CTA Tattler

Again, a little more communication, please, on route changes

I went to the White Sox game Sunday. (Please, no comments from fans of the Central Division champion Cubs. I wasn't born in Chicago, but I'm a baseball fan and go to games at both parks.)

As a regular rider and well-informed customer, I've seen fliers and signs noting that because of slow-zone work on the Red Line, trains were running "over the top" on the elevated tracks from Fullerton to Cermak.

But some of the more casual weekend riders and occasional Sox fans heading to the park didn't know that on the train car I was riding to the U.S. Cellular. And the motorman didn't tell them. So naturally those riders were confused.

By the time we hit the Loop, those folks were gazing at maps and wandering around the car wondering why we were not in the tunnel and whether we were still a Red Line train.

And the motorman was no help.

So I had to explain things to those riders.

Hey CTA, there's a lot more subway tunnel work coming up on the Red Line. Can you please remind your motormen to make detailed announcement about that -- just like the guy on the ride home from the ball park? Thank you.

Passback headaches on Chicago Card Plus

Yesterday I wrote about the CTA's continuing problems with the Chicago Card.

But there's more. A few people have written to me about problems with their 30-day pass Chicago Card Plus suddenly converting to pay-per-use without knowing why. And it happened to me too, but I know why. Well, I know why but it contradicts CTA policy.

I took my in-laws to a Cubs game last month and used my 30-day pass Chicago Card Plus to pay for their rides as well. I was told because I did that, my card converted to a pay-per-use card. Huh? The CTA's Web site says this:

"If using a 30-Day Pass, up to seven customers can board the same bus route or pass through the same rail station turnstile using one card within up to an 18-minute period. The first customer's fare is recorded as an unlimited ride using a 30-Day Pass. Each passback ride will be considered Pay-Per-Use. The appropriate fare (full fare or transfer) is recorded to the card owner's account and charged to their credit card. The charge will include all passback charges, plus $10, which will be immediately available for future fare payment. The additional $10 is charged to ensure that you are able to continue using the passback feature if you choose."

That paragraph mentions nothing about the card converting to pay-per-use. So which is it, CTA?

For me, I had to go online and switch my card back to 30-day pass, and the CTA still has $9 of mine from my credit card. And they will probably have it for a long time because my employer automatically deducts the $75 per month for my 30-day pass.

Actually, I'm OK with the CTA having the money. The Web page clearly says they will do it and they did. What I'm not OK with is the CTA converting me to pay-per-use and making me change back to the 30-day pass. Especially when the Web page says nothing about that.

Hey Ron, please fix that, OK? Thank you.

Chicago Card woes compounded

The CTA's Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus have been in the news a lot these days, and most of it not good news for the CTA.

First, the CTA has been offering the stored-fare-value smart card for free since Sept. 1. That's a good thing, to save $5, but demand has outstripped supply and I've seen signs at grocery stores that the cards were not available.

Then the CTA announced that the first Chicago Cards issued four years ago, and that it was up to the owner of the card to determine if hers was expiring.

To do that, the CTA urged users to go to its Web site, enter the serial number, and order a card online, by phone or in person.

However, many Web site users found the CTA's server was down, and were greeted by a smiling young lass announcing that the page was a placeholder for Network Resources, the domain seller. At least a dozen Tattler readers wrote me about that, wondering if the CTA had failed to renew the domain name.

Yes, the CTA had renewed the domain name, but they were afflicted b server outages, as some companies sometimes are. Just at the wrong time.

Finally, the CTA realized maybe they should make it easier for their long-time Chicago Card users to get new cards, so Tuesday they announced they automatically mail new cards to those who had registered them.

From the news release: “Because of the concerns expressed by customers we have taken immediate action to change the process so registered card users who have used the card within 12 months will automatically receive a new card,” said CTA President Ron Huberman. “Chicago Cards make it faster and more convenient to ride CTA – the same ease of use should be part of the process to replace expiring cards and I appreciate receiving comments from customers, it allows us to improve the process to meet their needs.”

More tomorrow on this.

Seat giveaway fails

Try as he might, he couldn't give away his seat on a crowded Red Line train.

Passengers were standing by the time the delayed train rolled into Bryn Mawr. The guy was sitting in the facing seats by the door.

"Do you wanna sit down?" He whined in a loud, tinny voice. "Who wants to sit here?" He implored to anyone listening. And that was the whole train car. Heads were turning and necks craning to catch a glimpse of this strange fellow. Nobody wanted to deal with his largese.

Finally, at Belmont, a woman boarded and he jumps, screaming, "Here! Sit here!" Startled, she said "OK," and sat. He explained to her, "I'm getting off at Fullerton." And continued to explain the rest of his commute, which included a Fullerton bus.

Updates: Transit funding; more deep-cleaning details

The Sun-Times reported Sunday that Senate Majority Leader Emil Jones is open to putting a sales tax hike to vote to provide sustained funding for the CTA and other transit agencies.

We already know that the House is unlikely to support the Senate-passed capital bill centered around new and expanded casinos. So it's good to know there's still a decent chance to get the sales-tax increase passed when the Legislature meets next week.

More details on deep-cleanings of trains, buses. The Sun-Times on Monday followed-up on the CTA Tattler scoop about how the CTA is using new cleaning methods on both the floors and fabric seat covers.

From the Sun-Times: "A train could go as long as nine months before it had a detailed clean," Ron Huberman said. "We had a lot of employees picking garbage off of platforms and we didn't have enough employees doing general cleans." Now, the goal is to deep clean vehicles every two to three weeks. To do that, the CTA has shifted 50 people on the rail side from cleaning platforms to scrubbing trains. A similar reorganization will be done for buses, Huberman said.

Here's another example of Huberman shifting resources to improve the quality of life for CTA riders -- as he did in fixing the slow zones.

Heinous, vulgar comments. I rarely delete or edit comments. I admit, things got a little dicey in comments here this summer when people really got their dander up because the CTA was following through on the threat to cut service and raise fares without more funding.

So I wanted to tell you why I deleted a comment last night. Maybe some of you actually saw it, because I left it up for awhile. It was a comment on a post about Best Cellers. The commenter used noun "M-F*ers" in the first sentence. He described a "FAT F*ING white trash trailer park f*ing looking like B**CH of about thirty-five just gabbing away" very loudly on her cell phone on a bus. She gave her own cell phone number out loud on the bus, and the commenter wrote it down, and then called her surreptitiously and berated her for talking so loudly and inanely.

Now, I've written many times here about loud and obnoxious cell phone users. And I actually am in favor of letting people know that they are loud and obnoxious, but I think that should be done politely. And I don't really want to see all that hate and those vulgarities on my blog. OK?   

Pac-Man-like graphics pop up on CTA emergency signs

Here's good one from my friend Eric:

"The CTA "In Case of Emergency" MacPaint-like graphics have always seemed a bit too large or busy to take in easily at a glance.  Maybe like some others, I tend to tune them out. 

So coming home last week, it took me awhile before clueing in to the guerrilla pop art going on here:

Pretty well done!

I'm especially fond of the Pac Man chase:

Not long after Eric sent me the above cell phone photos by email, Mike sent me this missive:

"Today on the train somebody wanted to take a picture of the cartoonish emergency exit instructions. There are four pictures, but someone has cleverly (in the same style as the originals ) replaced three of the pictures.

"One picture shows the train flooded with water, the other (2nd from top) shows the figure crawling on the floor and one figure emerging from the box next to the door and the lower picture shows a giant hand shaking the train as it approaches the platform. This was done on one car only, however, cleverly done."

OK, you bad bad train defacers out there. Let's fess up and tell me what you're up to. Got a Flickr site with more photos?

If you're interested in a reminder of what the emergency graphics really look like click on the continuation.

Yep, the seats are getting a deep-cleaning too

After my post yesterday about the new CTA cleaning process that yields gleaming train floors, some folks also asked about the nifty clean train seats.

It turns out that those too are getting a deep-clean method from the "Gregomatic."  The process involves soaping and scrubbing seats by hand with this special machine to rinse and suction out the dirt.

BTW: My CTA source said CTA President Ron Huberman wanted y'all to know about the seat cleanings too after reading my blog yesterday. Thanks for letting us know, Ron.

Tell us your secrets, ye 9.800 old Chicago Card holders. Really, how did you do it? How did you manage not to deactivate or otherwise damage your original Chicago Card after four years? Did you keep it in some hermetically sealed plastic, away from every other credit or smart card you ever owned? We who have paid the $5 replacement fee at least three times in those four years want to know your secrets. Well, at least your replacement card is free.

Slow zone weekend work on Blue and Red Lines. Lots of work on both lines this week -- too much to summarize here. Instead, go here to get the scoop.

Gleaming Red Line trains result from new CTA cleaning methods

A couple of weeks ago, I was leaving for work at about 6:15 am instead of 7:15. That was when I first noticed a sparkling clean Red Line train car. In fact, much like Deepkid, I thought the floors were wet:

But no! It turns out the floors really were super clean.

So I asked the CTA about whether it had changed its cleaning methods. Here's how a spokeswoman replied:

"Starting last month, CTA began testing new cleaning techniques for both buses and rail cars.

"Each rail car floor is stripped (gum and other residue scraped from floor and crevices), then cleaned with a general detergent and then sealed with a product that restores the color and shine to the floor, repels future stains and makes it easier to clean in the future.

"We started with the Red Line and when it is complete, will move on to other lines.

"In addition to the floor sealing project, CTA has expanded the deep cleaning project for rail cars -- cleaning the windows, chrome, doors, floors and all other surfaces.

"We're glad you've noticed!"

And we're glad you're doing it!

Now, please take me up on my suggestion that the CTA should more prominently post signs about CTA rules, such as "No Eating or Drinking" on trains and buses. Otherwise, it's more likely you'll just have sunflower seeds trashing an otherwise gleaming floor:

Senate passes casino-based capital bill to fund transit; House unlikely to support it

The Illinois Senate late Tuesday passed a comprehensive capital spending bill -- including cash for the CTA, Pace and Metra -- funded by the construction of three new casinos, including a land-based casino in Chicago.

At CTA Tattler deadline, details were scarce. Check the news feed in the center column to the right for more info. But it's pretty clear House Majority Leader Mike Madigan won't want to play nice-nice with Gov. Blagojevich and Senate Leader Emil Jones on this.

Daley: Don't blame poor Kruesi! "If he heard about it, he would have answered it." That's Mayor Daley covering former CTA President Frank Kruesi's behind on the dangers of the CTA"s rail system, as outlined by the NTSB after the Blue Line derailment in July 2006.

And for me, it also clearly illustrates the difference between the management styles of Ron Huberman and Frank Kruesi: Huberman daily holds his top managers accountable for safety, cleanliness, and being on time, among other things. Huberman doesn't wait for managers to tell him about problems; he actively prods them to meet safety goals. Nuff said.

The rush to raise state sales tax. The Illinois House on Sept. 4 failed to get a veto-proof majority for its plan to fund rapid transit with a quarter-of-one-percent sales tax increase in the six-county area around Chicago. Now the Cook County Board is considering raising the tax to 11% -- the nation's highest -- to balance its budget. Sounds like a non-starter, but it shows what happens when the Legislature can't agree on the transit funding formula -- someone else comes along and tries to raise the sales tax first.

El dressing

The young couple enters the northbound Red Line at Chicago Avenue, and take a seat hard by the exit door.

They are both in their early 20s. He sports blond dreadlocks just about down to his butt. She's wearing a silver minidress, no hose and black flats on her feet.

He whips out a pair of bright yellow tights from a Walgreen's bag and hands them to her. She opens the package, bends down and starts yanking them up her legs. By the time she gets to her lower thighs, he pulls out an old RedEye and "shields" her from the seat mates in front.

She shifts and shimmys in her seat and finally gets them over her butt and pelvis.

(The shield wasn't so effective for the observer across the aisle.)

Finished with that act of pseudo-exhibitionism, she hands him her black flats from the floor, and he hands her platform shoes with cork soles and bright striped straps. A good match.

She puts them on, rearranges her minidress, and then they are good to go for a night out.

And I was thinking, I'll bet they get off at Lawrence. And I was right. Hope they had fun at the Aragon.

New CTA management show signs of promise

The Tribune Sunday took a closer look at the NTSB investigation into the July 2006 Blue Line derailment and fire. Reporters tracked down CTA employees who were fired after the incident. They blamed the CTA for not heeding warnings.

Bottom line: There's a new sheriff in town who's holding managers accountable for doing their jobs. And that sheriff created a bunch of new slow zones and shifted funds to repair them. So I'm confident the CTA is headed in the right direction.

I couldn't have said it better than Jerry 101:

"I just have to say good on the CTA. The Blue Line slow zone on the subway between Damen and the Loop seems to be all cleared up. Trains were even running this weekend.

"It's so nice to make it downtown in a reasonable time period.

"I was skeptical about Huberman, but so far, so good.

"Now, if only the idiots in S-field would get their heads out of their asses.

"The RTA never should have taken the money. The political pressure would have been unbelievably intense after only a day of "doomsday"."

Now it's time for the Springfield "idiots" to step up.

 

Huberman asks riders to plead: "No More Doomsdays. Fix Mass Transit"

Chicago Card/Plus users found this missive from CTA President Ron Huberman in their email boxes this morning:

Dear Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus Users:

I am writing to inform you that the fare and service changes scheduled for September 16th have been postponed. This means that the cost of your passes and fares will not increase on Sunday, and any routes scheduled for elimination will continue to operate.

However, the temporary loan of $24 million provided by the State postpones these changes for less than two months. On November 4th, if the Illinois General Assembly has not acted, we will be forced to increase fares and reduce service.

The bottom-line is we need a comprehensive plan to fund mass transit.

I know that you are frustrated about the potential service cuts and fare changes. So are we. That is why we are again asking you to join with us and tell our State leaders: "No More Doomsdays. Fix Mass Transit." 

Please visit transitchicago.com, or call 1-888-YOUR-CTA, for information on how to contact your state legislators. Please make your voices heard as we fight to preserve and improve the mass transit system Chicago needs and deserves.

Thank you again for your support. We are committed to improving your experience on the CTA.

Sincerely,
Ron Huberman

Blago bribes RTA with $54 million in more immediate funding

In what seems to this observer as a straight-up bribe, Gov. Rod Blagojevich Thursday offered to "immediately advance the Regional Transportation Authority its full $54-million 2008 grant for suburban paratransit service," according to a Crain's Chicago Business report.

The RTA board is scheduled to meet today to consider that new offer plus Wednesday's Blago's White Knight bid to temporarily postpone the Sept. 16 "Doomsday."

Sounds like a classic Vito Corleone "offer you can't refuse." Although they should.

Blue Line slow zone progress. The CTA plans to eliminate slow zones between Jefferson Park and Harlem stations by year's end, under a $91 million contract approved at Wednesday's CTA board meeting. Because the state hasn't provided any capital funding for at least three years, the CTA will have to issue short-term bonds. More details in the Trib report.

Details on weekend slow zone work -- and lots of it -- can be found here. The work affects both the Red and Blue lines.

Enjoy the weekend. I predict we won't have to pay more on Monday and we'll still be able to get the same buses then as we did today. Though I still think the Blago bailout is wrong.

"Doomsday" averted? Just say no to Blago

No! Just say no.

Why let Gov. Rod Blagojevich ride in on his white stallion at the last minute like the shining knight, unsheathing $24 million in state funds borrowed from next year so the CTA can avoid making service cuts and fare hikes?

Just say no.

Why let the man who is at the center of a leadership crisis in Illinois state government pretend to show leadership (Blago letter in pdf) at the last minute?

James Reilly and RTA board: Just say no.

But they probably won't. The CTA begrudgingly has already said yes to the last-minute bailout -- that will only get them through Nov. 4. And they probably should to save 39 bus routes and avoid the 25-cent to $1 fare hike. 

But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I say, keep the pressure on the Legislature to hammer out a long-term funding solution by implementing the cuts and raising the fares. I realize it's easy for me to say, since I only use the Red Line (for the most part), and my fare would increase by just $2.50 a week (25 cents a ride with the Chicago Card/Plus).

I suspect the average CTA rider is happy about this, while still being nervous about the other shoe dropping hard on his/her foot. As a friend says, I guess it beats a sharp stick in the eye.

Read some telling quotes in the continuation.

NTSB slams CTA mismanagement in July 2006 Blue Line fire, evacuation

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday roundly criticized CTA management failures in releasing findings of its investigation of the July 2006 Blue Line subway fire and evacuation:

"The probable cause of the July 11, 2006, derailment of Chicago Transit Authority train number 220 in the subway in Chicago, Illinois, was the Chicago Transit Authority’s ineffective management and oversight of its track inspection and maintenance program and its system safety program, [emphasis mine] which resulted in unsafe track conditions," according to the NTSB report.

Excerpts from conclusions:

• "The dark area on the inner rail of the curve, the abrasion on the tie plates and ties, the broken lag screws, the tie plates’ elongated fastener holes and poor drainage in the area of the derailment were all readily observable and should have been documented during walking inspections.
• "Track inspectors in the Dearborn Subway did not have sufficient time allotted for inspecting all of their assigned territory twice a week as prescribed.
• "The Chicago Transit Authority track inspection training program did not adequately prepare inspectors to perform their required duties and it did not address the unique demands of inspecting and maintaining elevated track structures or track structures located inside tunnels.
• "Because a train indication system had not been installed on the Dearborn Subway and the Chicago Transit Authority’s control center could not identify the location of an emergency call box used to report the accident, the specific location of train 220 could not be determined, which delayed the emergency response and the activation of emergency exit lights and announcements at the closest accessible emergency exit."

CBS2 News reports: "CTA President Ron Huberman defended his agency after the NTSB released its report. "People are not following through. Individuals are not following protocol. We are discovering it, we are taking management actions and we are putting systems in place to ensure that it doesn't happen again," Huberman said.

UPDATE: Read the CTA's official statement on the NTSB hearing in the continuation.

Medical emergency averted

[Note to readers: OK, I'm just too tired to write something today about the "CTA Doomsday." So here's a more traditional Tattler Tale about something "seen and heard on the CTA."]

The young woman boards the southbound Red Line train at Wilson during the morning rush. Almost immediately she begins flailing her arms, and her lunch bag goes flying onto another rider's lap.

She does a slow spin in a broad circle by the door. Someone orders a young couple in the facing seats by the door to let her sit down. They jump up quickly, but the woman is oblivious to their ultimate courtesy. She continues to stumble near the door, finally resting against it. Spittle drools from her mouth and on her clean white T shirt.

I'm no medical doctor, but it appears she may be suffering a seizure.

Meanwhile, a blue-scrubs-clad angel of mercy appears, and makes her way to the emergency call button to inform the driver there may be a medical emergency here. By now we're halfway to Sheridan.

We stop at Sheridan. The stricken woman finally takes a seat, with the nurse (doctor?) next to her, asking questions. The motorman stops by and asks if she needs medical assistance. She says no. We proceed after about a 3-4 minute delay.

Amazingly, despite a few pirouettes and stumbles, the woman never lost her balance. Her helper was still comforting her when I exited the train at Grand.

I'm glad the woman appears to have recovered.

I also selfishly and shamefully admit I'm glad we weren't stuck for 20 minutes waiting for paramedics to treat her and take her to the hospital. It was a CTA "medical emergency" averted.

Senate to vote too late on tax bill; fare hikes, service cuts a certainty

Senate Majority Leader Emil Jones reneged on his promise to bring to a vote today Senate Bill 572, postponing it at least a week to work on an overall state capital expense bill with the Republicans.

As a result, CTA President Ron Huberman Sunday warned about how the cuts and fare hikes will "hurt everyone," adding, "this has been a frustrating few months."

Read his full message to CTA customers -- printed in full-page ads last week -- in the continuation below.

Transit benefit increase? Some readers were wondering whether the pre-tax transit benefit might increase with the fare increase. Currently the maximum is $65 for the CTA transit cards or Chicago Card/Plus, and $75 if you buy a monthly pass, according to a CTA spokesperson.

But I'm confused, because the CTA's Web site says the maximum is $110. I've asked for further clarification on that. And the CTA is also checking to see if the amounts above will increase due to the pending fare hike.

Why we shouldn't use cash from Skyway sale for CTA funding crisis. Some folks here keep asking why we don't use Skyway money to help the CTA. Dumb idea. Here's why:

We have a regional funding problem that affects the RTA, Metra, Pace and the CTA. That's six counties total. So why should the city of Chicago, which owned and sold the Skyway, solve the transit problems of the rest of Cook County and the other five counties.

Like I said, dumb idea. And not fair to Chicago taxpayers. We need a solution that serves all citizens and makes all citizens share in the solution -- by paying a slightly higher sales tax.

CTA by the numbers

The CTA funding crisis becomes more real when you take a hard look at the numbers behind the system and who it serves.

1.5 million riders use the CTA on average every weekday.

2,000 buses operate along 2,300 route miles, serving 150 bus routes and 12,000 bus stops.

1,200 train cars roll over 220 miles of track on 8 different routes stopping at 144 stations.

11,000 employees operate the second largest transit system in the nation.

495 million total rides in 2006 -- with increased ridership in 7 of the last 8 years.

Sources: CTA, Wikipedia, TimeOut Chicago magazine

Blood on the Red Line; blood on Legislature's, Blago's hands

I'm tired of writing about doom and gloom on the CTA and in the Illinois Legislature.

So how about we end the week with blood and guts? Well, no guts pictured here, but certainly blood. This post comes courtesy of Jeff Woelker:

"I was waiting for the Red Line (last weekend) at Fullerton and it took a really long time to arrive.

"When it arrived, the first car was empty and every other car was full. We ran up to the first car and they wouldn't let us in.

"We walked back to the next car and I overheard one woman telling another, 'Yeah, somebody got stabbed down at 79th.' Then some guys got on at Addison and said 'Man, there's blood all over the seats up there.' That's when I busted out my camera."

Photo on Flickr.

Of course, there's no way for me to substantiate the stabbing claim without more facts. For all we know, this could be blood from a bloody nose.

But metaphorically, to me this photo represents the blood from CTA cuts and some passengers as their pocketbooks bleed red if the governor and Illinois Legislature don't resolve the funding crisis in nine days.

The skinny on current 30-day passes after fare hike

Despite House Majority Leader Michael Madigan's vow that he'll be able to turn around 10 legislators to pass the transit bill, I  don't believe him.

So I'm starting to prepare for fare hikes and service cuts.

I asked a CTA spokeswoman about the 30 days passes and Chicago Card Plus after the fare increase Sept. 16. Here's her reply:

"Yes, the 30 day passes will still work after the 16th.   The current inventory at all our sales outlets still has the current prices and the passes should be available for sale up until the new fares go into effect or until the vendor runs out of stock, whichever comes first.

Note to readers: Sounds like you could buy 10 30-day passes at $75 and they would still work in 10 months -- as long as they don't expire. Of course, you'll give the CTA $750 and they will love you for that.   

More from the CTA: "If you use the Chicago Card Plus as a monthly pass, it will work for 30 days as it normally does.    With passes, you get unlimited rides for a set price so the fare increase won't apply until you purchase the next pass at the end of September.   However, the Chicago Card Plus can also be used as a pay-per-use card, so if you use it to let someone else ride with you, it will convert to pay-per-use and begin deducting fares each time you ride.  Once the fare increase goes into effect, it will begin deducting the higher fare.  But again, that is only if you use it as a pay-per-use card."

Who's got more questions on fares or service cuts?

MCIC: 37% increase in travel delays without public transportation

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm just totally disgusted that our state House failed to pass the transit bill. So much so that right now, I have nothing more to say about that. Though many commenters do, so read their thoughts if you haven't yet.

In the meantime, below is a straight-up cut-and-paste from an email I got from Metro Chicago Information Center. Read it. Then tell me Ralph that you still think the CTA should be allowed to collapse, and that van service will pick up the slack.

From MCIC:

Bumper to Bumper
Compared to other large metropolitan areas in the U.S., the Chicago metropolitan area experienced a higher than average increase in congestion from 1982 to 2003, as measured by the Annual Delay per Traveler. The Annual Delay per Peak Traveler was 58 hours, which means, over the course of one year, most Chicago commuters spent more than an average work week delayed on their way to and from work. The Travel Time Index - the ratio of the time it takes to travel during peak periods to the time it takes to travel the same distance in non-peak periods - is also higher here than in similar U.S. cities, suggesting that other cities are better able to deal with peak travel loads.

A Case for Public Transit
Recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau 2005 American Community Survey (ACS) shows that Chicago ranks 6th in transit use among the most populous U.S. cities, with 25.3% of the workforce using public transportation.2 Without public transportation, the annual travel delay in the Chicago metropolitan area would increase by 94,448,000 hours, an increase of 37% over the delays that currently exist. This would translate into an additional 22 hours of delay per Peak Traveler annually.

Gas Guzzlers
In addition to wasting time during their daily commutes, residents of the Chicago metropolitan area wasted 151,000,000 gallons of fuel sitting on congested roadways in 2003, the last year for which data is available. This puts Chicago behind only Los Angeles and New York City in ‘excess fuel consumed’ due to congestion. Without even considering the value of residents’ time or the cost of cleaning up the resulting pollution, and assuming the same amount of fuel will be wasted in 2007 (the number has increased or remained constant every year but one since 1982), this translates into $439,410,000 wasted on fuel due to congestion, using the cheapest price for a gallon of gas in the region.

A Healthier Commute
According to the ACS, only 0.7% of workers residing in Chicago bike to work, ranking Chicago 17th among large cities. Chicago falls behind Portland, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Boston (among others) in bicycle use, but ahead of Los Angeles and New York. This number is far lower than the percentage of Chicago workers who walk to work, which was 5.5% (a rank of 9th among large cities).

What More Can Be Done?
A congestion-reduction proposal submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation by the Illinois Department of Transportation, the City of Chicago, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, as well as regional and state-wide transportation agencies, was denied funding in July. Projects included in the Chicago plan required further analysis or local funding before implementation; subsequently, federal funds were directed toward projects that could be implemented immediately.

There is no quick fix to Chicago’s congestion problems and as governmental officials and transportation organizations continue to struggle with feasible solutions, local commuters will continue to pay a higher than average cost for commuting.

Total disgust: House fails to pass transit bill

OK, I'm just totally disgusted. Our Illinois House failed to come up with a super-majority to fund Senate Bill 572.

The vote was 61-48, and needed 71 votes to pass.

Awful, just awful.

Massive CTA costs overruns at Block 37 spur privatization talks, Crain's reports

Due to cost overruns of up to $150 million on construction of the giant CTA station under Block 37, the city and the CTA reportedly are talking about privatizing that part of the project, according to Crain's Business scoop late Friday.

From the report:

"Sources close to the matter say the city has begun discussions with Macquarie — the Australian investment bank that two years ago paid the city $1.82 billion to lease the Chicago Skyway — about buying or leasing the Chicago Transit Authority station underneath the high-profile retail and office complex now being built.

"Insiders say it’s clear that completing the station, which would connect the Red Line and Blue Line subway tunnels and potentially anchor airport-express train service, will cost $100 million to $150 million more than the $213.3 million originally budgeted."

Another huge Chicago project, another story about cost overruns. Can you say Millennium Park? I say do it -- privatize the station and give the city and CTA some much needed cash.

In other CTA news. . .

CTA, Pace cut fees for Chicago Card, ADA pass: The CTA has waived its $5 fee for Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus, and Pace has cut in half its fee on the monthly ADA pass for paratransit users, the Tribune says. If the state fails to act and fares go up on Sept. 16, Chicago Card users will pay just 25 cents more, while non-pass users would pay (pdf) 50 cents to $1 more.

Illinois House to vote today on sales tax hike for CTA, RTA, Metra, Pace: Senate Majority Leader Michael Madigan has promised a vote today on Senate Bill 572, the one-quarter-of-one-percentage point hike in the sales tax and Chicago real estate transfer tax. Let's hope it passes with a veto-proof majority, because otherwise, the vote is purely symbolic since Gov. Blagojevich has promised to veto it. UPDATE: Also, the Tribune today has a good analysis of where the money comes from and where it goes.

After the Alert: Attempted bank robbery spurs Rogers Park bus reroutes

It seems that CTA Alerts often scoop media outlets with reports on big stories that happen across the city.

That was the case Thursday, Aug. 30, when Bluebummer sent the first CTA Alert at 10:41 am about what turned out to be an attempted bank robbery in Rogers Park:

"Clark st blocked pratt to lunt... both directions buses rerouted pratt ashland to howard and reverse. Believed bank robbery".

The alert came about an hour after the incident started. But the first story I saw on the Tribune's site was posted after 11 am.

It reminds me of one of my all-time favorite CTA Alerts: "airplane blocking 55th Street...."