Doomsday for Chicago transit

[marmar]

from the Sun-Times:



Riders to feel steep CTA cuts Monday
Union to weigh 'menu' of cuts already nixed

February 8, 2010
BY MARY WISNIEWSKI The Ride


CTA riders for years have been warned of service cut "doomsdays," only to see them averted at the last minute through new government funding or some other rescue.

But it's the worst economic period since the Great Depression. And this time, doomsday came.

Starting Sunday, the CTA cut 18 percent of bus service, 9 percent of rail service. It eliminated 9 express bus routes and cut service hours on 41 other routes. The CTA is also cutting 1,057 jobs and closing the 102-year-old Archer Garage.

The cuts were needed to make up a $95 million budget deficit, which the agency blames on low sales tax and property transfer tax revenues.

Riders will start feeling the full impact of the cuts today. Expect buses and trains to be fuller and waits to be longer -- with intervals between buses expanded by as much as 15 minutes on top of current wait times late in the evening. Rush-hour waits will grow by about one to two minutes on the L and two to five minutes on buses.

"It's going to affect me big time," said Brian McNiven, 32, of Lincoln Square, a bartender who takes the CTA to and from jobs like weddings. He worries that since several bus routes will stop making late-night runs, he won't be able to take the CTA home anymore.

"I'd have to get a car," said McNiven. "I'd like to not have one. It's a hassle -- you can't park anywhere. This is going to be bad for the economy." .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/2034943,CST-NWS-ride08.article

[Jkid]

1. The CTA might as well tell riders to get a cheap car and be done with it.

[KamaAina]

2. And what are they going to tell people with disabilities, and teenagers?

"Go Cheney yourself"? :grr:

It's not just CTA, either. A lot of SF Muni riders have just about reached the breaking point, too. :scared: