CTA, RTA officials meet with governor's office on funding

I got this article in a link from the Capitol Fax Blog. Also I had a more lengthy post about the looming fare increases and the service cuts. I want to continue to refine that until I get it to where I want it. And check out some of the ensuing discussion at the Capitol Fax Blog here.

Now off to the article...

CTA leaders are considering a $24 million offer from Gov. Blagojevich to temporarily stave off planned fare hikes, service cuts and layoffs, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

In a morning meeting at the Thompson Center, the governor offered to immediately advance the full amount of the state's annual subsidy to the CTA's umbrella organization, the Regional Transportation Authority.

That would enable the RTA to give the CTA a $24 million funding boost right now — money that could allow the agency to operate under existing conditions for several more weeks, a source familiar with the offer said.

The governor's offer is designed to give lawmakers in Springfield more time to craft a comprehensive plan for funding mass transit and other transportation and infrastructure needs.

Efforts to devise a longterm plan have failed to date. The CTA has set Sunday as the day it will cut 39 bus routes and increase fares by as much as $1 because of a funding shortfall.

It's really a mess and there's gotta be a solution that will keep the CTA from finding its way into this mess year after year. It seems that way for maybe the last couple or so years so far.