Good News, The CTA Will Not Raise Fares Or Cut Service In 2017
By Mae Rice in News on Oct 24, 2016 4:00PM
CTA fares and service levels will stay at their current level in 2017 if the agency's latest budget, proposed Monday, gets approved.
The $1.524 billion operating budget would keep base fares frozen at the same level they've been at for eight straight years. That's pretty cool—the CTA last raised its base fare to ride the train to $2.25 in 2009, and if fares had just kept pace with inflation, we'd be paying $2.53 now.
A parallel, five-year and $3.5 billion capital budget proposal would fund CTA renewal projects, many of which have already started, like the Wilson Red Line Station renovations and the 95th Street Red Line station revamp, complete with public art and programming by local visionary Theaster Gates.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, for one, is happy about the budget proposal, calling it "responsible" and praising its funding of "modernization" in a statement.
You can check out the full budget proposal, which will be reviewed at a public hearing at CTA headquarters on Nov. 14, here.