CHICAGO (WBBM) - Now that the CTA has the money it needs to pay its everyday bills, it's making some plans to improve the ride -- even though it still lacks capital money.

WBBM’s Bob Roberts has the story.

Later this year, CTA riders with computers, cell phones or PDAs will know when the next bus will arrive through systemwide implementation of its "Bus Tracker" system. 

The system has been tested for the past year on the 20/Madison route.

'L' riders won't be left behind for long.  CTA President Ron Huberman said rapid transit stations will gain new signage giving riders real-time train arrival information within 18 months, at no cost to CTA.

The heavy-duty LED signs will be placed at turnstiles and on platforms at each 'L' station, so riders won't have to pay only to find out that service is disrupted.

Huberman said Tuesday that hardware and installation costs are expected to be paid by Dynamic Advertising, which then will pay CTA for the right to place ads on the LED signs. 

"It's worth a huge amount of money," Huberman said.  "The bottom will be telling you when the next train's coming. The top will be telling you that if you go down the stairs to the right, there's a Connie's Pizza." 

"Bus Tracker" is GPS-based.  Every CTA bus is already equipped with GPS monitoring equipment, and Huberman said CTA is crunching the information it collects from its 2,000 buses daily to determine when and where bus bunching occurs, down to the driver. 

Bus bunching -- when buses fall so far behind on their schedules that riders are subjected to substantial waits, only to have three or four buses show up at once -- is one of the most frequent and persistent complaints of CTA riders and has defied solution until now.  Huberman said some bunching ocurs because of heavy traffic.  But he said drivers whose buses consistently fall behind schedule and become bunched will face retraining and, if that fails, discipline. 

'L' trains already are getting cleaned more, and Huberman said the "deep cleaning" cycle, the transit equivalent of auto detailing, will continue to be done more often. 

Huberman's goal later this year is to establish a 21-day deep cleaning cycle for all 1,190 of its rapid transit cars.  Just a year ago, deep cleanings were done once every 155 days.  Currently, detailing of 'L' cars is done once every 35 days.

In addition, Huberman said, cars will receive more thorough daily cleanings and mopping between "deep cleanings."

Once the system is perfected on the rapid transit system, Huberman said, the lessons learned will be implemented on the bus system.  He expects that to begin by July. 

While the additional cleanings cost money, Huberman said cleaner trains and buses attract riders, and said the CTA will have more to spend because it is stretching its maintenance dollars farther.

Huberman said one time- and money-saving initiatives was simply placing all needed parts for specific repairs into "kits" so that mechanics don't have to return repeatedly to parts rooms to get individual parts.  Huberman said repairs are being done so much more quickly that CTA is able to provide existing service with 2.1 percent fewer buses. 

While CTA is stretching what it can do with its limited capital dollars, Huberman said there is no way to put the system into good repair and keep it there without a substantial infusion of state and federal infrastructure money.  Huberman estimates the cost of putting the system into good repair at $6.8 billion, but said initiatives such as these should help to convince reluctant lawmakers that the investment is a good one. 

And, he said, a system that runs well is an asset that can make Chicago more attractive on the international stage -- something of no small importance as the city battles for the 2016 Summer Olympics. 

City may ban little baggies
Last updated at: 3:54 AM, Mar 5, 2008

Tiny plastic bags used to sell small quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and other drugs would be banned in Chicago, under a crackdown advanced Tuesday by a City Council committee.

Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) persuaded the Health Committee to ban possession of “self-sealing plastic bags under two inches in either height or width,” after picking up 15 of the bags on a recent Sunday afternoon stroll through a West Side park.

Lt. Kevin Navarro, commanding officer of the Chicago police Department’s Narcotics and Gang Unit, said the ordinance will be an “important tool” to go after grocery stores, health food stores and other businesses. The bags are used by the thousands to sell small quantities of drugs at $10 or $20 a bag.

Navarro referred to the plastic bags as “Marketing 101 for the drug dealers.” Many of them have symbols, allowing drug users to ask for “Superman” or “Blue Dolphin” instead of the drug itself, he said.

Prior to the final vote, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) expressed concern about arresting innocent people. He noted that extra buttons that come with suits, shirts and blouses -- and jewelry that’s been repaired -- come in similar plastic bags.

Burnett was reassured by language that states “one reasonably should know that such items will be or are being used” to package, transfer, deliver or store a controlled substance. Violators would be punished by a $1,500 fine.

Health Committee Chairman Ed Smith (28th) said the ban is part of a desperate effort to stop what he called “the most destructive force” in Chicago neighborhoods.

“We need to use every measure that we possibly can to stop it because it is destroying our kids,” he said.