CTA Tattler

I saw this on the news today -- what a terrible idea! High-end airport express cars that run on the exact same tracks as the regular lines that serve the airports?! That's awful.

It just goes to show that the CTA cares more about the tourists than its own residents. I agree with Crains; Frank must go!!!

Having just spent a week in Toronto, and marveling at their transit system, Crain's is right. We can do so much better. After a week of experiencing well-lit, clean stations and trains; audible PA systems; usable maps; and helpful staff, to come back to the CTA was absolutely disheartening.

Incidentally, if the circle line is only going to extend to Ashland rather than to Western, then what's the point?

I'm stunned by Hilvevitch's guileless reporting today:

"The move is an acknowledgment by the Daley administration that the city cannot entrust such a major transportation improvement to the Chicago Transit Authority alone."

Yes, one of the most corrupt mayors in American history is thinking about the people, by making sure that service is privatized. Yup. The lack of trust begins and ends with the CTA.

I've been pretty busy lately, but have we talked about the pay raises the top executives gave themselves.....It's been a long time coming for Kruesi to get the pink slip. When are people gonna listen to the public? Didn't we say get rid of Dusty a long time ago....Didn't we say get rid of Kruesi a long time ago????

Anybody else waiting to hear their latest "Doomsday" budget for 2007?

love how the article says "Buses break down, bunch up, then disappear altogether." I think the CTA has secretly gotten rid of buses and trains on the routes....A lot of things don't make sense and the number of trains or buses that pass through a station don't add up even when there's a delay.

The domains firefrank.com and firefrankkruesi.com are both available. Is it time to start a grassroots effort?

Ha ha, Oldfogey...lets start printing shirts that say "Fire Frank"....and bring back Fields.

sorry for yet another stupid question... but "$200 super-station beneath Block 37." is this where the proposed Loop station for these express trains is to be located? or am i just not knowing about something separate from this article?

Excuse my ignorance, but... what's the point of a nonstop train that just gets stuck behind a regular train stopping at all of the stations? Uh.

As Roe Conn pointed out, the point is whether it would deter those riders who would tinkle on your shoe (or basically the subjects of the CTA Tattler).

I love it! My brilliant plan in 1983 to starve CTA and all of those nasty urban folk who need it just keeps on working! CTA's public funding keeps lagging inflation by more than a percent each year and who do the riders turn on -- that's right -- the guy who's been trying to call people's attention to this fact. Yep, call for Evil Frank's head -- that man has figured out the source of CTA's perpetual problems so fire him right away and get someone in there who will shut up and live with the budget he's given and not complain to the state legislature. And when riders complain about terrible service under the next person we can fire that one too -- just like we've been doing for 20+ years -- and never really address the root cause, which is my brilliant 1983 legislation that keeps enforcing itself! I love it! Sincerely, Pate.

i basically agree with Eric

whats the point.

besides what jackonthebus said.

Wouldn't adding MORE trains to the same line slow things down farther? You would think that more congestion == slower time, unless they were planning on cutting some of the blue and orange line service to compensate.

And...How about fixing the #!@$!@# slow zones on the blue line?? It's rediculous for it to take 8 minutes between Cumberland and Harlem, and another 9 min from Harlem to Jefferson Park. I agree, fire them and hire someone who has to take the L into work every day (and the brown line and orange lines don't count)

Shut up Pate. Just because they forced me out at Metra doesn't mean our plan is getting "derailed", if you'll pardon the pun. You just need to shut the f*** up and let those Democrats and poor welfare queens fight amongst themselves.

Hmm. I wonder how much it would cost a group of concerned transit supporters to take up a huge billboard, painting a few sides of high profile buildings to put Mayor Daley on the spot come election time.

Something like this:

"The City That Works?

Maybe There Aren't Any Wrenches At The CTA.

It's Time For A Public Transit Friendly Mayor.

Vote."

"Pate" makes a good point, except Frankie doesn't seem keen on the idea that the CTA shouldn't alientate it ridership, especially as it is rising. Nor does Frankie seem to have any stomach for cutting managerial fat at the CTA--a move that, I think, would put the CTA in a better light in Springfield. How many projects has Frankie screwed up so far? How many promises has he broken? How many other pie-in-the-sky ideas will he get behind, while basic service continues to suffer? I realize Frankie doesn't have total freedom--for instance, he has to chase the federal capital dollars---but he doesn't give the impression that basic service, or basic customer service, are that important to him.

Yes, Frankie's on the right track in terms of the funding formula, but that doesn't mean he's the best person to run this agency.

jacques, why dont brown and orange lines count? because they actually run, and generally run on time?

if anything, they should count, as comparison with the fact that they run better/more efficiently than the rest for comparison

We have started a Frank Kruesi Dead Pool over at Chicagoist. Feel free to leave the date you think he'll be fired or "transferred" in comments. You might win a t-shirt. Woo!

http://www.chicagoist.com/archives/2006/10/05/cta_chairwoman_wisely_refuses_to_let_cta_pimp_your_ride.php

actually the orange line has taken the brunt of the delays from the new pink line.