January 2008 Archives

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield

Scanning the local papers, TV and radio stations, and blogs for CTA news and views.

REDEYE: Are you pumped about new CTA cars?

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Seniors' free rides begin March 17—if they have RTA photo IDs

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Permits needed for free rides

CTA TATTLER: Here's the latest picture on CTA revenue

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 11:21 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 24

Scanning the local papers, TV and radio stations, and blogs for CTA news and views.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: CTA says cameras in new trains will help with response to emergencies

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Plasma screens coming to 'L' car near you

WBBM-Ch. 2: New CTA Trains Will Appear On Tracks In 2009

WMAQ-Ch. 5: It's not for a while, but the CTA trains are getting a makeover

WLS-Ch. 7: High-tech additions to CTA trains, buses

CTA TATTLER: Live video feeds to beef up security on new train cars

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS: CTA won’t raise fares this year

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 10:05 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 22

Scanning the local papers, TV and radio stations, and blogs for CTA news and views.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Water main break closes North Side streets (reroutes CTA service)

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: CTA service back after broken pipe near downtown station bursts

WBBM-Ch. 2: Water Main Break Leaves Roadway In Ruins (reroutes CTA service)

WBBM-AM 780: Blago on Transit: 'Everything Will Be Just Fine

WBBM-AM 780: Attention Commuters: CTA Announces Temporary Track Change

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 9:35 a.m., Monday, Jan. 21

Scanning the local papers, TV and radio stations, and blogs for CTA news and views.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Funding battle mounts after study suggests expanding nation's transit systems

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Lawmaker runs with 'big boys' for transit

WLS-Ch. 7: CTA president warns about transit deal

DAILY HERALD: Free senior transit rides long overdue

WBBM-Ch. 2: Viewer Comments On Mass Transit Solution

WBBM-Ch. 2: See Part of The Berlin Wall On The Brown Line

WBBM-AM 780: Son Of Former Police Supt. Cline Sues CTA For Attack, Theft

CTA TATTLER: Now the focus shifts to capital cash

Posted by Leonor Vivanco - 12:50 p.m., Friday, Jan. 18

“Aaahh.”

It was a collective sigh of relief when it was announced that Doomsday had been averted – once again – thanks to a funding bill approved Thursday by state lawmakers.

“All’s well that ends well,” Gov. Blagojevich said in the Chicago Tribune.

Not so sure about that.

Yes, it’s a good thing CTA bus routes won’t be cut, riders won’t see a fare increase (for now), employees won’t lose their jobs and seniors won’t be charged to ride buses or trains.

Here’s the bad news: the deal also means we pay more because the $530 million funding package includes money from increases in sales tax and real estate transfer tax.

More bad news: the funding doesn’t cover any of the needed repairs and infrastructure improvements.

And it’s not over yet. The governor still has to officially sign off on it and the Chicago City Council needs to approve the real estate transfer tax, the Tribune reported.

Did Doomsday end well? Tell us what you think.

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 10:04 a.m., Friday, Jan. 18

Doomsday is...not going to happen. Here's what the local papers and TV stations had to say about the transit deal last night and this morning.

Chicago Tribune: Transit back on track

Chicago Tribune: Photo gallery

Chicago Sun-Times: CTA doomsday averted

Chicago Sun-Times: Without billions for capital projects, riders still face slow zones, rickety rides

Chicago Sun-Times: What the transit bill means for you

Chicago Sun-Times: Now it's in hands of City Council

The Daily Herald: Lawmakers OK transit bailout

The State Journal-Register: Transit bill OK’d with free rides

WBBM-Ch. 2: Doomsday Averted: Mass Transit Bailout Passes

WMAQ-Ch. 5: Done Deal: Transit Funding Bill Approved

WFLD-Ch. 32: Riders Happy, Lawmakers Aren’t

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 4:20 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17

Finally, it's over. Read all about it right here and, folks, have a nice commute home tonight.

And tomorrow, and the day after...

Posted by Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz – 2:20 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17

We have just cleared the first hurdle in the Doomsday nailbiter, with the House approving the amended transit funding bill that would avert the threatened service cuts and fare hikes that would go into effect Sunday. They gave Blagojevich his free rides for seniors, some of them holding their noses while doing so.

"I'm going to support this so as not to make transit riders innocent victims of the governor's gamesmanship," said Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago), according to the Tribune. "Shame on the governor for putting us in this position, shame on him for playing politics with people's lives."

That's a big step, but the Senate still has to approve the measure. And there's no guarantee. When the House approved the transit bill last week, it passed with just a two-vote cushion. The Senate approved last week's bill with not a vote to spare.

Hopefully Blagojevich's insistence to include the free rides for senior citizens didn't prompt any of the senators to change their vote. If so, shame indeed.

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 2:20 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17

The transit bill passed in the House this afternoon. It's on to the Senate, which is expected to vote later today.

We'll have an update as soon as there's more news...stay tuned.

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 9:44 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 17

So there we were, about 10 commuters, huddled inside the lobby of CTA's Ridgeland Green Line stop waiting to catch the northbound No. 86 bus.

We weren't outside because, you know, it was freezing.

The usual procedure at this stop is for the bus, heading west on South Ave., to pick up passengers who just got off the Green Line, and then immediately turn right onto Ridgeland Avenue.

Here's what happened: the bus driver never slowed down and gunned it through the stoplight.

I tore out of the lobby (crashing to the ground at first) and raced down Ridgeland to catch up with the guy. A) because I wanted to avoid walking home and B) because I wanted to know why on earth he didn't stop.

Luckily for me, he had to stop at a nearby red light and I was able to catch up and I pounded on the door of the bus. He seemed to be surprised to see me, but then he opened it.

Me: "What the hell was that? Why didn't you stop?"

Driver: "I didn't see anybody out there."

Me: "Are you kidding me? We were all waiting inside!"

I got on the bus and told him he was going to wait for every person who he just blew off. The first guy arrives and he shuts the door and starts to leave...even though this group of people he blew off was just feet away from the bus.

Let me say now that I'm fond of the No. 86 bus drivers, one in particular, Dennis, who always takes the time to talk to my 3 1/2-year old son.

But this guy was ridiculous. Not only was he giving up fares, but on a cold January night he was more concerned about sticking to his schedule than picking up commuters.

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 9:18 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 17

Doomsday is three days away...here's what the local papers and TV stations had to say about it last night and this morning.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Transit-bill detour hurdled

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Not all seniors may ride free

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Let gov take us for a ride

DAILY HERALD: Free rides still imperil transit bill

WBBM-Ch.2: Endgame Arrives For Mass Transit Funding

WBBM-Ch.2: Hear from some concerned CTA customers

WMAQ-Ch. 5: Transit Committee Reluctantly Approves Seniors Clause

WFLD-Ch. 32: Vote Today will Determine if There's Doomsday

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 4:51 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 16

From the Tribune:

"A House mass transit panel today approved Gov. Rod Blagojevich's last-minute plan to provide senior citizens with free bus and train rides as part of a mass transit funding solution, setting up the General Assembly to vote it up or down as early as Thursday."

READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE

Posted by Tracy Swartz- 11:05 a.m., Jan. 16

This morning, I was riding the #65 bus -- one of the bus routes on the doomsday chopping block -- and I heard that familiar glum announcement. Twice.

If you've taken a CTA bus in the last few months, I'm sure it's now engrained in your brain. The announcer mentions the potential bus route cuts, pauses, says the new doomsday deadline and urges riders to contact their state lawmakers.

As the Grand bus barrelled down Illinois Street, I wondered whether anyone actually contacted their senators and representatives, who have a heavy hand in deciding the fate of the CTA. Maybe riders felt the CTA was crying wolf since it is the third doomsday or maybe they felt their opinion wouldn't matter.

Posted by Tran Ha - 10:22a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 16

I currently have four buses from which to choose: three express buses and the No. 151 Sheridan. The three express routes are on the list of buses to be cut if the CTA doesn't get its funding by the end of this week.

So curious to see how much longer it would take me to get to work in a Doomsday situation, I passed up the express buses and took the 151. The new route added about 10 minutes to my commute. Not too shabby.

I have to keep in mind, though, that all those other people in my hood who used to take the express buses also would be on the 151. So maybe the extra 10 minutes would be more like an extra half hour or more.

But still, I consider myself lucky that I don't have to walk any farther to catch a bus, unlike some commuters on other bus routes.

But enough about me -- how about the rest of you? How will Doomsday change your commute?

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 9:41 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 16

The House Mass Transit Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, January 16 at 2:00 pm at the Thompson Center, Room 16-503 in Chicago.

Source: http://www.juliehamos.org/transit/news/newsitem.aspx?newsitemid=155

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 9:19 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 16

Doomsday is four days away...here's what the local papers and TV stations had to say about it last night and this morning.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Governor to skeptical seniors: Hold nose, ride free

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: How drastic cuts redraw transit map

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: The post-doomsday transit map

WBBM-Ch. 2: Lawmakers To Meet As CTA Doomsday Approaches

WFLD-Ch. 32: CTA board to look at free rides for seniors

Posted by Jane Hirt - 12:22 p.m., Jan. 15

After reading recent posts and all of your comments, the consenses of "Your attention, please" readers is clear. Free-Rod has gone too far, and his "senior moment" is a ridiculous, transparent political ploy that could very well trigger a doomsday if he isn't careful.

But there are people out there who are equally adamant that CTA funding should not be passed; at least not on the backs of sales-taxpayers.

The National Taxpayers United of Illinois sent out a press release today urging a "no" vote on what it called the "$530 million CTA tax hike." The group calls the tax increase that would fund the CTA bailout "grossly unfair" to the residents of collar counties, who "use the CTA very little compared with the residents of Cook County."

President Jim Tobin told me his group is against any new funding for the CTA until they clean up the agency.

"The CTA is a financial black hole that will not be made viable even with limited concessions by its overpaid union employees,” Tobin said in the press release. “The CTA bureaucracy is incompetent and needs to be replaced. Many buses carry less than half-a-dozen riders, and the CTA Douglas line unnecessarily duplicates the service of the Congress line in the Eisenhower Expressway. The so-called ‘doomsday’ cuts are necessary, and are only the beginning of what is needed to restore viability. It will take more than cutting 81 bus routes and 2,400 employees before the CTA can survive.”

Anybody out there agree?

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 11:13 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15

Tribune staff report

The CTA cut power in the Howard rail yard for 20 minutes Tuesday morning because of an injured employee, disrupting service on the Red, Yellow and Purple Lines, officials said.

The electricity was cut off about 8:54 a.m., said spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski.

The employee was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston with injuries that were not life-threatening. Details were not immediately available.

A bus shuttle operated between the Howard station and South Boulevard, Dempster and Thorndale stations until 9:50 a.m.

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 10:55 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15

It's kind of weird to think the CTA transit problem was actually resolved before Free-Rod stepped in with a plan to give seniors free rides.

You know what's even weirder? Looks like he, knowing or unknowingly, didn't tell the truth about the plan.

Here's what he said last week, according to the Daily Herald:

"I'm going to write a line in the bill that provides free public transportation to every senior citizen who lives in the state of Illinois."

And this is what the Daily Herald discovered when combing through the fine print.

However, a close look at the plan his office filed shows only seniors living in mass transit districts would get the freebie. In other words, suburban seniors could ride Pace and CTA lines for free, but a 65-year-old downstate tourist could not.

So not only is Free-Rod messing with every single CTA customer with his unbelievably self-serving offer to give seniors free rides, he's not even being honest about it.

At this point, I don't see how Free-Rod can come out of this looking good no matter what happens. If doomsday arrives, he'll get all the blame. That's for sure.

Let's say his plan goes through, "all" seniors get free rides and the CTA secures a long-term funding plan. He's still going to be the guy who did his very best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Free-Rod is not a part of the solution. He's just a very, very big problem.

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 9:19 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15

Doomsday is five days away...here's what the local papers and TV stations had to say about it last night and this morning.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Chicago aldermen in a pickle -- transit bailout plan triggers higher real estate transfer taxes

CHICAGO TRIBUNE'S ERIC ZORN: Blagojevich has power to amend, laugh

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: 'Mad as hell': CTA realty tax ripped

DAILY HERALD: Not all seniors may get a free ride after all

WBBM-Ch. 2: CTA Head: Gov. Never Told Me About Free Rides

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 10:09 a.m., Monday, Jan. 14

Sorry for the comparisons to puppies, seniors, but I'm not the one who decided to use you as a pawn in the CTA transit wars.

Gov. Blagojevich simply picked out the most sympathetic group of people to try to save face for himself after agreeing to raise the sales tax...after saying during the last election he said he never would.

This is what Free-Rod said on Sunday:

"How many of you agree with me that it's the right thing to do to give your grandmother a free ride on a bus?"

So if you didn't stand up and applaud to that line it means you hate old people, and would probably shove your grandmother onto the sidewalk to get a seat on a crowded bus.

On the other hand, Free-Rod is a latter-day Santa Claus with free CTA rides for all the good little seniors who would be homebound and starving if not for his act of largesse.

He better pray the state approves this plan. Because if it doesn't and doomsday arrives, there will be one person for millions of registered voters to blame, and it'll be Free-Rod.

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 9:32 a.m., Monday, Jan. 14

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Chicago-area seniors question cost, need for Blagojevich's free-ride proposal

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Gov pitches transit plan to congregation

WBBM-Ch. 2: Daley Blasts Timing Of Gov's Transit Demand

WMAQ-Ch.5: Gov., Mayor Debate Seniors' Free Ride

Posted by Scott Kleinberg - 12:15 p.m., Friday, Jan. 11, 2008

I have three words for you, Gov. Blagojevich.

Sign the bill.

Seriously, sign it, already. It used to be that when people thought of delays on the CTA, they were ready to crucify Frank Kruesi or Ron Huberman. Now, you are the face thousands upon thousands of stressed riders see everytime they hear about another impending Doomsday.

Here's the deal. You remind me of an old boss ... He was one hell of a used car salesman. You, guv'nor could sell the rust protection package every time. Yet you always manage to come across looking like the hero.

This time around, you decide at the last minute that you'll sign the bill -- the same bill that you said you wouldn't sign all along -- but only if seniors across Illinois get free mass transit rides. So you are now for the tax increase, but to make you come out smelling sweeter than all that goop in your hair you are going to hold up the entire package for everyone until old folks get free rides.

I know, because you love old people, right?

What are we, fools? You love the old people's vote. You're just a politician. This baloney that you care about anything other than votes is pathetic. If you did, you'd look at this from my perspective ... Doomsday starts 9 days from today. My bus route might be cut. Instead, you shoot for the moon, forcing the Senate and the House to vote again and take your changes into consideration.

We were so close, and while some may argue that we're closer now than we were last week, we're not done -- and we could be. We should be.

And you know what else? Like I said, I don't hold a grudge against old people -- but the 30-something lady in front of me at my local store using food stamps could probably use a free ride. And there are students all over Chicago who pay for transportation. But they don't vote the way seniors do. You want your legacy to include you being a hero to every person over 65 in the state of Illinois. You'll probably get your way, but it's dishonest and unfair to everyone else.

I know when I'm being fed a bunch of crap. And let's just say that leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

What do you all think? You buying this?

Doors closing. Until next time.

Posted by Jim Walsh – 5:32 p.m., Jan. 10

Can you believe the latest news out of Springfield that Blagojevich is holding up a transit funding bill so that he can include a free-ride provision for senior citizens?

Here's an excerpt from the Tribune's story about the debate going on today:

SPRINGFIELD–State lawmakers today passed a bill to fund Chicago-area mass transit with a sales tax increase, but Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he wouldn't go along until lawmakers agreed to provide free bus and train rides for the state's senior citizens.

The governor's unusual move capped a frenetic 24-hour round of legislative negotiating that raised hopes of an agreement to end the monthslong funding fight and avert service cuts and fare hikes scheduled for Jan. 20. But the governor's decision will send the legislation back for further consideration in the House and Senate.

Sounds to me like another G-Rod power play. What do you think?

Posted by Scott Kleinberg - 11:55 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008

I've been wondering lately exactly how riders are taking the almost constant barrage of Doomsdays -- it's coming, it's not coming ... we can fix it, we can't fix it, yada, yada, yada.

I haven't talked to any riders (yet) but I did have a 20 second conversation with a driver who confirmed my suspicions.

First, a little background ... have you heard those recordings playing on buses? Something like "due to insufficient state funding, the CTA will be forced to ..."

And this line which no matter how many times I hear it makes me cringe:

"This bus route will be eliminated."

It's bad enough for passengers, but what about the driver who hears that a hundred times a day right along with "please exit in the back of the bus"? That's got to be bad for morale, right?

So while getting off a bus earlier, I heard that recording as I was standing in front of the bus waiting to disembark (what can I say, I'm a rebel) just as the driver was wishing me a nice day. I didn't have time to say much, so I commented that those announcements must be stressful.

To which she replied, "ahhhh, it's not going to happen. They always figure it out."

So ... there's a driver who isn't worried -- and that's fine not to be worried -- but she clearly has a false sense of security if she believes that the governor will swoop in wearing a cape and save the day. We all know that the governor wouldn't swoop in anywhere -- it would mess up his hair.

Know what it will take for there to be a superhero in Springfield? Legislators who meet, vote and actually come up with a permanent solution to the transit funding crisis. "Finding" extra money to put it off temporarily only to see another Doomsday in two months isn't acceptable in any way.

Right now, the legislators should be meeting 24 hours a day and shouldn't talk about anything else until this major crisis is resolved.

I'd love to hear from you ... so tell me ... do you agree? Disagree? And what in the world can we do about this?

Doors closing. Until next time.

Posted by Kyra Kyles - Jan. 8

Mere seconds after a Red Line "L" pulled off from the 35th Street stop on a recent Friday, I witnessed an all-too-familiar South Side scenario.

A young man crossed through the cars and shouted over the roar of the train, "Three for $5! Three for $5," while holding out three deodorant sticks.

He must have mistaken me for an interested customer scrounging for money because he paused in front of me when I whipped out a piece of paper to record the incident.

When he saw that my paper was white, not green, he moved on, but not before murmuring to me: "It's a good deal. Try to beat it."

Posted by Scott Kleinberg - 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008

Here we go again.

Let's see. We're 2 weeks away from Doomsday, you know when the CTA will be forced to cut 81 bus routes if it doesn't get a funding bailout from Springfield?

If it wasn't for the fact that my iPhone's automatic calendar reads Sunday, January 7, 2008, I would swear this was several months ago. I mean, it's 60 degrees outside. It really feels like we've been through this before.

We have. It's deja vu III. This is the third time we're talking about Doomsday being just a few days away.

And what a joke. What a joke. Your tax dollars "at work" in Springfield, where the future of mass transit in Chicago comes down to papers on the desk of some guy who may not report for work today. Imagine if you could put off projects at work the way these guys do.

When it happened before, Gov. Blagojevich said that a fix was forthcoming and it would require some work by Democrats and Republicans. Eventually, he found some money and bailed out the CTA until the next time. Which, by the way, he pretty much swore wouldn't happen again because there was going to be a fix.

And here we are now in the same exact situation. It's sad, really. Why the governor thinks Springfield is going to be able to come to the rescue this time when they couldn't last time is beyond me. And if the governor is going to bail out the system again only to put this kind of pressure on riders again -- where they either have no idea if they will be able to catch their bus or whether they can even believe what they are being told -- well, that's just unacceptable.

And I'll betcha anything that the governor will come out and say how it takes the hard work of legislators to make this a reality (blah, blah, blah and blah). I do not believe there's a lick of hard work being done in Springfield. These are people who say they care about your welfare, and I'm sorry ... I don't believe that for a second. It's all politics as usual and you shouldn't stand for that.

I urge you ... call your legislator. Find out the number and call. Make your voice heard. Your voice is all we have right now. Plenty of folks who rely on mass transit could be out of luck in 2 weeks, and even if they aren't, the situation should never have gotten this dire.

A personal note to Gov. Blagojevich -- You should get rid of your car and your plane and spend one week using mass transit. Then, imagine not having that capability and see how it impacts you. Then, get down to Springfield and make something happen.

It's 4th and 1. The Bears are down by 6. Are you going to go for it or punt it away?

I know what your playbook normally says. Prove me wrong and take a chance for a change.

Doors closing. Until next time.

Posted by RedEye - 12:02 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 2

Tribune staff report

A Chicago woman who died of her injuries after being hit by a Chicago Transit Authority bus has been identified as Ludwika Szynalik of the Northwest Side, authorities said Tuesday.

Szynalik, 59, of the 3300 block of North Natchez Avenue, was struck Monday afternoon by a westbound No. 152 Addison bus near Addison Street and Neenah Avenue. She died about 9 p.m. Monday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, the Cook County medical examiner's office said.

Bus driver Martin Stark was cited for negligent driving and failure to exhibit due care for a pedestrian on the roadway, said Chicago Police Officer Marcel Bright.

Drug and alcohol tests were ordered, CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski said. Stark was treated for distress at Lutheran General and released, she said. He has driven buses for about a year, Hosinski said, but will not be allowed to drive a bus until an investigation is completed.