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CTA Campaign: CTA Speaking Points

Rider Stories:

Neighborhood Capital Budget Group’s Campaign for Better Transit
February 14, 2006

To the members of the CTA Board:

The Neighborhood Capital Budget Group’s Campaign for Better Transit urges the CTA Board to reject the West Side/West Suburban corridor service changes, or at the least, table the proposed ordinance pending a careful evaluation of the plan and an open community participation process. In addition, the CTA Board lacks essential information necessary for informed decision making, such as full disclosure of the costs and benefits of the proposed plan.

The West Side/West Suburban corridor study differs from previous corridor studies in that it proposes changes to both bus and rail service. Clearly, West Side residents stand to be impacted by changes to fourteen bus routes and two rail branches of the Blue Line. Yet without any data on how changes will impact ridership, the CTA Board has no understanding of what the Westside Service Enhancement Plan entails. More importantly, perhaps, thousands of West Side and West Suburban residents are currently oblivious to the fact that the CTA is about to change their bus and rail service.

Our organization cannot stress enough its commitment and dedication to improving transit service in Chicago. Improving Chicago transit, however, requires the combined efforts of transit providers and transit users. Hence, the West Side/West Suburban corridor plan is fatally flawed.

Both the initial round of focus groups in 2004 and the three “open house” meetings in January of 2006 were poorly marketed and did not permit broad public participation. Even elected officials had no prior notice of these meetings. Among the questions posed at such meetings, the Campaign for Better Transit adds:

Why is the CTA proposing to spend $5.2 million on new services rather than improving existing Westside services?
How much will the proposed bus and rail service changes cost vs plans proposed by west side communities?
What are the ridership forecasts for bus and rail associated with the new plan vs plans proposed by west side communities?
Why is the CTA telling everyone that the only way to increase Blue Line train service is by splitting the 2 Blue Lines when both Blue Lines had 3 times more train service in 1984 when the O’Hare branch opened?
How will Blue Line trains operate on an already congested downtown Elevated Loop without creating safety hazards or delays for other Elevated Loop users: the Brown, Orange, Green, and Purple Lines, especially at Wells & Lake?

With CTA riders suffering from fare increases, widespread public concern about CTA’s spending priorities, and public indignation over Brown Line station closures, the CTA desperately needs a fair and thorough approach to the West Side Enhancement Plan to restore public trust. We reiterate that lacking ridership projections, cost estimates, and impact analysis on riders, the CTA Board lacks essential information on which to base a decision. The CTA Board must acknowledge that too many questions remain unanswered.

The CTA Board should insist that its staff give it the data it needs to make an informed decision. Our coalition is willing to work with the CTA to get widespread public input on the real transit needs in this corridor.

Our coalition urges the CTA Board to:

Call additional open public meetings in the affected communities, with a minimum of two weeks notice to the public.
Provide a full report on costs and ridership projections, and
Elicit and respond to public comments on proposed service changes.

Until these actions are taken, the CTA Board should not approve the proposed West Side/West Suburban service changes.

Sincerely,

Mildred J. Wiley Howard Ehrman, MD, MPH Minister Cy Fields

NCBG Board President Board member Interfaith Organizing Project of

Bethel New Life, Inc. Little Village Environmental Justice Org. Greater Chicago

Two letters from Beth Harris
Letter from Zenny K. Sadlon
Letter from Kim Wasserman

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