Chicago
- With the approval by the Illinois General Assembly of Governor Blagojevich’s
amendatory veto, commuters can now say good-bye to the cycle doomsday scenarios
that have threatened commuters with fare increases and service cuts.
“Commuters finally saw the road blocks facing long term,
reliable transit funding finally clear,” said Brian Imus, Director of the
non-profit advocacy group Illinois PIRG. “While the political wrangling it took
to get there wasn’t pretty, Governor Blagojevich’s decision to support the
transit reform and funding bill was the right thing to
do.”
“In addition, the legislation links this new funding
with reform of the transit agencies such as the CTA. That means more
accountability on the decisions that transit agencies make,” continued Imus.
While the action fixes the 25 year old formula that had
led to shortfalls in how transit is funded, there is more work to be done.
The funding only fills the hole in current service and
does nothing to meet capital needs. According to the Regional Transportation
Authority, $10 billion must be invested in the next five years to repair the
aging system of buses and trains and add service where it is needed to meet
growth.
“We need to meet growing regional needs with new
projects and better service,” said Imus. “Doing so is the next step in
re-establishing a world-class transit network for a region that deserves one.”
