Transit Future, 9/5
Transit Future Update, September 5
Legislative News
Last night the Illinois House failed to pass SB 572, a comprehensive transit funding and reform bill. The bill would have restructured the governance system for transit in Northeastern Illinois as well as guaranteed a long-term source of funding for transit. The bill would have prevented CTA and Pace’s “doomsday” scenarios from coming into effect on September 16.
Speaker of the House Michael Madigan has said that he will continue to try to pass the bill, calling a special session when enough votes can be found. Opposition to the bill comes mostly from suburban Republicans, who want to link any discussion of transit to a capital bill. Madigan and other supporters of the bill reject this approach because the need for transit operating funds is urgent, and the doomsday scenarios would likely go into effect before legislators could come up with a capital bill.
CTA Response
In response to yesterday’s vote, CTA president Ron Huberman issued the following statement:
“Today’s vote is a disappointment. The CTA has worked hard to build a coalition of bi-partisan support along with CTA union support. Without the much needed state funding, the CTA will be forced to move ahead with the proposed fare increases and service cuts in less than two weeks. This is not the result we wanted for our 1.6 million daily CTA riders. We intend to keep working with the legislature to win the necessary support to pass legislation by the 16th.”
Community Response
Community leaders spoke out quickly in support of the bill. Jacky Grimshaw, vice-president for policy of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, asked residents of the Chicago region to pressure their representatives to pass the bill:
“All of us who care about getting around the region must contact our legislators and the governor to stress the urgency of creating a sustainable transit system for our region. As transit riders, drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, we all have a stake in a viable transit system. We cannot accept a do- nothing response from the people we elect to office to solve our problems.”
She also called on lawmakers to consider the long-term effects on the region:
“We need a public investment of transit for the social, economic and environmental future of the region. If we want to be a sustainable and livable region, we must invest in transit. We need long-term solutions not band-aids. We have to invest in our transit infrastructure to efficiently move citizens from the homes to their workplaces. Without a viable transit system, we will be clogging up the roads, increase air pollution and the cost of living in our region.”
We urge you to contact your legislator and express your disappointment in yet again failing to properly fund our mass transit system. Find your legislator at www.civicfootprint.org. Also read more in a press release CNT sent out today.
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The Center for Neighborhood Technology has launched the Transit Future campaign in response to the Chicago region’s transit crisis.
CNT’s mission is to promote the development of more livable and sustainable communities. We strive to recognize, preserve and enhance the value of hidden assets and undervalued resources inherent in our urban environment to make households, neighborhoods and regions more efficient, more economically viable, and more equitable.
We recognize that Chicago’s mass transit system is an undervalued asset and the Transit Future campaign will work to promote a system that benefits all residents of Northeastern Illinois.
If you would like to support the Transit Future Campaign, please make a secure contribution by clicking on the button below.
