Emanuel Re-States CTA Riders Have Choices If They Don't Like Fare Pass Hikes

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 28, 2012 10:15PM

Photo credit: ©2012 Brooke Collins/City of Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel tried to clarify his Monday statement that CTA riders unhappy with proposed increases in fare passes had the option of driving to work …. by restating that CTA riders unhappy with proposed increases in fare passes had the option of driving to work.

What stuck in Emanuel’s craw was the simplification of that statement into “you can always drive.” Emanuel said his earlier comments were misinterpreted.

"What I said is, (it's) a choice. People have a choice between public transportation and private," the mayor said. "If you're coming from O'Hare, you pay $50 for the cab downtown. You can rent a car, which is probably close to that. Or you can take the CTA. That's a choice which is much cheaper."

Yes, Your Honor. We understood it the first time. And it’s only slightly less tone deaf than when Emanuel first uttered the sentiment. As Ramsin Canon at Gapers Block and our own Aaron Cynic noted, not everyone has that choice. We also understand the pass hikes are intended to bring Chicago more in line with public transit pass costs in other major cities. But it’s the sticker shock that has riders—many of whom don’t have the resources to afford a Chicago Card Plus card—railing.

Comparing the relative stability of CTA passes to basic staples like gas, eggs and milk also doesn’t jibe. Especially the gas rates. Again, many CTA riders can’t afford a car, let alone the gasoline to fuel one. Riders perceive it as callousness from a mayor whose dealings with corporate interests are being increasingly reported in the media
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