Transit heads warn of cuts; Poll shows support for merger

As they continue to speed toward a fiscal cliff, representatives from the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace went before the Cook County Board on Wednesday and warned of dramatic cuts to service if they don’t get funding certainty within the next several months.
Meanwhile, the results of a poll show widespread public support for merging the metro area’s transit agencies.

[momogato]

These heads do not want any sort of merger because they would lose their cut.

The public transportation in Chicago has NEVER been anywhere near perfect but it was at least (mostly) reliable. Most of us would stomach the smells and the loud music and the smoking and the drinking and the trash and the sleepers.

Now we have "security" that never goes on the train, never addresses those who are violating the transit rules and never watch the security cameras.

If they want more money, do not raise the fares. Increase your ridership by making public transportation something that people WANT to use versus HAVE to use.

[rosepal]

I, for one, have stopped taking the CTA because since 2020, it's gotten more unsafe, and people are openly smoking weed. I'd rather pay more and order a rideshare than take the CTA again.

[tommyc]

Let's see, we just had a shooting at the Morse Red Line station yesterday & today another shooting at the Howard Red Line station. Ya think maybe that might have something to do with low ridership? 🤔

[jaimetorres]

CTA hasn't had a fare increase since 2009, meanwhile inflation in the last 4yrs has been ~13%.
It's time for a fare increase. Use that money to make the CTA safe, reliable, efficient and people will use it more.

[thefucrew]

But, lowering the speed limit would solve this...correct ???

[Luv-U]

If they had a conductor in each car like they used to. That would get rid of a lot of crime. People are living on the trains and making them a mess! You see all the bums and dope addicts causimg fights etc. My friend got his Ventra card taken by a pickpocket the other day!

[matthewnachel]

I just think that they should merge everything together. Yes, they should lower the fares and they should make it one fair for either on the CTA or the train the Metra if you pay once you’d be good all day where do you go on the Metra or CTA that way you save money in the long run and it needs to be safer too on the CTA. I take the blue line and boy. It is not safe. Those security people they got running they don’t do anything. They’re just there to get paid and that’s it. And those signs they have there no pain handling no smoking. They’re useless. People are smoking on the train anyway and does anybody stop him? No, it doesn’t matter if it’s vaping or smoking they’re gonna do what they wanna do and they don’t care about signs or anything and it’s it’s it’s ridiculous. At least on the Metra they are stricter and it’s honestly safer because they have at least 3 to 4 crew members on the train and if anything happens, they have their own like police department, which is pretty cool. I must say and yeah, the Metra is better put together than the CTA in my eyes. I just wish the metro would run more often, but I understand.

[henryc]

2:00 the dude needs to keep in mind that we are also the most indebted country in the world.

[Poppi_Weez]

So the Merger means the City would have Suburban wait times? They wait 45 min to over an Hour for One Bus 😮

[chico]

RTA needs someone else to politic for funds, because her defiant remark toward the end certainly won’t yield the results the agency is seeking, them people not unaware of what’s needed among the three agencies, which is why they said what they said.

[adammack]

Public Transit Agencies Must Come 😄 Forward ⏩ with Transit Funding Agreement 🤝 on Public Transportation Systems Across Transit Chicago Region By Spring 🌼 of 2025.

[g]

Who would wanna ride the public transportation lol they need to rethink things

[johnaltobello]

Where and when was this poll taken?..They are full of it..

[johnaltobello]

Show us the questions on this fake poll..

[adammack]

Also Can 🥫 CTA Discuss on Operating Cost and Other Expenses By Next year 🎉.