tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post8388984931248942133..comments2024-03-27T20:04:53.585-06:00Comments on Illinois Transportation Issues: The Moving Target: Legislation Update & SchedulingTom Bamontehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08257129333713108323noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-88952063071143978672010-06-04T16:34:01.859-06:002010-06-04T16:34:01.859-06:00Hi
Very nice and intrestingss story.Hi <br />Very nice and intrestingss story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-87755248480487164362009-12-31T19:45:27.572-06:002009-12-31T19:45:27.572-06:00Genial dispatch and this mail helped me alot in my...Genial dispatch and this mail helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you on your information.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-43026747865352212962007-08-04T17:34:00.000-06:002007-08-04T17:34:00.000-06:00See previous posts and comments, but as best as I ...See previous posts and comments, but as best as I can tell by piecing it all together, $5 million is the purported full cost of MBC (all sources) and related lobbying and the purpose of the collar county 1/4 point is because they can't get a referendum passed by their voters so the RTA bill will stealth it for them and they will be on board with the so called reform deal. Anybody else?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-40931128036587788922007-08-04T17:04:00.000-06:002007-08-04T17:04:00.000-06:00Could you elaborate on the $5 million and subverti...Could you elaborate on the $5 million and subverting the referendum?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-79702833552870373802007-08-04T09:57:00.000-06:002007-08-04T09:57:00.000-06:00Let's see-- burn up $5+ million to a) subvert the ...Let's see-- burn up $5+ million to a) subvert the electorate's last resort through referendum, b) collect taxes for unspecified highway projects in the hinterlands and c) ignore legacy CTA governance and management defects.<BR/><BR/>Better a simple bailout than this. <BR/><BR/>Shame on everyone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-33919673154457584602007-08-04T09:34:00.000-06:002007-08-04T09:34:00.000-06:009:47, don't forget that CTA gets 100% of the $100 ...9:47, don't forget that CTA gets 100% of the $100 million real estate transfer tax, plus a 25% state match, for a total of $125 million, on top of its $132 million allocation of sales tax revenue, thereby resulting in a total of $257 million. Considering that is deficit for 2007 is supposedly $98 million, that should be more than enough for a while (although the longer it takes to pass the bill, the fewer taxes are immediately collected, and there are phase-ins).<BR/><BR/>I agree that the various funds are not well explained. While this was being sold as being locally generated tax revenue, significant state budget impacts are indicated with the 25% matches, downstate grants, etc. Also, probably very few checks to assure that the $450 million in new money from the .25% region wide sales tax and the Chicago real estate transfer tax won't be quickly exhausted, such as by the implementation of duplicative service proposals in the Moving Beyond Congestion "plan."<BR/><BR/>As far as the collar county additional .25% sales tax, which has been questioned by other comment posters here, a possible rationale (not being a legislator, I can't guarantee this) is that some collar counties (especially Lake) have been seeking that authority for years; maybe putting it in the transit bill avoids the need for a referendum to impose it. The RTA could come back to the counties and say that if you want more bus service, as has been indicated in Lake and DuPage plans, use that money to pay for it, but probably most will go into roads. However, this provision might have been needed to get the collar county legislators on board (if, in fact they are on board).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-57967643602444205912007-08-04T06:53:00.000-06:002007-08-04T06:53:00.000-06:00Looks like a complete FUBAR. If this is the resul...Looks like a complete FUBAR. If this is the result of the Auditor Generals work, he ought to be discharged w/o/h.<BR/><BR/>Its gonna take a real lot of talented, seasoned and outspoken Transit Planners to clean this up. <BR/><BR/>Get the call-up papers ready to coincide with the change in Command a/s/a/p.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-62115958667197919292007-08-03T23:33:00.000-06:002007-08-03T23:33:00.000-06:00Chicago currently pulls in well over $100M a year ...Chicago currently pulls in well over $100M a year from gas taxes, parking fees, and city stickers. Parking fees, in particular, are well below market prices both downtown and in the neighborhoods: Wrigleyville residents pay nearly as much per year for permits as game attendees pay per game!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-856129216058892932007-08-03T21:56:00.000-06:002007-08-03T21:56:00.000-06:00Well, transit is at least not going to fall apart....Well, transit is at least not going to fall apart. I truly hope that Mayor Daley realizes that he's got to make this City and the CTA what it can be using its own resources and creativity and to start thinking outside the current political appartus. This looks like a huge cave-in, albeit probably necessary with the clock-ticking as it is, to suburban interests.<BR/><BR/>Is it me, or is the RTA now forced to do a whole bunch of little things, probably resulting in nothing but press releases and reports collecting dust?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-33374521716512183672007-08-03T21:47:00.000-06:002007-08-03T21:47:00.000-06:00Look it, while everyone's going to sigh a big sigh...Look it, while everyone's going to sigh a big sigh of relief that transit's been saved, it's worth, at least for posterity, to point out what is worthless, and to KEEP asking questions. It looks like to me the headline should be: "City Residents to Subsidize Suburban Transit Expansion; CTA saved to live another day":<BR/> <BR/>- "$10 million for an RTA transit innovation, coordination and enhancement fund (ICE Fund)." Seriously, what on earth is this? Sounds like: keep RTA employees and consultants happy fund. There needs to be a guarantee this goes into service, not studies.<BR/><BR/>-$20 million to Pace for a Suburban Community Mobility Fund (SCMF). Ditto. What is this?<BR/><BR/>- In Operating allocations, while it looks like CTA gets $200m+ (right?), they do have to pay for the interest on the pension debt, it looks like enough to fend off service cuts and fare increases. Still, doesn't it seem like Pace and Metra are getting a big hunk a money out of this, relative to what they offer the region?<BR/><BR/>"RTA Reforms for Coordination, Efficiency and Transparency" Look, a lot of this sounds great, but doesn't it sound like a lot of statutory requirements on the RTA to basically hire a lot of consultants to study-this and study-that? Granted, the RTA will now be busy (imagine that), but doing what? Lots of talk about a "strategic plan." So what?<BR/><BR/>"RTA is required to do “alternatives analysis” for any newly-proposed transit expansion projects with construction costs of over $25 million where potentially more than one Service Board could be the provider of the proposed service (§2.01a(i))." There's a critical line: "where potentially more than one Service Board...." And who will determine that? So Metra will ONLY produce New Start ideas that fit the bill as Commuter Rail, and they then can do their own application. Ditto for CTA. Citizens must take note: this will not change ANYTHING!<BR/><BR/>"The RTA is required to develop and adopt (with 10 votes) a coordinated sales, marketing, advertising and public information program for all transit in the region. Service Boards’ programs must be consistent with the regional program (§2.05(c))." The devil's in the details on that one.<BR/><BR/>CTA Pensions: "CTA contribution increases from 6% of payroll to 12%; employee contribution increases from 3% to 6%. CTA gets “credit” for debt service up to 6% of their contribution." Add in the health-care contribution and that's a 6% pay-cut for CTA non-Union employees. Watch out for the brain-drain out of CTA. Huberman won't have anyone left. Heck, go get jobs at consulting firms, since they'll get all those contracts from the RTA.<BR/><BR/>CTA Pensions: "Debt service paid from CTA’s share of new operating funds." Does anyone know that annual cost of that?<BR/><BR/>CTA Pensions: "Reduced pensions available at 55 years of age and 10 years of service (currently 3 years)." There is no current pension available at CTA for only 3 years of service. It is today is 11 years of service, so I don't think this changes anything.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4840511756286055487.post-3812473605320090182007-08-03T21:41:00.000-06:002007-08-03T21:41:00.000-06:00The suburban mobility fund is probably for communi...The suburban mobility fund is probably for community based projects, not vanpool. As reported by the Tribune, vanpool makes money for Pace. The 2007 Pace Suburban Service Budget has the Vanpool Incentive Program with a recovery ratio of 112.1%, the Coroprate Shuttle Program at 194.4%, and the AdaVANtage program at 88%. Even the Dial-a-Ride projects with municipalities recover 64%.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>It appears that the prerequisites, such as 7 votes to invoke section 2.12b, are still there, making it ineffective.<BR/><BR/>Also, I wouldn't call reapportionment "governance reform" (at least this version), given the RTA's inability to govern, as previously documented on this blog. Any assurance that Stroger's appointees will at least be from the suburbs?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com