Huberman: Private Sector Only Way To Save Block 37 Project

By Margaret Lyons in News on Jun 12, 2008 4:52PM

CTA President Ron Huberman has a plan to right the wrong that is the Block 37 CTA not-at-all-super-station mess: Private investment. Ayeee.

From the CTA's press release:

"I have carefully read the business case for airport service and believe that a premium service built and operated in conjunction with a private sector partner is the way to go," said Huberman. "To replicate the success of premium service in other major cities, we really need to leverage private sector resources and expertise."

"Premium service" would be express trains to O'Hare and Midway from downtown, although the express option isn't even imaged as that much faster: A 2003 release from the CTA said the proposed lines would cut travel time from Washington and State to O'Hare from 42 minutes to "less than 30 minutes."

Who's to blame for the mess? Frank Kruesi, according to members of the CTA board including Chairman Carole Brown, who say the ex-president misled them about the site's plans.

Despite the ongoing construction nightmares, Huberman has promised that "there will be some form of Washington station." [Wired, WBBM, Trib]