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* Background is here if you need it. From Greg Hinz…
Quit the fighting and work it out.
That’s the bottom-line message of an unusual letter sent today to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and others that urges prompt approval of a proposed pilot program to boost transit ridership on the South Side and south suburbs by slashing fares on Metra’s electric and Rock Island lines. […]
As I reported in my column this week, the letter follows a surprisingly harsh attack on the proposed pilot by Lightfoot. Last week she said she’s willing to talk about something but fears this particular idea would have a “massive” economic impact on the Chicago Transit Authority.
* The letter…
To Elected Leadership and Transportation Agency Executives:
Our organizations strongly support starting a demonstration project to improve public transit service on the south side of Chicago and South Suburbs. We encourage you to implement a pilot program to lower fares in the city to CTA levels on the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines, make fares more affordable in the South Suburbs, and offer low cost transfers between Metra Electric, Rock Island, Pace, and the CTA, as soon as possible.
Portions of the south side and South Suburbs are heavily dependent on mass transit, but often lack access to high quality, affordable, frequent transit service. Commute times for residents in the area are also longer than other parts of the region. These challenges have contributed to lower transit ridership and reduced access to opportunity. Testing new and improved mass transit services on the south side and South Suburbs is a good way to find long-term solutions to transportation problems that have persisted in the region for too long.
Preliminary analysis shows lower fares, free transfers, and improvements to Metra’s Electric and Rock Island routes are likely to increase overall transit ridership, reduce travel times, and may have a net positive revenue impact. These data-driven conclusions are promising and a demonstration project should be the next step, with appropriate mechanisms in place to help the individual transit agencies adapt to any short-term changes in revenue. A successful pilot should include an evaluation component to adjust the pilot project itself as well as inform further study and implementation of similar projects throughout the region.
This pilot program will require unprecedented coordination between Metra, CTA, Pace, and the RTA to be successful. Our region has struggled with offering integrated transit service, but this pilot program is an exciting opportunity to implement true fare integration, and offer seamless transfers between services. These are enormous benefits for users of the transit system and another reason all government agencies involved in transit should participate fully in this pilot.
Each of our organizations is excited about the potential benefits of this pilot program: this initiative can meaningfully improve the quality, affordability, sustainability, and equitability of our transportation system now. We stand ready to help you achieve these goals in any way we can and look forward to the successful launch of this project.
Sincerely,
Active Transportation Alliance • Chicago Jobs with Justice • Center for Neighborhood Technology • Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce • Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago • Coalition for a Modern Metra Electric • Environmental Law and Policy Center • Midwest High Speed Rail Association • Metropolitan Planning Council • International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (Transportation Division)
Discuss.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 12:44 pm
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I think this letter may as well have begun, “Dear Lori and Toni, but especially Lori…”
Comment by Benjamin Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 12:54 pm
Also if you take the Metra and want to keep on going north or west you will take the CTA. They compliment each other.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 1:00 pm
This is a great example of the need to reform our governance structure of transit.
Comment by Just Me 2 Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 1:01 pm
Haven’t the city, Cook County, and the suburbs been fighting about METRA and CTA forever? This isn’t a Toni-Lori clash or a relitigation of the election. The horsetace coverage has a whole 2020 primary. It’s time for them to move on.
Comment by Nuke the Whales Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 1:03 pm
love love love the pilot program. but I think the best way to resolve congestion into the city.
Monorail.
Yep a brand new monorail built above I-90.
just think of the reduction of emissions.
this plan is gold.
Comment by Mr Langley Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 1:04 pm
Maybe Elon Musk can repurposed his tunnel to Ohare
Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 1:33 pm
Does this have anything to do the with One Central project and proposed train station next to McCormick Place?
Comment by southsider Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 1:57 pm
It will be interesting to see how much Preckwinkle wants to fight back on this. There are a heck of lot of Chicago residents who commute downtown everyday on the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines. They are paying $5.50 one way for that trip. Preckwinkle has put forth a plan to cut that fare by more than half (to the same fare charge on CTA trains.) I’m not sure ordinary folks in South Shore, Pullman, Morgan Park, etc. are aware of that — yet. They could get awfully mad at their mayor if Preckwinkle engages with them.
Comment by Telly Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 1:57 pm
Don’t forget HB3832 (Evans-Meyers-Martin-Tarver-Buckner) that would require must of this to get implemented.
http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=3834&GAID=15&SessionID=108&LegID=121299
Comment by Dan Johnson Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 2:00 pm
When was the last time Mayor Lightfoot took the CTA or Metra? Rahm did occasionally.
The aldermen, county commissioners and congresspersons whose constituents would benefit also need to speak up here.
Metra is underutilized and could make life better for a lot of people if they could afford to ride it, rather than having to waste their time enduring the congestion confronting buses trying to navigate streets with too many cars.
Comment by Moe Berg Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 2:05 pm
much not must
Comment by Dan Johnson Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 2:07 pm
For everything in this plan there is a tradeoff. If Metra trains attract more passengers and make more stops in the city, it will negatively affect the farther suburban ridership that is the bread and butter of Metra’s clientele. There will absolutely be competition to existing CTA services, and possibly to the Red Line extension, affecting CTA’s farebox recovery if the same services are maintained. I guess there’s no harm in doing an experiment, but don’t be surprised at the results if they don’t turn out as expected.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 2:18 pm
===Lightfoot vs. Preckwinkle fight===
It is not really a fight but seems to be more adult “mean girls” back and forth.
I am just the messenger:
In the mid 2000’s while finishing a Masters in Psych I did an internship at the Streamwood Behavioral Health home for Adolescents that used to be in Elgin.
I once asked the staff, who is harder to deal with, the boys or the girls? Hands down the girls. Why?
With the boys it was one fight and it was over and the combatants many times could be seen playing together shortly afterwords.
According to the staff, with the girls the conflict never ended and grudges were held for weeks. Research has shown that women/girls use indirect/relational aggression whereas men/boys mostly use physical aggression.
==When was the last time Mayor Lightfoot took the CTA or Metra? Rahm did occasionally===
My son used to live in the Lincoln Square area of Chicago and would send me pics of Rahm and just one big bodyguard/security detail with him waiting on the L platforms. Son said Rahm took the CTA trains regularly. Not a fan of Rahm at all but kudos for that.
Comment by Big Jer Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 2:33 pm
And to southsider — the One Central project *could* be transformative to the South Side by connecting the Metra Electric with the tracks on the west side of the river that go into and through Union Station to permit true south side - north side Metra/Amtrak service (even to O’Hare). I don’t know if current plans for One Central call for that but it could really help. (Aside from all the other big benefits the project would bring).
Comment by Dan Johnson Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 2:38 pm
Lower fares may end up in budget shortfalls that will cause the RTA to seek a sales tax increase.
Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 3:36 pm
One Central may not be the best idea after all, see
https://yard-social.com/2019/06/11/diverging-approach-a-bridge-too-far-part-2/ for some analysis. Metra Electric operations can be rescheduled without the City itself doing or spending anything; the “dog fight” is politicians fighting for control.
Comment by revvedup Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 4:50 pm
The south suburban communities pay into the CTA system and get NO transit services in return. To say, this project would have ‘a “massive” economic impact on the Chicago Transit Authority’ is a farce. One only needs to look at the sales tax distribution from RTAMS to get an idea of the millions the south suburbs has contributed to the CTA the past 30 years to see how the Southland has been left behind.
Comment by south suburban gal Wednesday, Sep 25, 19 @ 10:29 pm