The Chicago Transit Authority ( CTA ) board put off a final vote on huge service cuts or a possible fare hike until it finds out whether Springfield will ride to the rescue. The Illinois General Assembly will probably decide what to do this week.
The board approved two versions of its proposed 2005 budget—neither one of which would, for now, implement a threatened 20 percent cut in CTA operations. The first budget presumes that lawmakers in Springfield for the fall veto session will give the CTA what it wants: more than $80 million in additional subsidies. The second version assumes no new money and calls for $55 million in service cuts. The board postponed a vote on implementing $55 million in specific cuts.
In fact, pink slips have been mailed to more than 1,000 employees warning they will be fired just after the start of the new year if lawmakers don't come up with more transit funding for the Chicago region. Union workers—including bus and 'L' train operators—would take the biggest hit, accounting for about 90 percent of the job cuts.
Of course, if the cuts come through, things will change—most likely for the worst. Many Chicago residents choose where they live based on how close they will be to public transit. There are also a lot of businesses that depend on patrons who use transit.
The strange thing is that there seems to be plenty of cash. Administrative costs more than doubled during the first five years of CTA boss Frank Kruesi's tenure. According to NBC local news, 92 new management jobs were added between 1998 and 2003. Also, while many neighborhoods—especially on the South and West sides of the city—have already had cuts, CTA management moved into new $93 million headquarters.
CTA officials have gotten an earful from concerned riders at a series of meetings. Wait until the city has to deal with frugal clubgoers who can't take the Red Line late Saturday night.
