayers subsidize 75% of the bus fare in Phoenix and over 80% of the rail fare. In the RTA area it's only 50%.

Re: The public transit mess

Cal Skinner — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:49:06 -0000

If you don't like paying for roads, don't drive.

The tolls are obviously user taxes, as were Motor Fuel Taxes, before the Democrats started ripping them off.

And, yes, I am still disturbed that motor fuel used on the tollway does not go to the Tollway Authority. I don't like paying twice for governmental services.

Re: The public transit mess

vise77 — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:27:15 -0000

As a daily CTA user who can afford a car, I don't mind a modest fare increase, and for the city to pony up more, and for more pressure to get the CTA to work more efficiently.

That said, the state funding formula needs to be revised; the state (and feds) need to pony up more cash for mass transit, and more people need to realize that a failing or even failed CTA will not only hurt Chicago, but this state's entire economy.

Guess what? I don't like paying for roads I never use, either. That's life. Were it up to me, I'd raise the gas tax even more and cut back on new road construction to pay for more mass transit, Metra, Pace and other agencies included.

This is just another attempt by shortsighted suburban and downstate lawmakers to say, 'Go to hell, Chicago.' I grew up downstate, so I understand the emotion, but the logic makes little sense.

Re: The public transit mess

Six Degrees of Separation — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:24:16 -0000

Champaign Dweller, your CUMTD transit system is the envy of medium-sized cities across the US. Being a college town helps.

Re: The public transit mess

Six Degrees of Separation — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:17:46 -0000

Cal Skinner gets 10 bonus points for mentioning Henry George. FWIW, I think that land around freeway interchanges as well as transit stops should be taxed at an incremental rate for maintenance and improvements to the trasportation system from which the property owners reap the most direct benefits. Of course, that easy for me to say since I don't own land near either.

The transportation funding split between the 6-county RTA service area and downstate has long been an issue of contention. More highway dollars go downstate in proportion to the population than go to the 6 counties, however 90% of the state's transit dollars go to the 6 counties. Since the 6 counties are most in need of public transit, and since downstate can't practically be served by transit except in very small pockets and has many more miles of roads that need maintenance, it seems like a fair trade. As long as the 102 counties are all in the same state, we're all in this together.

With the expense of gas and parking continuing to go up, and congestion still being a factor, a modest fare increase will still leave transit competitive in the areas where it already is. I'd suggest that some of those Metra extensions to the hinterlands, which cost tens of millions to build and operate and only draw a few hundered passengers each day, are questionable investments. And CTA's aging infrastructure is gonna need a Brown Line-like makeover on the rest of the system sometime soon, and it's not going to be pretty.

Re: The public transit mess

ChampaignDweller — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:16:30 -0000

Presumably Chicago "the cash cow" benefits from all of the trucks, etc that use the roads here in central and southern Illinois that ultimately end up in the City.