CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Gov. Pat Quinn said he is calling legislative and transit leaders to his office Tuesday to discuss legislation that could mean changes in the free rides programs offered by the area's mass transit agencies -- and the agencies' funding.
Quinn said Saturday he decided to lobby against the measure that would have restricted free rides to low-income seniors because it was a "piecemeal" approach, and provided insufficient revenue to CTA.
Instead, he said, he wants to see an agreement that puts transit agencies on sound financial footing while preserving free rides for those who need them.
In fact, Quinn suggested that additional people are deserving of free rides, including military veterans.
The RTA lobbied heavily for the restrictions on free rides, which would have generated $25 in fare revenue for the CTA, $10 million for Metra and $2 million for Pace. The CTA and Metra said they were willing no to raise fares for two years to make it happen, although CTA said it still intended to go forward with service reductions that include elimination of nine express bus routes, reduced service on 110 lines and shorter hours on 41 routes, allowing the layoffs of 1,067 employees effective Feb. 7.
Metra plans a six percent increase in the cost of single-ride tickets, an increase in the price of its weekend pass from $5 to $7 and an increase to the penalty charge for buying a ticket on board trains when a ticket window is open at the boarding station from $2 to $5.
Pace planned no suburban bus fare increase, but is threatening increases in its ADA paratransit fare and elimination of 27 bus routes, with changes in service hours on two dozen other lines.
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