As Streetsblog readers are well aware, the CTA, Metra, and Pace currently face a combined $770 million budget gap next year as federal COVID-era subsidies run out, but ridership is currently still only around 65 percent of 2019 levels.
During last January's board meeting of the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees local transit, directors asked the CTA, Metra, and Pace to explain what they would do in the event of a worst-case funding scenario. That is, to outline what kind of service cuts they would make if the State of Illinois doesn’t come through with the extra money needed to address the fiscal cliff.
While the CTA's own board didn’t discuss any details during this week's monthly meeting, Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen made it clear that, in the absence of additional funding, the slashing of train and bus schedules would be dire. But she emphasized that the cuts would not disproportionally impact the South and West sides, which have historically borne the brunt of such cuts. And she promised the CTA will do its best to avoid such as doomsday situation.
During the same meeting, Leerhsen announced that the CTA is launching a new monthly newsletter and a new employee podcast. The also board approved a new contract for bus-mounted cameras that will help enforce laws against drivers standing and parking in bus and bike lanes. The directors honored CTA employees who have received multiple commendations for excellent customer service, most notably the “Mayor of Armitage Station” Janet Martin, who retired last month. The board also approved new tenants for long-vacant commercial spaces at three 'L' stations.
President’s report
In her report to the board, Leerhsen said that recently announced ten-minute headways on 20 bus routes over the next few months are an example of "what you'll continue to see if CTA continues to be funded at that level." However, State legislators have made it clear that more Chicagoland public transportation funding won't pass in Springfield without governance reforms to make the regional transit system function more efficiently.
Leerhsen tried to thread the needle between reassuring employees that there is no imminent danger of cuts and layoffs, and warning that impacts of the predicted fiscal shortfall would be significant. She mentioned that, if the CTA budget is sharply dramatically reduced, around 500,000 Chicagoans would lose access to transit.
"For many people, you have to raise alarms and explain the impact of what not receiving the finding will look like,” Leerhsen said. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that nothing like this happens.”
On the other hand, she said, if CTA does get more State funding, it will be able to decrease headways on 50 more routes, improve 'L' service and increase after-dark "night owl service."
Board member Michael Eaddy asked if the CTA has any plans to mobilize the community to push for funding. Leerhsen replied that the agency is developing easy-to-understand talking points, and that she welcomes directors' help in reaching out to community leaders and other stakeholders.
Board member Roberto Requejo said he would like to keep equity front and center if service cuts do happen. "Those who have the most also have to be the persons who sacrifice the most, and the communities on South and West sides are not those that have the most," he argued.
Leerhsen's report also touched on what CTA is doing to address smoking on the 'L', which has become a bigger problem since the pandemic. She said police and security contractors have been patrolling stations that get flagged as smoking hot spots based on customer complaints.
Leerhsen announced that CTA will launch a monthly newsletter called "The CTA Connection" today to provide service updates, information about capital projects, and other news items, and even share transit fan photos.
Leerhsen added that later this month, the agency will launch a podcast called "Moving Experiences – Stories of the CTA." The acting president she would host some episodes and invite employees to host some episodes. "It’s a great opportunity to dive into the experience and knowledge that our employees have," she explained. “This is a great opportunity to have a forum where we can have more extended conversations about issues that matter."
Board member L. Bernard Jakes asked what Leerhsen heard from CTA employees she talked to. "Employees talk a lot about security, and they want help with feeling safe on the system, and they have great ideas about how to do it," she replied, adding that another thing she heard is that employees want to be appreciated for the work they do.
Jakes also pressed Leerhsen on something he and other board members requested from her predecessor, former CTA president Dorval Carter Jr., at several meetings last year. That is, to have Chicago Police Department top brass testify before the transit board about how the department is addressing public safety. She said she will follow up.
Bus lane enforcement cameras contract
As Streetsblog Chicago has often pointed out, our city's bus-only lanes are less effective than they could be, other motorists are generally free to block them with impunity. New state legislation would be required for camera enforcement of illegally driving in bus lanes. But in November 2024, Chicago's transportation and finance departments launched the Smart Streets two-year pilot to use cameras to enforce laws against standing and parking in bus and bike lanes.
The contract that the CTA board unanimously approved during this week's meeting is part of the pilot. It calls for Hayden AI to install and maintain "six Automated Bus Lane Enforcement (ABLE) Camera Systems for a period of 24 months." The contract is worth $315,852. the CTA will have an option to extend the contract for 12 months at an additional cost, and/or buy up to 94 additional cameras.
According to a CTA official, the cameras will be mounted on buses that use bus lanes, prioritizing Loop Link routes and the high-ridership 66 Chicago Avenue line. Hayden AI's artificial intelligence system will sift through camera footage for possible violations. The contractor would then analyze the footage to weed out false positives, and then send the images to the Chicago Department of Finance, which will look through the footage again before issuing tickets.
The official said the CTA expects the cameras to be installed and operating either by May or June. The first traffic tickets are slated to be issued in July. Drivers will receive a warning notice for the first infraction, with fines sent for subsequent illegal standing or parking in the lanes.
Concession contracts
The board also unanimously approved new tenants for vacant commercial spaces in three 'L' stations.
Mt. Greenwood-based Donut Dudes bakery got the contracts for retail spaces at the Kedzie and Western Orange Line stations. The Kedzie space was last home to a newsstand. The initial leases for both spaces are for ten years, with two five-year renewal options.
Kisby Coffee, which currently has an outpost at Navy Pier, will open another location at a smaller over-the-counter dining space at the Jefferson Park Blue Line station. The space was previously home to a Butterfield Kitchen cafe location. A former newsstand location inside the station is still vacant.
Jakes said he supports the selection of Donut Dudes. "This moves us in the right direction,” he said, adding that the vendor was chose with feedback from residents, although he didn't mention how that was collected. "I like the component of community input, [letting riders provide feedback about] what they'd like to see in the community."
Read the press release for the CTA bus-mounted cameras to help enforce bus and bike lanes here.
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