CTA accepts short-term funding fix

A follow up to that last post from earlier. This was also reported on the Capitol Fax Blog...

The CTA's top officials this afternoon accepted a $24 million funding advance proposed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to avert fare increases and service cuts set to take effect Sunday and Monday, but the agency's doomsday scenario will still take place in November unless new funds are obtained.

CTA Board Chairman Carole Brown announced the short-term solution after meeting in Blagojevich's Chicago office to discuss funding proposals. Before taking effect, the move needs to be green-lighted by the RTA in a meeting scheduled for Friday.

Brown said the plan will "give the legislature more time to craft a long-term funding solution for the region."

Blagojevich's offer did not involve new funds. Instead, the move would accelerate state payments scheduled for the CTA in 2008, allowing the agency to maintain service for the time being.

Even if the RTA approves the proposal, the CTA will have to start making cuts Nov. 4.

As a CTA rider I sincerely hope that the state can come up with a more permanent solution to their money woes than these stop gap solutions that this seems to be at this moment.