The horror of the Chicago Transit Authority

I have been standing at the bus stop since 6:00 p.m. and its 6:55 p.m. now. I am supposed to be at the Fine Arts building at 7:05 pm. Oh there's a bus coming this way. Don't get excited, it's going to the North Park Garage. Another ray of hope, but because the light's green, hope fades quickly. The driver didn't even bother to look around the stop. She just passes by. Finally, a bus arrives and actually stops. An expensive animated advertisement flashes on both of its sides of a long awaited Broadway musical, which was awaited just like the bus was. I am greeted by a transparent front screen and a bored face on the person in the driver's seat, since he was the one having a bad day, not me.

With worse service and long waiting hours since Jan. 1, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has increased its fares as well as the prices of passes and transit cards. According to NBC, the CTA's 2010 budget proposes a possible revision in fares. The cash fare is expected to be increase to $2.50 from $2.25 with a possible jump to $3; 30-day full fare passes will jump to $110 from $86; and seven-day passes will rise from $23 to $30. This will make the CTA the nation's most expensive transit system.

Report says that the new budget, which is targeted for Feb. 7, would cut 827,000 hours of bus service and 57,803 hours of rail service, nine of the CTA's express bus routes would be cut and 41 other bus routes would put their regular passengers in an infinite crisis too. Service cuts and fare-hikes are the CTA's excuse to recover a $300 million budget deficit. This is happening in the wake of the current poor economy.

The CTA increased bus routes of its existing buses instead of starting new ones, troubling both drivers and passengers. Routes, such as the 11 have been extended and the CTA has reduced the number of above mentioned route buses even in the rush hours to overcome resulting additional gas usage as both northbound and southbound routes are extended. Despite the changes and extensions are costing the CTA reportedly more than before.

The CTA is the second largest transit system in the United States and fourth largest in North America. Statistically, 1.7 million passengers access the CTA's buses and trains. It has approximately 2,000 buses that operate over 154 routes traveling along 2,273 route miles (3,658 km). Buses provide about one million passenger trips a day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops. The CTA's 1,190 train cars operate over eight routes and 222 miles (357 km) of track. Its trains provide about 650,000 customer trips each day and serve 144 stations in Chicago. Most of the CTA bus stops hardly have benches or shelters. The upcoming snowfalls of November and December are going to be a real challenge for CTA passengers as the number of buses will be reduced even more in fall and you will find yourself freezing to near-death under an open sky waiting for a bus to come. There is a long needed increase in the number of buses and punctuality on the CTA's side. Then again, I guess all we can do right now is pray for an improvement.