Public Transit Riders Rip CTA "De-Crowding" Proposal
By Chuck Sudo in News on Sep 5, 2012 7:35PM
CTA reaped the proverbial whirlwind Tuesday night as concerned riders voiced their opposition to the proposed “de-crowding plan.”
In the most delicious of ironies, the conference room at CTA headquarters used to host the meeting was filled beyond capacity, according to Center Square Journal’s Patty Welty, “with speakers asked to leave the room after presenting their comments in order to free up space and allow others to enter.”
Much of the concern centered on the cuts in service on the #11 Lincoln Avenue and #145 bus routes that runs from the North side along Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue. CTA’s representatives, including agency president Forrest Claypool and CTA chairman Terry Peterson, were ready for those arguments. In particular, CTA said eliminating the Lincoln Avenue bus from the Fullerton Avenue “L” station to Western Avenue made sense because the Brown Line stations dotting between those streets were “within blocks” of Lincoln Avenue.” That’s great for someone who can walk to the Paulina Brown line station, for example. For someone in a wheelchair or suffering from another physical impairment, it’s a bit of a chore.
Those who attended Tuesday night’s meeting also voiced their concerns that CTA didn’t survey its riders before proposing this plan. As much as CTA frames this plan as one that will benefit riders, the proposal doesn’t bring service back to pre-2010 cut levels and actually reduces overall service at a time where the agency has seen 16 straight months of ridership increases.
CTA’s board is set to vote on the plan Sept. 12. If (when?) it’s approved, the plan would go into effect Dec. 16.