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Transit meeting today, some free rides could go
Bob Roberts Reporting
WBBM Newsradio 780
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CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Gov. Pat Quinn is calling transit leaders to his office Tuesday afternoon 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 he wants to see a comprehensive agreement that puts transit agencies on sound financial footing while preserving free rides for those who need them.
In fact, Quinn has suggested in recent days that additional people are deserving of free rides, including military veterans.
Quinn ultimately decided last week 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
The CTA and Regional Transportation Authority (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 not 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.
The service cuts were reportedly one of the sticking points.
CTA is planning to raise the basic bus fare Feb. 7 to $2.50, with a $3 cash fare on 19 express routes and all 'L' trains. It intends to raise the price of a seven-day pass to $30 and a 30-day pass to $110.
Metra plans a six percent Feb. 1 increase in the price 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. It would leave 150 vacant jobs unfilled.
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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