More on That CTA Fare Hike

We outlined for you yesterday the specifics of the actual fare increases, but there are a few other tidbits we missed. First, as part of the new budget the CTA passed, 632 workers will be laid off, with as many as 200 losing their jobs before the new budget (and fare hikes) go into effect on January 1. As for the reason that long-term passes increased by only 15 percent instead of 20: "Transit board Chairman Carole Brown said that change was made possible by halting employee enrollment in a "supplemental" pension program for senior staff, a move that was expected to save $3.6 million."

Only one member of the seven person board voted against the fare hike: former Blagojevich Deputy Governor Sheila Nix, who had previously helped implement Blago's free rides for seniors program.

Nix said she believed the budget gap could be plugged without resorting to a fare increase, which would hit customers already struggling through a slumping economy. After the meeting, Huberman called that view "irresponsible." "I think it would've been irresponsible to attempt to wish that the economy comes back or to wish our revenues ended up being more," he said.

Overall, the CTA expects to lose 17 million rides thanks to the fare increase. The CTA has a handy-dandy chart of all the fare increases [PDF] which you can print out and put on your office or cubicle wall next to that photo of the family dog.