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The RTA will see a $730 million gap in operating funds by 2025 as federal COVID-19 relief dollars run out, Chairman Kirk Dillard said. “Prior to COVID, 70% of everybody that worked in the central business district took mass transit to work,” Dillard said. “If you want to revitalize the city ... you better help us revitalize mass transit.”
Summary and audio linked here.
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
Full interview and summary linked here.
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Any travel is all about destination. People must have a want or a need to board any mode of transportation to get from the point of origin to the point of destination. As long the destination is a dirty, dangerous shirthole, where you can easily be robbed, then killed, the travelers who want to go there will become fewer and fewer. The destination must attract. travelers and the city of chiraq doesn’t attract much beyond thieves and killers. RTA doesn’t understand this. The destination must be fixed and it ain’t gonna happen under a hateful power mad mayor like LL.… Read more »
Oh, they’re working to lower carbon emissions. Daddy, pull my hair and tax me harder!
We all knew this was coming. The political hacks running this gravy train are now begging for more money for empty trains and buses. The cash ends up in the hands of family and pals of politicians and, like an Illinois state pension, this cannot be diminished no matter how ludicrous the cost. The gravy train must roll on. No one is riding. The Chicago political class provides little incentive for businesses to operate in Downtown Chicago, with these cloutmasters now hoping to turn what was once a vibrant banking and commercial district into more loft condos and ‘equity housing’.… Read more »
I’d first attack the rampant uncontrolled crime in Shitcago. Even with better train network, why would people go downtown only to be robbed, mugged, assaulted, killed, raped?
Rule #1- Whatever government touches it will turn into Schitt.
Rule #2- Whatever government touches it will turn into Schitt.
Rule #3- Whatever government touches it will turn into Schitt.
With stagnant or declining population, and increased wfh, RTA should focus on efficient use of existing capital– buses, trains, railcars — rather than a duplicative expansion such as extending the Red Line to serve areas where Metra Electric already has capacity. The billions saved could fund an efficient transit system for years, if we had one.
Chicago Regional Mass Transit Is Broke Again — And They Want Another Bailout From You
They can start the cost cutting but eliminating most of the Pace bus systems which uses full size buses to transport the driver and a maximum of two passengers to shopping malls in the suburbs like it is the 1990’s and shopping malls are still a thing.
What’s the carbon footprint of running empty buses and trains?
Not much. Anyway, you apparently believe that CO2 is a problem, so you’ll want to do some research.
Far higher per passenger mile than private vehicles…
Completely agree with Dan M. The PACE buses driving in Lake County (outside of maybe Waukegan and North Chicago) have one or two riders at most. Huge buses emitting toxic exhaust, which benefit very few users. Better to give the two riders a car, than pay for the bus, bus maintenance, insurance, driver salary, driver healthcare, driver pension, etc. Seems that along with constantly seeking more money as the only solution, it is on the RTA leadership to start proposing meaningful cost reductions in areas of obvious overkill such as these suburban buses. Would not even engage with them until… Read more »
In the olden days, suburban buses connected the downtowns of suburban towns. Activity moved to shopping malls, so routes got restructured. Probably some routes need to be restructured again and I bet Pace would welcome your suggestions.
Pace buses that I ride are carrying a lot of folks, mainly people who do the jobs that keep the suburbs functioning.
From what I see living here in Evanston, only the homeless are ‘using’ PACE buses… the PACE buses are much “friendlier” for them to ride than the gawdawful CTA buses… On my rush – hour Uber commutes between downtown Evanston and Oakton Community College in Skokie I see many PACE buses, never more than a tiny few passengers.. Using a combination of PACE and CTA buses from downtown Evanston our to Skokie takes about an hour and a half – that’s a 5.5 mile distance. Uber/car, never more than 12 -15 minutes… It would be more cost – effective for… Read more »
Wait a minute. The city is pushing hard to replace abandoned LaSalle Street office buildings with residential units. Thousands of jobs just aren’t there any longer. If you give up on bringing workers back to LaSalle St, why do you need more trains to bring employees down town from the suburbs? Typical Illinois government in action– nobody is talking to each other and no coordination among big–expensive– agencies.
I think I saw this story on the Gomer Pyle show when Gomer said “Surprise, surprise, surprise…the Transit District needs more money!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TnkJ8_BmSI
The RTA needs massive service cuts to match reduced ridership
The criminals and the homeless need nicer places to live. Use the pension fund money to make the investments.
Governments don’t make “investments” they spend money.
Every time a politician speaks of “investments” you know they’re lying
It’s all over Kirk. Nobody is coming back. Get the empty commuter trains off the tracks and start firing people. Besides, won’t it help the bestest Transportation Secretary ever with his supply chain issues if the freight trains can run like crazy? Two birds with one stone!