As of Jan. 2, people who take public transportation could be waiting a lot longer for that train or bus. State lawmakers did not give Chicago Transit Authority ( CTA ) officials the funds they say are needed to keep public transportation the way it is in the Windy City.
The CTA board is scheduled to vote Dec. 8 on CTA president Frank Kruesi's proposal to implement service cuts, which would eliminate 20 percent of service, including several dozen bus routes and all late-night trains. Even if approved, the cuts, set to begin Jan. 2, could be nullified as late as Dec. 31.
Kruesi dismissed suggestions from some lawmakers that the CTA postpone the service cuts for about six months to see what the legislature does in the spring. He told the Chicago Tribune that the cuts must be done early in the year to maximize savings.
The thought of no all-night service on the Red or Blue Line as well as reduced service on many busy bus routes has upset many Chicago residents.
According to the Tribune, the mayor seemed to suggest he was open to a stopgap solution of some kind that would keep the buses and trains running, but he ruled out a Regional Transportation Authority suggestion to use capital-improvement funds to help cover day-to-day operating costs.