CTA Postpones Meeting, Fare Hike Still A-Comin'

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Nov 12, 2008 3:45PM

The CTA board meeting scheduled for today has been postponed until tomorrow due to the CTA's failing to post a notice of the meeting as required by the Illinois Open Meetings Act which is in place, "to ensure that public business is conducted in public view by prohibiting secret deliberations and actions on matters that should be discussed in a public forum." Still, one day won't change the suspected outcome of the meeting: an expected 25-cent fare hike. We ran down the ins-and-outs of the new budget about a month back, but said budget is finally coming to pass.

CTA President Ron Huberman is doing his best to distance himself from last fall's repeated Doomsday scenarios. "Today is not doomsday. Today is a tough budget year." Officials are quick to point out that Blago's decision to offer free rides to seniors is costing the CTA $26.5 million at a time when they're already facing a $42.5 million budget hole. The fare increase would be instituted in January. The Ron is also stressing the fact that the fare increase would only amount to enough money to keep the CTA running and not enough to make necessary improvements.

Photo by VtotheendL