Chicago's Competitive Transition Assessment Crisis Leaves Residents Helpless

Since the CTA crisis has begun, city residents have been held captive to pay their own ransom. As politicians haggle ever-so-slowly in their own interest, not surprisingly, all the CTA can think of is itself. Fares have risen to the highest in our nation. CTA infrastructure suffers, even in the midst of needed reconstruction to fix dangerous condition caused by years of neglect. Neglect that the CTA claims it couldn't fix until now.

CTA's first bail out gave them enough money to fix these changes in the interest of creating the pink line. The CTA started fixing up the brown line, and installing new elevators. This would allow disabled access and bring the CTA into compliance with federal disabled access law. Various track repair efforts have dragged on. None of these projects are near completion. All the while, CTA board members up to, and including the CTA president, are making undeserved wages that, if given up for a time at least, could fund the CTA for at least two years.

Frank Kruesi resigned under fire for his mismanagement, bringing Ron Huberman into the forefront. Mr. Huberman promised better management with results that were to be seen quickly. Like other big wigs, he's left us waiting. Since Huberman has been on board, the CTA has fallen into two crisis sessions.
These events threatened to shut down bus routes in huge numbers, with layoffs numbering in the severe numbers. Were this to ever happen, the city would be crippled. Crippled because those who rely on the CTA to get to work and back home to their lives, their families, would not have a way to do so. Children old enough to use the CTA for school transport would be stuck where they're at, effectively taking up valuable study time or other time used to prepare for school.