CTA Tattler

RTA reform bill draft; infrastructure investment analysis

The excellent blog Sick Transit Chicago this week published two must reads:

The revised draft of the RTA reform bill

Infrastructure Investment and Lack Thereof

The latter just validates all the complaints here about failing infrastructure and lack of continued investment:

"The report is another sobering study of the failure of the United States to adequately invest in its infrastructure. Note on page 20 of 69 of the report there is a comparison of the 2005 annual operating budgets (in millions) for the public transit systems in three world cities of similar populations and gross domestic product (in millions):

"London: $7,804

"Paris: $4,986

"Chicago: $1,685"

The report also notes that "Chicago alone needs $6 billion to bring its subways into “a state of good repair.”

Some things never change

Last week I wrote about idiots who block doors and aisles.

Then Kevin B. O'Reilly shared this pertinent cartoon from the early 1900s. It seems some thing never change.

 

Too bad almost all the cobblestone is gone in Chicago.

Cartoon from the Outbursts of Everett True by A.D. Condo, published from 1905 to 1927.

The strange week that was for Joe Blow: From farts to BO to loud music

In case you missed Joe Blow's "crazy commuting tale" from over the weekend, I reprint it here. This was the week that was:

Here was my week:

Monday: Normal.

Tuesday: Sat in my normal favorite spot going home, last car, Hobo corner. A couple of normal looking guys standing due to a crowded car, and a somewhat older lady (say, 50's or 60, not old, but older) in the seat next to me. Reading my book, waiting for home, just past Merchandise Mart...someone rips a really disgusting fart. Really bad. I look around for a culprit. Slacker guy leaning against the car door? Business guy in the doorway? Or older lady sitting next to me? Doesn't matter, it's pretty gross..

It lingers for a while, then goes away. A little past Sedgwick...again. It's chokingly gross. At the same time, someone is listening to their music somewhere else in the car *so loud* I can hear every single beat, despite the fact I'm in the hobo corner. And, I mean, very loudly.

I look around for the person with the extraordinarily loud music. The (gross) lady next to me is freaked out every time I look around, knowing what she's done. She gets off at Fullerton.

The farts subside. The music continues..

This random guy peaks around the corner of the recently vacated hobo corner...and *dashes* towards the open seat.

Of course, it's the guy with the magnificently loud headphones who sits next to me. Yep, I've found him. He who's being obnoxiously loud. Farting lady has left, but I can hear every note of every 103.5 track he plays, despite the fact that he has his earbuds planted extremely deep within his ears. He must have been pretty deaf, in all actuality. He really liked Fergie and whatever sounds like her, because he bopped to whatever girly dance r&b tracks they played the entire way. I heard all of it. I was pretty thrilled when Western showed up..

Wednesday: The guy next to me, who got on at Quincy, smelled like Old Man and BO. He sat next to me all the way to Irving Park. It was just gross, that's all..Nice, otherwise, I suppose..

Thursday: I slept the entire way. Luckily, no one played good Samaritan and woke me up.

Friday: Who cares, I went to the Sox game. BTW, Sox fans are pretty weak..

Slow zones make us long for 70-mph trains boasted in 1955

Erika wrote to say she was doing a research project recently for a Library class and came across this snip-it from the Trib from 10/03/55:

In light of the numerous slow zones, this sure makes you long for the past.

"Emerging crisis" of CTA infrastructure; Huberman's first cuts

Crain's Chicago Business reports: "The Urban Land Institute cited the Chicago Transit Authority in describing an “emerging crisis” caused by the nation’s lack of investment in transportation infrastructure relative to other countries."

"Chicago alone needs $6 billion to bring its subways into ‘a state of good repair,’” according to the 69-page report.

Great.

Meanwhile, CTA President Ron Huberman follows through on his promise of cuts. Even the CTA issued a press release.  That's 49 jobs eliminated, saving $12.5 million.

And last night it was Fullerton station house's turn to be moved across the street. Nice.

And you thought your bus ride was exciting. . .

From the Chicago Tribune:

"Five high school students riding on a CTA bus were shot and wounded this afternoon when a gunman opened fire on the bus on Chicago's South Side, authorities said."

Sweet slumber interrupted

A young teen sits in in the aisle seat, an empty seat next to him. He is bent all the way over at the waist, his sweatshirt pulled up all the way over his head.

He's fast asleep.

For many stops on a crowded southbound Red Line train car during the morning rush.

Sleeping blissfully, blocking the empty seat, with riders standing around him, apparently not wanting to make a scene and disturb him by waking him up.

Until a guy gets on at Addison. He's an old guy, kind of grizzled, with a scratchy beard and worn-out Cubs cap.

"HEY! Wake up!" The kid startles awake, hitting his head on the back of the seat in front of him as he rises. He slides over to make room for the brave guy, leans down and goes back to sleep.

The guy sits down and starts cackling to himself. Pretty soon four or five other passengers around him start laughing too.

I wanted to applaud.

If you could ask Huberman one question . . .

. . . What would it be?

I invite CTA Tattler readers to contribute *thoughtful* questions to pose to new CTA President Ron Huberman.

I'm going to try to get an interview with him. Not sure whether I can, but there's no harm trying. And I want to say I represent the riding public by representing YOU!

So fire away, but only one question per comment. (But more than one comment is allowed per person!) Keep 'em sharp, smart and reasonable.

Just move!

Pet peeve No. 84: People who stand in the doorway and won't let you past.

First, it's rude to stand there and block people from both leaving and entering the train car.

Second, it's rude to get huffy when I try to get by you so I'm not blocking the doorway.

The other day I was trying to squeeze past three or four people in the doorway to move into the relatively clear center of the car. You should have seen the dirty looks I got. I try to be polite and tell people "excuse me," but that doesn't help.

The other bad part of this are the folks who move about 5 feet into the car, still leaving the center open. It's almost even harder to get past them, with the row of seats on either side.

Grrrrr....

Drunk lady spews vulgarities

On the Ashland bus at about midnight on a Saturday night, we encounter a very drunk Eastern-European woman in her early 50s. She is lolling her head and slurring her words.

She wears black eyeliner and drawn-on eyebrows. She starts talking about this woman she really hates:

"You tell that Polish whore to come here; I'm gonna spit in her dirty vagina."

She continues to rant like that to herself through the rest of the ride. I just hope she didn't find the woman that night.