Ridership up 1%; a Happy St. Pat's Day for seniors
The CTA posted a 1% gain in ridership in 2007 -- an increase of 4.7 million rides to just under 500 million total. That makes 2007 the highest ridership year since 1992.
Bus rides rose 3.6% to 309.3 million rides, while train rides dipped 2.5% to 190.2 million. That drop was expected due to numerous repair jobs and the Brown Line rehab, which forced three-tracking at Belmont and Fullerton stations.
Wearin' the green and keepin' the green. That's what seniors over 65 will be doing come March 17 when free rides on the RTA systems kick in for them. Seniors will have to show their senior reduced fare card, which they can get at outlets posted here.
The RTA is developing a smart card specifically for seniors.
The RTA still expects the free ride program will cost about $30 million. The Trib reported:
It remained unclear how many seniors will take advantage of the free rides. Census figures estimate that about 870,000 seniors live in the metropolitan area. The RTA has issued about 239,000 reduced-fare cards, and many eligible seniors do not take advantage of the program, officials said.
"We expect a surge in that number," [RTA Executive Director Steve] Schlickman said.
Time will tell. Meanwhile, SB 1409 passed the House, but chances are it won't be called for consideration in the Senate. That's the bill that would make sure the free transit program "piggy-back[s] on the existing state "circuit breaker" program, which provides benefits for seniors and the disabled if they meet these income eligibility guidelines: $22,218 for a household of 1, $29,480 for a household of 2, and $36,740 for a household of 3 or more."
My respect for Rep. Julie Hamos continues to grow for her leadership on this issue.
"My respect for Rep. Julie Hamos continues to grow for her leadership on this issue."
Agreed. I've worked with her on some things in the past and always knew she was solid gold, but I believe she deserves far more credit than she's gotten on this issue.
Posted by: Patrick | January 30, 2008 at 08:55 AM
I also agree Julie Hamos is a great legislator, she is trying to do what is right. I really think doomsday or some form of it would have happened if she had not been part of the transit bill process.
Also, I live just South of her district so I'm not even a constituent and she has personally responded more than once to comments I have emailed to her. I think that says something. Try that with most others and you'll get some sort of stardard email asking to verify your address because the rep only has time to respond to constituents.
Posted by: Ed | January 30, 2008 at 09:45 AM
It doesn't seem to be getting too much attention that, moments before the final transit funding vote in the senate, the senator Emil Jones chose to make the "closing argument" stood up and *promised* that the circuit-breaker bill would be considered promptly in the senate.
Why, as a society, are we so tolerant of our politicians standing up and flatly lying to us?
Posted by: ImpeachJones | January 30, 2008 at 09:59 AM
>>Why, as a society, are we so tolerant of our politicians standing up and flatly lying to us?<<
We not only tolerate it. We expect it.
And because we expect that they all do it, it becomes a moot point. "A" lies to us. "B" runs against him, and exposes "A's" lies as part of his campaign. We figure that behind all of "B's" chest-thumping, he's lying about something, too. We think, "You're a liar, too, so why should we care that you're pointing out "A's" lies?" So instead of punishing "A" for lying, we punish "B" for being hypocritical -- even if "B" is the most honest person in the world!
So we're so conditioned by the pop-culture idea (spread mostly by jokes) that politicians are liars, we often punish politicians who tell the truth, and reward those who lie. That's why in 2002 few politicians had the courage to stand up and oppose the war. And that's why so many politicians lie right to our faces even though they know that there will be video tape of them lying. Odds are whoever calls them on their lies will suffer more damage than they will.
They know that, and that's why they lie. And all we'll do is turn it into another joke that'll tarnish any honest person before they ever get elected.
Posted by: Rusty | January 30, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Rusty--I think you've probably nailed it.
I always think of an editorial cartoon I saw once. It was in a book on editorial cartoonists, and dated back to the 1980 election. I think it was by Oliphant.
One half of the panel was Carter--sober faced, saying "I am telling you the truth." There are boos, hisses, & jeers coming from off-pane.
The other half was of a smiling Reagan. He's saying, "I'm lying to you," and there are nothing but cheers surrounding him.
I must have seen that a good 15 years ago or more, but I've always thought it summed up politics as a whole so well.
Posted by: Dee | January 30, 2008 at 11:41 AM
I enjoyed that picture of Rep. Hamos, taken after the bill passed, where she looks contented and exhausted, and about to pass out on the House floor.
Posted by: Josh | January 30, 2008 at 02:33 PM