This is almond Irving. Can you make me a panel displays?
Hi Alderman. Sorry I'm working on it.
so many times before
chase our dreams that give us
to hold
forget what you've seen and what you've been told.
live your life in the rest will long for
Everybody. All right the committee on transportation and
public way is now called to order.
We will now have a roll call to establish a quorum with the
ottoman. Please make sure the microphones are unmuted.
Please note that your yes or present response will be
deemed to be a yes vote when this Quorum roll call is used
as reference vote for later items. Thank you.
Sharon Mitchell present
vice vice chair Andre Vasquez
Alderman William Conway
ottoman Jason Irving
ottoman Jessica Fuentes
Are jutes.
honorable, Michelle Harris
Armand Brian Hopkins
ottoman David Moore
Alderman Ronnie Mosley
ottoman Samantha Nugent
Arin Michael Rodriguez
ottoman Scott Rogers back
and ottoman Desmond, yansi
there are 7 members present. We have a quorum.
Ottoman Irving ottoman Gutierrez ottoman Moore ottoman
Mosley and ottoman Rodriguez has requested remote
participation under rule 59 of the Rules of Order and
procedure for the city council. Can I get a motion from
chairman Harris to allow remote participation for the above
mentioned alderman?
Chairman Harris so moves on the motion all in favor. Say I
I those opposed no.
In the opinion of the chair the eyes have it.
Now at this time, we will begin the public comment period
out of the respect for everybody's time public comment will
be limited to 30 minutes and each speaker is limited
chairman Mitchell.
chairman Mitchell
Yes, um Alderman Dowell requested a role 59, although I'm
not a member of the committee. I just wanted to be
acknowledged that I am on.
remotely
Thank you. Jamie hear me you will be noted.
Um, I think as a matter of procedure I still need to um,
I don't okay.
Thank you. All right.
Um again, each public comment will be limited 30 minutes.
However,
um, because again, I know how important this hearing is to
people that came I will allow the additional 5 or so.
uh
requests for public comment to go ahead and um
and and and speak
so with that said
The first person for public comment is Cyrus. Dalat dalat
Shawnee Shashi. I'm apologize sir. Could you please
pronounce your name?
Oh good. I've been doing that my whole life don't let Shahi.
I gotta be the first 1 here.
grew up listening to you rap
uh
How you doing?
Uh, I just wanted to
take time off work to come and tell my elected officials.
face to face
that uh to encourage them really to prioritize public
transit. I know I'm born and raised in High Park. I've been
riding the CTA my whole life.
I've also been fortunate enough to travel internationally
in Europe and also Iran where
I've seen and ridden public transportation.
that
Is frequent safe clean that everybody uses I know it's uh,
if you build it they will come situation
but and I I I do wish that you know, I know it's expensive
to travel internationally. I wish that more Chicagoans
could see cities where
everybody rides public transportation
and how better it makes the city. I know we have other
priorities and I just I I wanted to say that I don't think
it really
Would take away from other things like Mental Health.
and schools to
Put people in place.
that care about public transportation
and
come up with ideas to get people to ride it in our city.
Thank you. Next public speaker. Is Corey Lockett.
followed by Rye
Good morning.
Um, I'm here today to represent the go green on racing
campaign. Um
There's a train station on 63rd and racing that was closed
down in 1994, and it was closed to be renovated, but
somehow it never opened back up.
Uh as a kid growing up at 6027 South Elizabeth. I use that
train frequently to go to and from Englewood High School.
Um when that train was cut off it put made the route
different and that route is different to date. We have many
business owners, uh stakeholders corridors. I mean business
owner stakeholders and just residents, especially the youth
now needing that train station to be able to like
effectively move. So if you think about understanding how
important it is, a lot of you guys may have came here on
the train today you may have came from the north side stops
Linkin Park or whichever the case is and those imagine
those stations being closed. So when you talk about Public
Safety you want to make sure that our residents have the
opportunity to be able to number 1 Travel frequently and
safely, but then also be able to utilize those stops
closest to their homes when that stopped was closed.
Imagine having to get off the train either at hosted or
Ashlyn to walk to race seen through all of the adversity
that's going on. So understand.
How important we are working to make sure that our
community is safe. Englewood is not just a community a
neighborhood that was you know downplayed by the city, but
it's a actual community in the city of Chicago that
deserves the same respect the same support the same
monetary value that any other neighborhood here in Chicago
has so we're here to Hope and and and request that you
maintain that commitment to open that station back up. So
our residents could be able to move.
uh accordingly safely and to be able to have just a better
opportunity to
utilize this station as it is closer. We built some amazing
things. We have the go green on racing the freshmart which
is right there at the at the stop of being able to utilize
that station will have residents to take that 1 Stop
whether it's hosted or whatever it is, but get it get off
and get fresh groceries. Uh, not only that but just all of
the things that we're working on in Englewood in that
quarter to make sure that our community gets the same the
same support that the city of Chicago does so we just
encourage you to continue moving forward. It's been a long
time, but it's it's time to open that station back up
because our community our residents and our specialy our
youth needed because imagine walking through Dangerous
Grounds to get to where you have to go to but there's a
stop that's closed that you could just jump on to get
wherever you need to get to in the city. So that's why I'm
here to put emphasis on opening up the 63rd and racing uh
train stops so we can get back to
Thank you, Mr. Locke.
Rami nashashibi followed by um Karsten loan
Peace and blessings. Everybody said good morning. My name
is Rami the founding executive director of the inner city
Muslim Action Network. Um, I'm just going to hear and
quadruple down on everything. My brother Corey just dropped
here. Let me start by saying when my grandfather a
Palestinian refugee came to the south side of Chicago in
1950 fleeing the horrific genocide of displacement of 1948.
He came to Inglewood and he brought his first home on 9 on
65th in Loomis at that time. My grandfather would describe
the south side of Chicago and particularly in Englewood as
and 63rd Street as feeling like you were in the middle of
Manhattan sociologists will confirm that Inglewood and 63rd
Street was perhaps outside the central business district of
any place in the country 1 of the most thriving communities
in the country and that 63rd Street was a major
thoroughfare and now you fast forward over that many years
later and here we are with 1 of the greatest life
expectancy.
See gaps in the country 32 years between streeterville and
Inglewood and that is not in spite of the extraordinary
work and organizing that is going on among Englewood
residents Englewood families Englewood organizations. And
those who love and are invested in ingwood including our
older woman who I know is watching right now Stephanie
Coleman who's completely aligned with all of this work. I'm
here to say we need to hear and see action. We don't need
to hear any more platitudes about this issue, uh, President
Carter wrote a powerful, uh editorial in 2022 about
reopening up this station. The station was supposed to be
opened up in 1994. It is a absolute travesty and Injustice
that we have sat and led it completely, uh, uh rot and
become an abandoned station when we have now already have
it listed as 1 of the Urgent projects that the future of
Transportation caucus in DC under the Secretary of
Transportation has listed 3 years ago as 3 projects that
they wanted to see
Move forward we had 2 million dollars that were afforded to
the uh CTA to make it a feasibility study and yet it's been
absolute crickets in the last few years. We have not heard
anything. So I'm here to say that the all the organizations
team-working would rage EG would Iman, uh Englewood branded
and a number of many other organizations in and around
Inglewood and the community residents are here to demand a
fierce urgency of now. We want to hear at every 1 of your
meetings you talk about the racing station the
Mayor himself committed to opening this up while he was
running and it is about time. This is not just about
ridership. This is about reparative social justice, and we
need to begin to see and hear action plan that is taking
the million dollars that we fought for alongside making
this a ballot initiative few years ago. We're over 94% of
the residents of the 16th ward voted unanimously to demand
that this is opened up immediately. I'm here to completely
Echo their voices and ask that we move with that Fierce
urgency of now. Thank you.
Thank you. Uh Carson loan followed by Zachary Jackson.
Good morning. I am Carson Lohan second ward resident. I'm
here today to talk about buses in the city of Chicago and
how we can all work together to better our bus service in
febuary. I spoke before the RTA board asking for increased
bus lane mileage in our city and to connect the existing
bus lanes along Chicago Avenue East of the river and those
west of the Metro tracks in the 27th Ward. Ugh. I was
pleased to see the announcement from the CTA earlier this
week that c dot will begin installing Red Bus only Lanes on
Chicago Avenue between Sangamon Street and Larrabee Street
kind of near the new casino creating a nearly continuous
3.9 Mile bus lane from Grand to Ashland and from Milwaukee
to Michigan Avenue.
This new bus lane would mean that nearly 40% of the Chicago
Avenue bus route would have a bus lane intersecting with 3
l stops. I'll remind everyone in the room that the 66 bus
is 1 of the top 3 most ridden routes in the city with our
ridership surpassing several of our lines credit should be
given where credit is due and I thank the CTA President
Carter and the staff for working with C dot to get these
bus lanes in the 27th Ward ugh at the intersection of
Chicago and Halsted. However, as a frequent Rider of routes
with bus only Lanes in the city, I can personally attest to
the frequent misuse of the bus lanes by scoff law motorists
who use the lanes as a free parking space or an OP, let me
put my flashers on and get a coffee loading zone this
behavior is detrimental to the efficiency of our existing
bus lane Network in Chicago bus operators using the lane
must now merge out of the lane to avoid 1 single vehicle
impeding the flow of other vehicles in the general travel
Lane due to the actions of 1's selfish individual curious
as to the method and rate of enforcement of our bus
Lanes I recently submitted a Freedom of Information Act
request for the Department of Finance requesting the total
annual amount of bus lane violations from 2019 to 2023.
For the past 2 years 22 and 23. We have had approximately
1,700 bus lane violations issued. Annually while this is a
start it is approximately 6 or 7 tickets per weekday across
our 15 plus miles of bus lanes on behalf of our Riders and
our operators. We need to desperately need more enforcement
to keep these Lanes moving. I encourage all of you to
enthusiastically support the smart streets pilot program
installing automated cameras on buses to enforce these
links. I would enjoy seeing this pilot program become
permanent technology is the future and the transit
Community knows automated bus lane enforcement cameras
work. The MTA says it plans to install cameras on 2,000
buses in New York within 3 years. There are currently
cameras in about 600 buses.
SEPTA in Pennsylvania, Saw an average of 4,000 violations
per week recorded by just 7 buses along to routes. She
Chicago is far behind peer cities in both bus lane mileage
and enforcement if uh, we're going to have Western brt. We
need this. Um, I hope this committee can use its political
muscle to help the citizens of Chicago who ride the bus.
Thank you.
Zachary Jackson followed by Taiwan Sims
Hello. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My
name is Zachary Jackson. I commute every day to work in the
Chicago Public School System, uh frequently riding by train
and bus uh today though. I wanted to talk about an
experience a co-worker of mine had while uh riding in a uh,
shared bicycle and bus lane and uh experiencing an
unfortunate collision with the vehicle while making a turn
uh enduring his shoulder and on being unable to return to
work for several weeks. Uh, I believe that this uh,
confusing uh infrastructure plan for how we designate our
bicycle lanes and uh the lack of a strong integrated bike
lane, uh system throughout the city is detrimental to
People's Health, uh, as we see tens of thousands of
injuries to pedestrians to uh, people operating motor
vehicles and to cyclists every year.
Uh, I believe that it is a necessity that we uh further
invest not only into our Transit, uh programs our our CTA
buses and trains but also into an integrated, uh,
Bike lane system across all of Chicago to prevent needless
injuries to people needless deaths, uh, and uh, improve the
quality of life for all Chicagoans. Thank you.
Taiwan Sims followed by Kendrick Jones
Good morning. Good morning. Um, good morning.
You it's it's amazing to me how people consider
Transportation so much now.
but
we have a more I think deeper issue. That's the the young
adults and kids that's lost in this translation right here.
That's lost In This Moment.
the desperate the desperate people that ride the L that
y'all find a issue in the ones that smoke the weed the ones
that's trying to find the sanctuary the ones that's trying
to be safe.
Y'all see them every day.
but y'all going to come up here and
speak about injuries or other things
And I'm amazed at that I'm often times amazed at how people
think about things.
versus the whole other issue
So, how do we improve this area? Um Ira I what's the guy
who's coming up for consideration? He says I'm a man now. I
don't need to use the CTA.
Are you fortunate?
Had a whole bunch of people come to a transportation
meeting talking about how they had sold their cars to take
CTA.
Got another individual said just now you ready for it how
internationally he's traveled and has seen what other
Transportation looks like in other countries. Well, I've
been here in Chicago for 43 years.
And this is the worst I've ever seen our our transportation
our CTA but not in the sense of how it moves or how it
looks but the condition of the kids.
Every day every day I get on this 95th and watch these same
individual but now since speaking in the transportation. It
is improved in the way that possibly was going to last for
a year because it's was spoke about
so they put undercover officers out ride 95th get the
Roosevelt. It's an undercover peeking in because he want to
Take those individuals off the train to make it look good.
It don't look good.
And those people still these young black children these
young black?
Man, they still suffering and still will be suffering and
the only consideration is the police.
They just put y'all just put what 2 million dollars into
some initiative that should have helped. But what if that
money really go to?
Did it benefit them because it hasn't because they still
standing on Roosevelt. They write over here on State.
And there's so many people still sleeping on the train.
So we going to be arguing and bringing up points about
X amount and Z amount but what about the humanity of it?
Like that's what we that's what we in that we just end at
the fact that we need the improved the travel.
What about the people?
Let's improve that part.
Let's fix that part forget improving it. Let's fix that
part. Y'all got the power.
Thank you.
Kendrick Jones followed by Austin Bush
Uh, good morning all I'm here on behalf of the Chicago
Transit Justice Coalition. I'm here to talk about the
working conditions of the employees at CTA.
And 1 of the issues that we have in right now is bathrooms.
Some of the routes don't have brick and mortar bathrooms.
And after 75 years of being in existence CTA, they still
fail to provide brick-and-mortar bathrooms on all the
routes.
And some of the train routes or some of the stations rather
some of the employees have to go ride a train to the next
station use the bathroom.
And uh, we find that that's a inhuman uh issue.
Bathrooms, so we would ask dual Carter and the executive to
fix the bathroom issues with employees at the end of the
line. We've been talking about it for years and uh
porta-potties is not the answer.
Imagine your wife or your girlfriend having to use a
porta-potty and 2 degree weather outside when it's
freezing.
No lights. No Heats, no hot running water.
That's inhumane. We have to do better. Thank you.
Thank you. Austin Bush followed by George, Blakemore.
Thank you and good morning.
I commend the recent announcement made by C Dot and CTA to
install dedicated bus lanes on Chicago Avenue between
Sangamon and larabie. It's heartening to hear that slowly.
But surely the most ridden bus route in the city is
receiving priority Lanes on the city's namesake the number
66, Chicago Avenue.
this leaves only a small gap between Milwaukee and Ashland
of a half mile in order to fill out the entire Corridor
between Michigan Avenue and Grand I expect the installation
of this stretch of Lanes on a city-owned stretch of road to
be announced eminently for it would be foolish to leave
such a gap.
This of course raises the immediate question of what makes
these Lanes dedicated for buses, obviously our enforcement
of the existing bus priority has been lacking.
We have yet to begin the most minimal of camera enforcement
Pilots due to revenue squads between the city and the CTA.
Meanwhile CPD the city parking enforcers and the Department
of Revenue have neglected to provide any adequate
deterrence several of the vehicles blocking. These lanes
are municipal Vehicles themselves. I asked the elders here
who may have come prepared to discuss the crime on the CTA.
Do you care about the offenses made against the bus riders
on your city streets because you should
The question is not whether we should punish those who Park
in bus lanes, but rather why we have chosen instead to
punish those riding the bus. Why should a mother returning
home to West humble from a job in streeterville be punished
with a longer commute just so that someone in West Town can
stop in for a coffee. This decision is currently being made
every day on our city streets and I challenged our
representatives to defend that decision the people of
Chicago do not care that the buses are slow because of C
dot bureaucracy or because of CTA management. They simply
care that the buses are slow. So act like you actually want
to fix this problem and fix this problem.
The Limited camera pilot should be rapidly expanded on
significant corridors and dedicated enforcement Personnel
should be dispatched to maintain these bus priority
corridors as they are expanded throughout the city. We are
currently endorsing The View that 1 person quick errand is
worth more to this city than a bus load of Chicagoans going
to work to school or to their family. This is a city for
the people give the people way. Thank you.
Thank you followed by Michael Young bae.
Hello public transportation you you bus drivers are talking
about bad prunes. You know, when I first came to the city
in 1970, they had washrooms for the Public Public washroom.
Now I'm a old man and when people get old, they they got to
peel off. That's your man now, uh put public washrooms back
at the subway station, please and and and sometime the guys
the old men wearing diapers or whatever get up there. It's
just bad leadership.
in high places
selling the black community out the white Community out the
Asian Community town, but they all are piece of shi.
all of them
and the shell Harris I saw you going in the police station
of the of the Bay.
On 35th anyway.
It's something inherently wrong with CTA.
Incompetent not enough bus drivers are L driver. They're
not safe. It's not safe to ride.
And and and the whole thing is messed up. I'm gonna stop
beating up on these elected officials. I'm beating up on
you citizen.
How this how you was disrespected and you will stop.
Stop is betrayal. Something is wrong here this man stop
that little buzzer tingling and everything this man make
over 300 something thousand dollars and and they got a
program for ex convicts most the ex convicts are black and
they supposed to say that hide them uh with CTA. So if the
system is broken knowledge only at CTA the whole city is
out of control because you the citizens are out of control
you allow this this man make over 300 and some thousand.
They got these employees and and and it's not working. This
is a city that's not working because of the political hats
all are Democrats.
Democrats change we need a revolution here a 2 or 3 party
system here. It is corruption here.
It's evil here, but you allow this all you allow this
because you're sad it's CTA is not functionable. It means
the citizen of unfunctional. Something is wrong here. The
whole system needs to change a revolution for I have bring
Trump in maybe he and now you yeah.
Thank you, Mr. Blakemore. Next. We have Michael Young Bae
followed by Dana.
in
uh
CTA have a problem with customer service.
at the heart of things
the customer service is horrible.
the customer service is
racist at times
they complain about 603 Street and racing stop. Look at the
rest of them stops too that 1 may not be open. But if you
look at 95th.
On until you get the socks Stadium because the socks Park
they're not it look nice.
If you look at the green line all on the west side, if you
look at the Blue Line all on the on the on the west side
outside of the Medical District.
them stops look horrible terrible horrible terrifying
Look, like if you walk up the stairs, they gonna fall
apart.
and
this customer service issue been going on like I told 1
person since I know that since I was a child.
You can ride the 151 and every bus driver you get on that
bus they gonna say good morning.
They gonna speak because they know that the Europeans up
north gonna call in and they'll be moved off that route.
But on the yeah, I I do study like that. So yeah, so even
on um,
when you look on the south side of things like that look at
the customer service.
That's where all the conflict keep going in that then it's
nasty. They won't claim the trains Etc. Like even during Co
I work during Co I catch the 95th Train everybody piles up
on the first 2 carts because the CTA workers that they hire
to clean the carts. They don't clean the other carts. They
just clean the first 2 and get up out of there.
We still got drug uses on their we still got crime on these
stops, but that's because look at the situation though.
Look at the demographics on Roosevelt. They got the K9 dogs
certain stops. They got the K9 dogs, but in certain other
communities, they don't get it. That's why it become
racist.
Because if you can put them resources in these certain stop
fees certain areas, then you can put them all throughout
CTA.
You see Teach some customer service, too.
And also I want to address.
Something matter of fact, I'm just going to address it
watch it on more real news, but I'm going to talk about
this Gerald Nichols in this hiring situation Etc.
I'm I'mma talk about it all.
Because the CTA has been a disgrace for the city.
Did you see the CTA has been a let down for the city?
And that's why we have all these issues in these problems
Etc. He don't need that job. He need to be up out of there.
Just like they pushing for him to be Gerald Nichols calling
and whoever else.
Thank you. Dana n followed by shafak chadri.
chadri
Hi, good morning. My name is Dana and I am a ward 3
resident. I think a reliable frequent and safe CTA is vital
for the city. Um, I depend entirely on the CTA to get
around. I do not own a car. Uh lately I have often been
stuck with unreasonable wait times for trains and buses.
Sometimes they just don't show up at all. And I often feel
unsafe as a woman traveling alone. Um, here's just a few of
the things that have happened to me on the CTA. I've only
lived here since 2021, um a few weeks ago,
Um, there was a man who came onto the red line train and
started yelling about how women are just holes waiting to
be filled and they're worthless.
Um a couple years ago. I was riding the blue line and a man
that I did not know just reached out and started caressing
my ankle, uh, and finally, uh a couple years ago. I was
riding the green line on a mostly empty train car and a man
sat down right next to me and started pleasuring himself.
Uh, this is not the experience that I'd like to have in
this incredible City. So many of my friends especially
women refused to ride the CTA because their experiences
range from being inconvenience to being genuinely afraid.
Um, I really encourage the prioritization of a reliable
frequent and safe CTA. Thank you so much.
Thank you. So Fox Audrey followed by Cheryl Johnson. Yes,
Uh, so most recently. I had a role with the US Department
of Transportation for the bipartisan infrastructure law,
and we know that this is unprecedented funding that's
coming at a national level for localities. There's
absolutely no reason why the city of Chicago should not be
prioritized and advocating tooth and nail to be able to
improve our system and as you're hearing the residents speak
on this it's inhumane if we're treating.
The very lifeblood of what helps this city function on a
day-to-day basis.
And turning a blind eye on how they are treated.
To and from how to get to work. It's a privilege. We know
now that ridership is down and carve vehicles are being.
Sort of propped up. A lot of the bipartisan infrastructure
law is also going into Highway construction. So that's why
we're seeing so much more of an uptick on traffic. Uh, but
when we're seeing that there isn't as much advocacy
happening to be able to bring that funding directly to
Transit then we're punishing the very
Part of society that depends on getting to work.
Uh, and we're putting a bigger burden on them by saying get
a vehicle instead.
So we need to rep prioritize bring the humanity back into
our systems of governance and the CT is going to be
An emblem of that, so please prioritize this.
Cheryl Johnson followed by David Deutsch
Good morning. Good morning. My name is Cheryl Johnson and
I'm a longtime resident of all Gail Gardens and I've been
following the red line extension for the last 22 years. I'm
here to say that I am totally support of the development of
the red line extension all the way to 1130 Street where I
live because of many years. Our community has been
deprived. We've had been a desert community for our
transportation and many other needs that is going to be in
our neighborhood, but I see this development as an economic
engine for my community and an opportunity to to expand
Transportation needs in my community files Rail and buses.
It would also attract potential businesses along the
corridor of the development of this red line extension to
130 and the most importantly
It's opening up conversations and engagement around transit
or development in our community along with the Chicago
Housing Authority. So I'm just saying I'm
it's been a long time waiting.
But we here.
You know, I know that they won't break ground until 26 and
my my neighborhood. I wish it was.
next year
for my neighborhood and 103rd but I'm glad for this
opportunity because it's going to be economic opportunities
and Social Development in my whole community area, and I
just want to thank CTA and I want to thank President Carter
for having the vision.
To do this expansion all the way down to the 130th Street.
and so that the people in the Riverdale community area will
have more Transit availability. Thank you.
David doy followed by Alec
Rubik
good morning, chairman Mitchell and members of the
committee. My name is uh David door and I'm the president
of Chicago neighborhood initiatives. Um, and I too, um,
like Cheryl I'm here to speak, um on support of the red
line extension. Um Cheryl, um, made a number of I think
important points around kind of the economic opportunities
related to um, the red line extension. Um, and I'd like to
kind of amplify
On those I mean, this is a 4 billion dollar investment.
It is the largest single public investment in the city's
history.
Um, it's bigger than any uh rail Rail Project. It's bigger
than any Stadium project any Highway project. Um, and
actually Rivals, um O'Hare in terms of the the public
investment, um, it's unprecedented and I think um, uh as as
Cheryl noted, it's it's both necessary, but it's also a
huge opportunity. Um, we touched a little bit about um, the
disparity the the transportation disparity that the city
has um faced. Um, it's no accident that the red line stops
at 95th Street right now, um, think about uh, think about
the red line only going to be Belmont on the North side,
uh, 5 more miles of city. Um, go Beyond Belmont, we we
would have we would have uh, major major civil unrest if
the if the red line stopped at Belmont that's what's
happened, uh for the last deck, uh decade after decade with
the red line with it literally stopping at 95th Street
unserviced our over 300.
100 people in 5 miles of the city. So um, the red line is a
um is a huge public investment. Uh, but we need to couple
that with economic uh development and so, um part of what
we as the community to now look at is how do we use those
new L stops at 103rd 1111 115th in Michigan and then
ultimately at alkyl to leverage private investment. Um, so
we need to start now, um to to begin with that um, and
bring more housing density bring more retail opportunity,
uh, more Community facilities around those L stops and
start to leverage this 4 billion dollars with an additional
billions and billions of dollars of private investment. So
I want to I want to thank the CTA and and I also want to um
say publicly that I support President Carter, um, this this
would not have happened if it wasn't for his leadership and
for his perseverance and tenacity in um securing These
funds
Um many mayors have talked about extending the red line.
Um, I I can personally testify about 4 others that tried
um, and and uh weren't able to do it and part of that was
they didn't have the leadership that we have at CTA today
with President Carter. And so, um, I want to um publicly um
commend, uh, President Carter for his advocacy and um urged
the community urge the city council to continue to support
the CTA and President Carter.
In his efforts to to to make this happen. Thank you. And
uh, I appreciate the ability to testify.
Thank you. My final speaker is Alec ubix?
Hey y'all. Um.
Yes, this is the first time I've ever done.
Anything like this in the city of Chicago? Um
Yeah, thank you. Uh
To our aldermen for uh being here. Thank you president gar
for being here. Um,
I just want to say I uh got support. Um, the resolution
filed by Alderman Vasquez and Alderman Matt Martin
supported by my own Alderman Felix Cardona to uh, you know,
find a new president for the CTA. We're still experiencing
significant service cuts across all lines. Um,
of the elevated train, um from pre-pandemic and um, there's
just no real transparency and hiring practices to get us
back up to speed. It's been 4 years since the outset of the
pandemic like
There's plenty of people that want to work on the trains but
seems like there's all these hoops that people have to jump
through in order for our city to get back on track. Um,
so
yeah, I mean, uh commuters take action. I'm just inspired
by their advocacy and I'm basically here to just support
their mission today and then come here with them. But um,
you just go to their website and you can see it all laid
out in the data there. Um, the CTA service is not frequent.
Um,
I can just say anecdotally, uh, just on my way here today.
Uh, there was a bunch of shenanigans on the train and
there's no safe and easy way to just quickly report that to
the police or to um, you know to any sort of Security
Services you see those folks. Um,
This private security services that we uh hired and they're
just not doing anything at all. They're just hanging out on
their phones all day, uh at the stations, it's ridiculous
like, um,
men women children alike, uh smokers can do whatever the
heck they want. They can just light up and hop box the
trains. Um, it's just ridiculous. Uh, so yeah, we we need
new, um bold leadership for the CTA. It's long past due.
um
Yeah, I didn't come with uh, many super statistics, but
it's just all online there. Uh, the CTA hasn't been
providing them. So we had to fight new uh tooth and nail to
um, get any sort of response and um, so
Yeah, I just I think I'll just keep it there. Thank you
guys.
Well, thank you.
Well, this concludes the public comment period
now today
Is a subject matter here in the CTA?
It is the second quarterly hearing for 2024.
This hearing is being held pursuant to section 2-8-8-2
to speak with us this morning.
Is Dorval Carter president of the Chicago Transit
Authority? Um, but before I turn turn it to Stage over to
him. I want to uh, uh acknowledged member, uh Committee
Member ottoman William Conway who has joined us.
and non-committee members
Mana hoppenworth padal ottoman card Felix Cardona Alderman
Daniel laspada
remote is uh chairman Emma mitts and
alderman, pisado
Thank you. All right president take it away.
Good morning, Karen Mitchell and members of the translation
committee.
Um
Thank you for having me here today.
Throughout my professional life. I've always welcome the
opportunities to talk about the Chicago trans Authority.
My entire career has been dedicated to public transit and
the city of Chicago.
And I will always embrace the opportunity to discuss
critical issues that are facing our agency as well as the
enormous successes that we have accomplished together.
Today is no exception.
However
There's been a great deal of recent discussion about me
personally.
and about the leadership that I've exhibited at CTA and I
would like to take this opportunity to really
give the council a full picture of who I am.
and what I'm doing
and why I'm here as the head of CTA.
um
I think it's important to know.
That I'm a lifelong resident of the city of Chicago and I
grew up here my family moved here. When I was 5 years old,
I grew up on the south side of the city. I um
Saw and experienced a lot of the racial undertones that
existed in the city back in the 60s, uh when I was still
very young.
um
my father
was a doctor.
delivered babies on the southwest side of the city
my mother
and my family ran a multi-generation skilled nursing home
that was on the west side of the city.
first at Fulton Street, and then on Franklin Street
I grew up.
Scrubbing floors changing bed pads and taking care of
quantum politics and paraplegics who have been victims of
gunshot wounds and other tragedies that occurred within our
communities.
And so I have baked into me a really deep perspective and
understanding of the challenges.
That particularly those in disenfranchised parts of our
city have experienced over the course of their lifetime.
as a kid, I wrote CTA to do just about everything 1 of the
great values of the public transportation system here is
that it allowed me to go visit my friends go to the movie
theaters go to school. Um, go to basketball games do the
things that I would not have been able to do but for public
transit, so I certainly have understood and certainly
appreciate the value of public transportation particularly
for those who don't have other options.
um, I personally
Can remember going to visit my my cousins to play
basketball at mle High School?
For those of you who don't know where Mendo High School
used to be about 111 Street, and I personally remember the
train only taking you to 95th Street, and then you having
take a bus to get to the campus of the of the uh School
itself. So I understand the barriers of what happened when
the service that we provided in the city doesn't meet all
parts of the city itself.
That is 1 of the reasons why the red line extension
projects have been so important to me personally.
Um, I also experienced a lot of the the racial animosity
that occurred in the city. There were parts of the city
growing up that I knew I couldn't go to not because of gang
or other activity, but because I was not welcome as a black
man.
And so I understood the implications of the racial
overtones of the city for a very very long time long before
I ever moved into positions where I thought I might be in
some way isolated or insulated from those sites of
activities.
I went to college and ultimately graduated from Howard law
school. For those of you not familiar with Howard is 1 of
the Bastion of civil rights institutions in our in our
country. I had the opportunity to hear people like Thurgood
Marshall talked about the need to address, uh, Racial
equality and equity and Justice throughout the city, um
throughout the country. Let me clarify that and I graduated
at the exact same time that Hill Washington became mayor of
the city of Chicago.
Now the thought that there was going to be an
African-American mayor of the city of Chicago doesn't sound
all that crazy today.
But back then it was something that no 1 ever thought was
going to happen.
And so I made the decision to come back to Chicago because
I wanted to be a part of whatever whatever it was that that
mayor was going to be doing. I want to be a part of the
movement. I want to be a part of what they were going to be
doing what they were going to be talking about.
Um, I didn't have a job. I didn't know where I was going to
work. I certainly had no idea that public transit was going
to be the opportunity that I was going to get but
fortunately,
I was hired as a staff attorney entry-level position as an
attorney at the Chicago Transit Authority and that began my
career in public transit.
over the course of that time
for those of you who remember the Harold Washington era we
were in the middle of council Wars and the the the battle
that was going on between the African-American aldermen and
the the non-african-american alderman over control of the
city was something that was playing itself out directly in
this in CTA because the 1 person who was a Hill Washington
appointee at that point in time was the general counsel.
So I got to see really up close and personal what was going
on and how the politics of the city have a direct impact on
the reality of the functions of the agencies that I'll be
provide services to the citizens of the city. Um
I am painfully aware.
of how those activities impact decision-making
Uh, and I committed myself even back then to do everything
that I could to bring balance to that to that reality.
um
over the course of the rest of my career. I got the
opportunity to work at the federal level. I also got the
opportunity to to work again at the local level at CTA.
And then when at at 1 point in time, I got a chance to meet
the a senator from the state of Illinois, uh who then was
in the state senate, um gentleman by the name of Barack
Obama
Um, I got to meet him through Valerie Jarrett who at the
time was the chair of our board.
I had no idea either 1 of them will become as big of a
national figure as they did in years to come.
um, but
I almost felt like I had a second Reawakening.
When just like when I came to to work in Chicago for Hill
Washington, um Barack Obama became president of the United
States and I went to Washington DC to work for him.
uh during that time I served in a number of positions, but
mostly I worked on developing the policy that was going to
bring the opportunities back to cities like this like the
city of Chicago and particularly back to communities that
had not received the level of investment and opportunity
that other communities have received. It was a big part of
my work during the time. I was in the administration and
it's part of the reason why I came back to CTA as president
9 years ago.
I came back to CTA knowing that there were challenges here
that we had to address knowing that we had billions and
billions of dollars of disinvestment and lack of investment
that had occurred in the city historically over all the
years that it had been here. I have been a part of
Doomsday budgets. I've been a part of major service Cuts.
I've been a part of significant fare increases over the
course of my time at CTA. I also had the opportunity to
work for many heads of CTA during that time. Um, I was
trying to count up the number the other day, but it's
somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 different people
who led this agency during the time that I was was at CTA
in various forms of fashion.
um
I am painfully aware of the fact that I am the first
African-American president of the Chicago Transit
Authority.
I'm also painfully aware of the fact that the Chicago
Transit Authority is primarily an African-American agency.
the majority of our employees are African-American
the majority of the Frontline Workforce this
African-American
and I recognize the implications that that may have in
terms of how people may perceive our organization or in
some cases how they may perceive our leadership.
um
I am considered.
a product of the Chicago Transit Authority
it is rare.
For someone who has come up through the ranks to end up in
the seat that I'm in.
And I know from the time that I spend with our employees
that there are many employees.
Who are very proud of the fact that as they like to view it
1 of their own has been able to ascend to the seat.
the truth of the matter is
it has not been an easy seat to sit in.
and to some degree I've understood that because being the
president of the Chicago Transit Authority you accept the
fact
That you're ultimately responsible for everything that
happens within your agency.
I don't shy away from the fact that the buck stops with me.
I also have recognized that there are opportunities that we
should be pursuing that we don't pursue as well as we
should primarily because we spend way too much time focused
on other stuff that quite honestly isn't benefiting the
agency as a whole.
in my opinion
there is no true benefit to tearing down our agency on a
daily basis to try to basically disinvest the any sort of
opportunities that we may have going forward.
When I look at the constant stream of negativity that is
focused on the Chicago Transit Authority.
For everything under the sun.
It makes it very difficult for me to do my job. But more
importantly it makes it very difficult for the 10,000
employees who work at CTA to do their job.
They don't deserve that.
I have
spent a significant amount of time trying to improve this
agency.
I have brought billions and billions of dollars to this
agency to make it better.
I have improved service. I have added service. I have
increased rail service. I have done all the things that
anyone could reasonably expect to be done to make the
agency better.
but the 1 thing that I didn't anticipate
the 1 thing that none of us could have anticipated.
was a pandemic
the pandemic devastated
not only our ridership.
But also our agency.
We lost employees.
both to co
but also to retirement and resignation
they were things that created a Workforce challenge that
has taken time to recover from
but the reality the other reality is that we have been
recovering.
When we realize that we had a problem that we had to deal
with we put together a plan.
We've been executing on that plan from the very beginning.
That plan is not something that was going to turn the
agency around overnight. Believe me if I felt that I could
Snap My Fingers. This agency would be perfect tomorrow. I
would do that.
But unfortunately, that's not how life works.
So we have worked diligently to bring the agency back. We
have increased the number of our employees that are that
are working in the system.
We are on target to have our full Workforce back by the end
of the year. We are on target to have our service restored
to pre-pandemic Levels by the end of this year. And the
truth of the matter is that has been the targets from the
very beginning.
There's been a lot of discussion about what the service
looks like today.
It has been very little discussion about the service looked
like.
a year ago
There's been very little discussion about the service. It's
going to look like in the next 6 to 7 months. And the truth
of the matter is the service is getting better.
I know that some people may find this humorous and some
people may think that this is a joke.
But the reality is is that I have thousands of people who
have been working very hard every single day to make this
service better.
Does that mean it's perfect? No, but let me tell you
something before the pandemic hit. It wasn't perfect either
10 years ago. It wasn't perfect either.
The very nature of what we do means that there's always
going to be some level of you know imperfection that we
have to deal with the challenge is how do you overcome
that? And how do you continue to deliver service in spite
of it?
We are now at the point where we're averaging almost a
million rides a day.
Back when the pandemic hit we were averaging 200,000 rides
a day.
That's not an insignificant increase that's not an
insignificant change in terms of what we've had to deal
with.
The truth of the matter is we are on the right path. We
have been on the right path for some time.
People have accused me of not wanting to talk about the
challenges and only wanted to talk about the successes. The
truth of the matter is I've been talking about this
challenge about the pandemic ever since it happened.
I have to put out documents about it. I've done letters to
the editor about it. I have had conversations about it and
various venues. It has never been something that I've shied
away from but I also have wanted to talk about the
successes of this organization and the things that we are
accomplishing.
I don't believe that you have to choose 1 over the other I
believe that it is possible to talk about both while
continue to improve the agency and move the agency forward.
When I sit here.
In front of a city council.
That has been given an ordinance.
Basically calling for me to be fired.
There are a lot of things that go through my mind.
Some of them are not very pleasant.
Because that's a that's a practical matter.
You ask yourself? What did I do?
to Warrant being
singled out
to be fired
I would point out to you that there are 3 public transit
agencies that operate in the city of Chicago.
Chicago Transit Authority Metra and pace
As far as I know.
this council is never had anybody before them to talk about
the service issues that we're facing in the city, but me
um
I'm not going to point out the leadership of the other 2
agencies versus the leadership of mine, but if you look it
up, I think you can see some differences.
as an African-American man
this city
has a history.
Of attacking and trying to bring down their
African-American leaders.
I know that because I've been here and I've seen it.
Um
what I would hope
Is that we would try to support them?
what I would hope
Is that we would work together?
To find a way to support our agency and make our agency
better.
what I would hope
Is that we could work in a collaborative way to address the
real problems that you hear the customers talk about?
How do we get the type of money necessary to improve our
overall transit services?
How do I get the funding to allow me to rebuild the 63rd
Street Station on the green line? How do I do the things
that we need to do down in Springfield to deal with a $500
million deficit that I'm going to face in 2025?
Instead we're spending a lot of time talking about my
salary.
talking about statistics
and 1 comment said talking about the people.
There are a lot of things that impact my service on CTA.
Some of them are within my control and some of them are
not.
some of them are a reflection of the city as a whole and
the things that we need to do to address the bigger
challenges that are impacting not just the CTA but every
community that we deal with in the city.
I'd love to spend more time trying to figure out solutions
to those problems because they will directly impact the
experience of my customers have on my system.
It's very easy to find someone to blame for everyone's
troubles and challenges is much harder to find people to
work to find solutions to them.
I've been committed to finding a solution to problems ever
since I came to this agency.
I think my track record on that has been pretty good. I
have a series of programs and activities via the second
chance program be the Allstate accessibility program via
the red line extension project that are all reflections of
the work that I have done to make this agency better and to
make the city of Chicago better.
I have been doing this work in spite of having
opportunities to go elsewhere and in spite of having offers
that were much more lucrative than the offers I have here.
And I've been doing this work because I care about the
Chicago Transit Authority and I care about the city of
Chicago.
I've been committed to this Agency for almost my entire
career.
I think
that I have done what I need to do to deserve the respect
that you come with the position that I'm in.
um
over the course of the past year
I've had to deal with.
harassment
with personal physical threats
with racial epithets
that had all been directed at me.
Because I have been turned into a caricature.
I have been turned into something that is less than a human
being.
I can tell you as an African-American male.
That bothers me a lot.
It makes me angry.
It makes me want to lash out.
Um, it makes me worry.
about the personal safety of myself
as well as the personal safety of my family.
no public official
should have to go through that.
There is no reason.
I should have to put up with that.
There are people.
Who think it's a joke?
There are people who basically create fake Twitter accounts
and other things with my name on it to to get laughs.
For what they think is a funny situation.
Well, let me just tell you there's nothing funny about what
I've been experiencing.
There's nothing funny about having to lead an agency
through a pandemic. There's nothing funny about looking at
people who have died because they were just trying to do
their job.
So maybe it's time for everyone to take a deep breath.
And start to re-examine what it is that we're doing here.
And what it is that we want to accomplish.
Because if we care about the city as much as I care about
the city.
And I believe that is the case because none of you would be
sending in this seat. If you didn't care about the city
just as much as I do.
Then we should be coming together to find a way to make the
city better.
You should be coming together to find a way to improve CTA.
You should be coming together to find a way to address the
financial challenges that's going to basically eviscerate
this entire system.
The type of stuff that's going to eventually make the
complaints that you're hearing today about service.
a walk in the park
That's the stuff that we need to be focused on and that's
the stuff that I'm prepared to work on.
Mr. Chairman that concludes my comments and I am happy to
take any questions.
Thank you president appreciate those words. Um, I will open
it up for uh questions from members.
um starting
uh
starting with ottoman Jessica Fuentes
Thank you chair.
president
feel a little disappointed to your approach in this subject
matter here today.
As Leaders of agencies even all the people of our Wars when
we assume responsibility for district or an agency
that comes with criticism now, I agree that no official
should ever have to worry about their own safety or the
safety of their family and I apologize that that is
happening.
But I also believe that there are processes that you could
have put in place.
Um, if we wanted to talk about Solutions and you needed
Community to do that, that could have been a space that you
created.
Um, if we wanted to talk about the deficit that we would be
facing and how we come together that also could have been a
space that you created. I was hoping that today we would
have learned about the challenges and the solutions that
maybe you
are
putting in place
um
And it felt like the only thing we heard today was a
defense of an ordinance.
that
folks signed on to requesting for your resignation and I
can understand that that's difficult.
But when we called CTA to be here for hearings it was so
that we can do the very thing. I think that you're asking
for.
And so I hope that we could be begin that discussion.
Um, I just wish the approach today was different.
Uh, because what I don't want for our colleagues here or
for you and your team is to defend positions, which it
feels like we're starting with that tone. Right? I think
that we have individuals who have been harmed on CTA both
mentally and physically
Uh, we have had.
Folks sexually assaulted on CTA and then there is the thing
that folks are talking about the timeliness and the quality
of service of CTA.
And I I agree with you. I don't think that anything's ever
going to be perfect. It's why we all do the job right?
Because we have something to work on every single day, uh
to improve the conditions for constituents in the city of
Chicago.
And so
I would like to hear just a little bit about some of the
things that you are thinking about for 2024 and 2025. What
are some of the solutions that you are putting in place to
resolve some of the very real concerns that our
constituents have both on time in this of buses and trains
and quality of service. Um, and if we could talk a little
bit about safety, I I want to allow the opportunity for you
to be able to talk about some of those things.
Thank you.
President in response. Well, first of all ottoman, um, this
isn't the first hearing that I've had before City Council.
And I believe that every hearing that I've been to I have
talked about the issues that you have mentioned. Um, so I
have not shied away from having those conversations with
all of you as we move forward. I'm always happy to talk
about the improvements that we're making and the work that
we continue to do in that regard. Um,
But I also felt.
That I needed to speak to the elephant in the room.
Which is I'm appearing before you after a body is
considering, you know, a a resolution that basically is
requesting that I'd be removed from the seat. Um, I don't
think I would have said the things that I said if that
hadn't occurred, um,
and just to be clear.
I have never denied or said that there shouldn't be
criticism about CTA.
I certainly appreciate and understand that people who sit
in this position.
Can expect that they will receive some level of criticism
over some aspect of what they do on a daily basis. It's
part of the reality of what it means to run a public
transit system when you're touching 900,000 plus people a
day there is going to be some things that are not going to
go well and there are going to be things that you're not
going to be happy about that's understandable and I don't
and I've been facing that kind of criticism my entire
career.
What I've been facing though most recently is a little bit
more than that.
Been a little bit more personal than that.
And that's part of what I'm responding to the personal
nature of what's been going on here. Um and my experience
And I've worked for a number of people who who have led this
agency. I've never seen anyone.
Go through what I went through in that regard.
and so
I understand that it may not be a a.
comfortable conversation to have
but it's 1 that I thought I needed to say and that's why I
said it now with regards to what we're doing and how we're
doing it.
We have a lot of accomplishments. We have increased our bus
service over the course of this year. Uh, I've mentioned in
the past that we hired over 10,000 bus operators last year.
Um, we continue that hiring Trend today. We have hired over
400 operators so far this year. We are on track to have our
complete Workforce put together for bus for for bus
operators by the end of this summer. Um,
What that means is that shortly thereafter. We should be in
a position to fully restore bus service to pre-pandemic
levels.
Up until that up until that point in time though. We have
been adding service to our bus system as we've had the
opportunity to do that through re both the the use of the
the um,
Selection process that our members use as part of the under
the collector Bart agreement and also through other ways
that we can add additional resources to different garages.
So we continue to add that service you'll continue to see
that service being added over the course of the summer.
On the rail side of the house. We have been in the process
of building up our rail operator Workforce as well. Uh, we
have been training and and putting people into those
positions since the beginning of the year. Uh, we continue
to do that as we move forward through the rest of the Year
by the end of this year. We will we will have moved 200 new
employees into the rail operator position. Uh, at that
point in time. We also will be in a position to restore our
rail service to pre-pandemic levels. Um, this has been a
process that we've been undertaking over the course of the
year and as we've had the opportunity to add rail operators
as they complete their training we've been putting them on
the system and adding additional service that is reflective
of that. Um, that is what we will continue to do as we move
forward and it's been part of the overall plan from the
very beginning to get our service back to pre-pandemic
levels as we move forward.
Right. Um, I know I understand you have and I should have
done this in the beginning of understand that you have
members of your of your staff here with us today. Yes, um
want to do 2 things.
Um 1 go ahead and introduce him and if they if you need to
call on them to talk about some more Pride progress with
CTA. You're welcome. All right.
Yeah, the the the people here in the Box include Don bonds,
who is my chief of Transit operations. He mentioned can you
please stand up?
Bill Mooney my chief infrastructure officer
Nancy Allen dustman my chief officer of Safety and Security
Jeremy fine the Chief Financial Officer Tom moan and chief
administrative officer Uh, Kevin Ryan my vice president of
security.
and
I think that's it. Those are the people okay were available
to also speak to you. All right. Okay these issues. Okay.
All right. Um.
Feel free that call on any 1 of them to add any more. Um,
and I want to make sure the ottoman has has their
questions. Um, and thank you chairman and uh president you
don't have to answer any of the specific questions if you
want to delegate to your team, okay, um more than more than
happy to hear from anyone on your team.
So the number of slow zones on ctal seems to be increasing.
It'd be helpful to have an interactive map of these slow
zones and lists more details about where each of them are.
Uh, does the CTA adjust scheduled I'll travel times based
on the current slow Zone because conditions and if so, how
often
The short answer is yes, we do adjust our schedules based on
on travel time, which includes the slow Zone issues. The
issues around slow zones are actually a bigger conversation
around the capital infrastructure Investments that we need
to get our system to a state of good repair. Um, we have
over 13 billion dollar in need to get that system to a
state of good repair for which we don't have the funds to
pay for it today part of that need involves track work and
infrastructure work. Um, I don't have the information that
you're asking at a tip of my head about what percentage of
our of our entire system is slow zones, but those numbers
do change over time as as track conditions and other issues
warrant changes in a way that we interpret the the use of
our of our real our rail track infrastructure. I know that
bill Mooney who's my chief infrastructure officer is over
overseas the track repair work, uh for CTA, uh, he has a
team of people who ultimately are removing social
Zones or addressing slow zones over time. Um, but it's
almost like whack-a-mole in a system. That's over 100 years
old. Uh, there are you know, you will you will address an
area in 1 place and then another area you'll find new
issues coming up 1 of the areas that we really focused. Our
attention on is on the eastern most portion of the Forest
Park branch of the Blue Line the area that we were talking
about a little bit earlier around a University of Illinois
Center on the Illinois medical District that track has all
been recently replaced and renewed.
To reflect the the it removed the slow zones that were along
there, but other aspects of the the Blue Line are in
horrible shape. They're in desperate need of a significant
amount of reinvestment. We're talking about a multi-billion
dollar project 1 of the things that we've been working on
is trying to partner with the state of Illinois to see if
we can get funding that would allow us to address the uh
track work as well as the stations along the Forest Park in
the blue line as part of a bigger infrastructure investment
for the i290 corridor. Uh, we've been pursuing and have
been tempting to get discretionary grants to support those
fundings. Uh, we have not been successful today, but it is
certainly the area a area of priority for me and for CTA
because it is the last branch of our entire system that is
not received any significant rehab since it opened. Um,
just by just about every other portion of the system has
and of course because that brand
Is connected to the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line. It
impacts the entire blue line. So when it's running slower
on that Branch, it impacts how much capacity how much
service I'm running on the hero branch of the blue line as
well. Um, so it is a critical issue for us the 1 that we
have identified as a priority and something that we need to
address with regards to the information about the slow zone
maps. I'm we're happy to get you that information that will
give you at least a current snapshot of where and what it
looks like. Um, and then we can further have further.
The conversation with you going forward, that'd be great if
we could get the map through the chair. Yes.
President Carter, you've also stated that CTA aims to
restore pre-pandemic level service by the end of the year
on March 20th. The agency stated that more service will be
soon added to most of the lines but less than 3 weeks later
the agency unveiled new rail schedules which further cut
scheduled service on all lines, but the blue this results
in an overall 3% total scheduled Services cut as compared
to October of last year. This makes it seems like there's
not a concrete plan to get us back to pre-pandemic
Services. Um, if there is a concrete plan, why hasn't it
been shared publicly and also why then does very little
information that the agency puts out contradict the goal of
getting us back to pre-pandemic services.
Well, first of all, let me start by saying that the data
that you're using is not an accurate depiction of what we
did.
Um 1 of the challenges that you face when basically trying
to Crunch data is that you don't have the the perspective
of how that data gets implemented or actually all the
operationalized. There's 1 thing to read data. It's another
thing to interpret it. And so the numbers that you're
you're you're quoting about what we did with service is not
an accurate depiction of what we actually did. Um,
What was done in that particular case was that the data was
being manipulated to show the worst case scenario of what
was happening on every line.
The number of runs or trips that we put on every line
varies from day to day part of that is due to the analysis
that we're doing about what we're seeing with the man and
how the ridership is working 1 of the things that we know
for example is that there's more ridership on Tuesday
Wednesday and Thursday than there is on Monday and Friday.
A lot of that has to do with people working from home
that's on the rail side. I'm not talking about the bus
side. So when we're putting the service back in we're not
just putting it in evenly everywhere. We're putting it in
in a way that we know is strategic and targeted to address
the overall ridership demands and the other issues that we
know that we're seeing as part of that in addition to that.
There are a number of things that we do that you don't see
in the schedule that have an impact on service for example,
as we were adding more operators to the system that wasn't
reflected in the schedule because the schedule only gets
updated on a periodic basis.
I wasn't waiting for the schedule to get updated to add the
additional service. I was adding it as we got operators to
come on board.
The way that we do that is we put them in what's called an
extra board an extra board is basically a place where you
put operators who don't have picked work and you basically
tell them that on each day. We're going to give you this
run or this run to actually operate. Well, we built out the
schedule.
We built out the schedule forecasting. How much work how
much our Workforce is going to grow from the time that
schedule was put in place until the next time that we do
that we would be able to do another schedule. So the the
numbers that you're seeing are reflection of a schedule
that was basically planning for what we were going to do in
the future with the expectation that over the course of the
time that we're doing that we will be adding the
appropriate. Um Personnel to fill it up. It is 1 of the
challenges that we face because of the fact that we're
trying to dig ourselves out of this hole. It isn't an a
pretty process to engage in but it's a process of intended
to get us to the the ultimate goal of restoring the
services quickly as possible the um, the other thing that
you that you don't know from looking at that data is what
else we do to restore service to make service work better.
For example on the blue line. We actually do what we call
short turning trains, which would mean
that we turn them before they go all the way to the other
end of the terminal to allow us to provide more service to
1 Branch or the other that is 1 of the 1 of the techniques
that we use that you're not going to see in a schedule that
also impact how much service we're putting out and how that
service is being reflected. So you're getting from that
data 1 small slice of all the work that we're doing around
here and you're drawing a conclusion based on that 1 false
small slice about how the entire system is operating what
I'm trying to suggest
ask is that that is not the way that we approach the way we
provide our service 1 and 2 it is the challenge and the
problem with just relying purely on the data to understand
what's going on on CTA president. Do you have a data
dashboard that articulates what's happening at CTA both
from a qualitative and quantitative standpoint to paint the
picture in which you are achieving the goals that you are
setting for the agency. We have a dashboard that shows a
lot of the data that we're talking about part of the
problem is that we the part of what I'm talking about
happens in real time. It's not going to show up on a
dashboard because it's not a periodic activity. These are
things that we're doing every single day as we ultimately
manage the service that we have out there. So, you know,
you're not going to see that on a dashboard the way I just
described it, but you can't see it there if there is data
that will show that uh 1 of the best data for that is our
actual rail tracker which shows the actual trains that are
running on the system at any point in time what you will
see and what you will
see from certain data is that
we're running in some cases 111% of what is viewed as
scheduled service. The reason that's happening is because
there's more surge being put out there than we actually put
into the into the the system itself and that system is not
necessarily capturing all the searches that we're
providing. The point is
by the end of the year where we have all this aligned all
the data will be aligned also and you will be able to see
it exactly the way you're talking about but in the middle
of this transitional period as we're doing it, you're going
to have portions of this that are that are going to be
happening that are not going to necessarily be reflected in
a monthly dashboard that creates certain General data
points, uh from a monthly perspective.
Is their capacity to put forward maybe a bimonthly or
quarterly public facing uh report that's both qualitative
and quantitative. I can understand that sometimes the
numbers don't paint the full picture but perception is
developed with information that is provided and understood
right? And so if we want to at least paint the full picture
and change perception there needs to be a plan and data
that is shared and publicizing. That's what I'm trying to
explain there is data that is shared, but you have to
understand how to interpret the data.
So if you if you interpret the data the wrong way if you
manipulate that data to basically show the worst case
scenario. There's not a lot that I can do about that.
But if you're challenging the data itself, that is it's all
coming from the same data.
So we do do that and we'll continue to do that. Uh, and we
we provide that on a monthly basis that shows what is the
service we provided and how does that service aligned with
our schedule? Yeah.
President I do believe that there's an ability to paint a
full picture. I think that the determination needs to be
made is their capacity and a willingness to put forward the
information that really articulates the plan I get that
there's the data dashboard and sometimes all of the data is
not you know, updated or uh public in real time nor can the
numbers fully describe what we are feeling and seeing
but is there more of a formal report that your agency can
put forward?
I think I just described the reports that we could put
forward. I think the the issue that you're raising is also
not an accurate depiction of what I've been doing with the
data. I am putting out more data today.
That I have ever put out in the history of this agency. I'm
providing that data which is how people are drawing the
conclusions that they're drawing about the data that
they're looking at the problem with the data is that it
doesn't tell the whole story it never will and that's part
of the that
1 way to describe this is that
if you could do all this by basically crunching numbers,
you wouldn't need people.
You can have a computer run the Chicago Transit Authority.
It's the people portion of this that's hard to put down on
a piece of paper and show in a very
Normal or regular process? There are elements of it that I
can give you I can give you stuff. Like how many people on
the extra board how many people get assigned to the extra
board but being able to put all that together to understand
what's happening with the service is part of why you have
Transit professionals do this work and
you know at the end of the day we can share with you as
much data as you want. I don't know that you're necessarily
going to get the correct interpretation of that data.
Unless you have an understanding or a conversation with the
people who are running the service on a daily basis.
Thank you, Mr. President chair. That concludes my question.
Thank all right. Um.
ottoman Sam Nan
Where she stepped out? All right, uh
Scott watches back
So we're gonna go about for each ottoman. We're gonna go 3
questions and then do a round 2.
You might need round 5.
Thank you chairman, uh, good morning, Mr. President. Um
I understand your frustration, uh, you know, a lot of us
have um worked through this pandemic as well. We've seen
things that I don't think elected officials have seen
For a good 100 years since the last major pandemic, but
we're all accountable for the actions that we take or that
we don't take.
And we don't make excuses about um, trying to make
Corrections trying to examine what we've done wrong. Um, we
try to make those Corrections we try to move forward and
uh, I'm a little taken aback by your approach here today.
Um,
I I think my colleagues are and and probably the writers.
Um
But we don't want to dwell on that and we haven't dwelled
on that. Um, a lot of us have seen the same kind of uh, you
know aggressive behavior in some ways by people in the city
that
Frankly want to see things change. Um
And in a democracy, you know you talked about the people
that you worked for in Washington, DC.
And you had to be held accountable there just as much as
you do here.
And elected officials are part of that chain.
of responsibility and accountability
and we've talked through that before over the last few
years.
um whether you are elected or appointed
whether you have oversight from a board.
From a city council like this whether you're appointed by a
mayor or partially by a governor.
All of that flows through 1 thing and that's accountability
or flows to it.
So I don't think we've been.
Pushing too hard over the last few years to do much more
than figure out what is going on with the system and how do
we hold all the people in the system not making it personal
not 1 person.
but the whole system accountable
for how it works or doesn't work.
And that is something I think we have talked about in
briefings. We've talked about in in side meetings, uh a
couple years ago.
It is merely us trying to figure out how do we improve this
system? And that's all we're asking for from you and the
entire CTA.
and
I think what we haven't seen.
Over the last few weeks is a real uh, strong dynamic in
terms of getting that done. And I think that's what led to
a couple of my colleagues pushing.
that resolution and we don't sign on to those things
lightly, but when an elected official or a public official
isn't doing that job, whether it's at the park district,
whether it's at the C DOT office or wherever it might be we
all have to make sure we express what our constituents what
our ridership what the people in this room, uh feel on a
daily basis. So it's not a personal thing. It is merely
about accountability through a democratic system to see how
we are operating.
um
so my first question is
Similar to what? I asked an appointee a couple weeks ago.
Uh the CTA and you mentioned it is facing that 500 million,
uh or more shortfall.
what internal action have you taken or your staff taken to
increase Revenue to address this problem including um
Addressing it with Springfield.
Well, we're in the process of addressing with Springfield
right now. That's the work that we've been doing through
this entire session and this work that will continue um at
the legislature moves forward. Um,
There isn't an internal solution to a hundred million dollar
dollar deficit. I I I'll just tell you that right now. Um,
I I I do not have the revenue tools to
fill that hole. Um, I'm not alone in that regard veteran
Pacer in the similar situation. These are these are gaps
that are Way Beyond anything you've ever heard any transit
system ever talked about in any previous fiscal crisis that
we've ever had in this region.
But we used to talk about doomsday budget scenarios, you
know back in the 2000s.
Those were deficits of 10 million or 20 million dollars.
Um
The solution to this problem is a re-examination of the
funding that's necessary to support public transportation
in this region. It has been an issue that has never been
adequately addressed from the very beginning when the first
original uh, formula was put in place to support public
transit. It is a Formula that in my opinion has
historically short changed the Chicago traps and Authority.
Um by way of example, we provide 80% of all the trips in
this region.
But we get 48% of all the funding.
Um, that's not that is a reflection of how the funding
formula Works in our region, but it's also a reflection of
the subsidy sources that have been in place to support the
funding for this region. Um,
These are things that Springfield needs to fix.
Um, we are not going to be able to fix them ourselves. Uh,
and we we're obviously hopeful and optimistic that we'll be
working with all of you here in the city council to
advocate for the type of funding that we really need to
allow the system to operate the way it should operate going
forward. Yeah, and I I agree with you there. I think I
believe in a you know, heavily subsidized trans public
transportation system. That's the way it works in other
countries. Um, who do you think the best suited person is
to represent the CTA at the RTA?
What kind of person should we have their to?
Focus on just what you said which is uh 80% of the trips,
but we're only getting 48% of the funding and that same
kind of person who will go down to Springfield and demand
the subsidies that we need to run a better system.
Well, I'm not I'm not a particular person but I know you're
asking what type of person in general. Yeah, I look.
You know, I I obviously I'm not the individual who selects
who represents any of our boards, um, including the RTA
board. I think what you want is someone who who, you know
has the city's interest in in in you know at top of mind
that is prepared to and capable of advocating on behalf of
the city, uh, and behalf of CTA. Um, uh, I don't think you
necessarily have to be a transportation expert uh to
fulfill that function. Um, but I do think that you have to
have a commitment to to the city in this community in order
to be able to uh, adequately represent and and address our
issues, uh at that level.
Thank you, um and chairman 1 question, uh, and then I'll
come back. Um,
Can you give us an update on?
um
Let's see switch here. Um
the rail cars that we had a contract for I know we have
different contracts kind of come up and um, some things are
finished. Uh, we had a contract signed with the Chinese
owned company to build 846 rail cars.
um
With an option for you know 400 and then 446 the original
bid was for 1.3 billion and that was in 2016. Then the
pandemic, you know a couple years later the pandemic hits.
Um
What uh, what is the status of that? Um,
Delivery of all those cars and what options do we have if
they're not delivered?
Well, first of all, the the real cars are being delivered
during the process of being delivered right now, uh, we can
get you the exact number of cars that have been delivered
and how many cars are still uh remaining under that
contract. We have not um, uh taken delivery of any of the
option cars as part of the option, uh process yet. We're
still in the main portion of the of the contract itself.
Um,
there's been no indication by the manufacturer that they're
not going to honor our contract. They have continued to
regularly deliver the rail cars as as we expect they would
um, but if there were to come a point in time where that
where that would become an issue, then we would obviously
pursue the legal remedies that we have under the contract
to both, uh protect ourselves from the losses that we would
incur as a result of that. Uh, and then we would have to go
back out on the street for another procurement, uh to cure
the additional rail cars that we need. Um from another
company.
okay, um, if you could provide that through the chair, um,
and then also what the performance is of those rail cars,
you know what um,
What over the last uh 8 years what that has been and then
what the expectation is that I would appreciate that. I
know we have an issue with the bus company that went
bankrupt and you know that's providing with the uh us with
the electric. Yeah buses and that's that's a separate issue
obviously, but that's another huge concern. Um, I I just
want to be sure I understood the question about the rail
cars Alderman. Did you not know the performance performance
and then the uh, how many are in operation how many you
might option in but performance how they're working how
they're working out basically. Okay, I I can tell you just
anecdotally that there that they're working out fine. Okay.
Um, we have not had any major Fleet defects or anything
like that, um as with any rail car, they're nits and pits
of things that you kind of deal with, um, sort of 1 off and
things like that, but we can give you a full report on his
performance. Thank you, sir.
Thank you chairman. Thank you. Um
We have William Conway, but I think he stepped out. So, uh
ottoman David Moore was joined us remotely.
Chairman, I want to be counted towards Quorum and if you
will, let me come back if if somebody else have questions.
I got to get in a better spot.
Okay.
That's okay. Bye share baskets. Thank you Jeremy. I
appreciate it. Um, thank you so much. Uh, Mr. President.
Um, I I do appreciate your uh remarks coming in I think um
to something that my colleagues spoke to uh, when you are,
uh, either a public official or a Public Employee, it
doesn't invite some level of accountability and scrutiny
and I do recognize. Um,
Just the reality that as people of color. It does feel a
certain kind of way being on the receiving end of some of
that feedback. Um, I think any of us if you were to look at
the Twitter accounts that attack us regularly, uh, it is an
unfortunate part. I think it's something that um, none of
us, uh,
Feel any level of comfort about because I think people Step
Beyond the the pale and some of what those attacks are. Um,
but I think that is separate from feedback when we're
talking about the service I think to to your point. Um, the
CTA is largely, uh African-American when you think about
the staff and so when we get complaints from workers about
their treatment, we take that into consideration when you
think about who it who it serves it is majority 52%
according to surveys that you all presented folks who make
$60,000 or less. Uh, when we look at who makes the most
complaints per your survey as the south side of town.
So when we think about who's affected that is actually also
how we look at the situation. And so um, I do appreciate
how it feels. Um, I don't want anybody to feel in that
position, but I think also having a recognition for example
in a resolution itself, um different things that were
mentioned as far as some of the concerns is something to
take into account.
Um, I've got a number of questions, uh here so I think
first I'd like to start. Um based on looking at the
dashboard, right? So your dashboard talks through how many
folks you've been adding on when it comes to bus operators.
But so it ALS speaks to attrition. So I think 1 thing I'd
like to figure out is when you say who you're hiring.
There's not uh, a distinction between like rail operators
flaggers and the other positions, uh, would you all commit
to actually sharing that on your dashboard so we know the
difference of who's being brought on and who's not
I believe we do share that on our dashboard. I'm I'm looking
at at uh trauma call and who who oversees the dashboard.
Yeah, I think you're you're referring to the to the rail
operator or the rail operating Workforce. Yeah, the bus
operator hiring. So when I'm looking at it here, it says
the monthly number of hired employees and it also shows the
separation and employee transfers. So it doesn't
differentiate like which position we're talking or be
brought on and which ones are the ones that are leaving
those are all bus operators. So when we say bus operator
hiring it's all bus operators that okay. Um, what is the
plan uh, right because we've seen this for a number now the
attrition is like sometimes half of the amount of the folks
that you're hiring on.
So it feels like trying to pour buckets of water out of a
sinking ship because it's you're losing so much compared to
what you're bringing on. How do you guys determine? I'm
sorry, and I mean the direct it to both know. I know yeah,
I know you're talking. Yeah. Yeah, how do you determine why
people are leaving are there exit surveys that let you know
why people are separating why they're transferring. What do
you do with that data?
The journey answer is yes, we do do exit surveys. We do
talk to people, you know who leave to sit there willing to
to talk to us and we do have follow-up on that. I I don't
know Tom if there's anything else you want to add to that
aspect of the question. I I I do want to point something
else ottoman. We're not seeing half of the people who are
hiring a trit out, um spinach the percentage changes over
time. Yeah. Um, uh and and
And you know, certainly when I talk about getting back to
the to the level that provides full service for CTA. I'm
accounting for the fact that we will continue to have
attrition as part of those overall numbers. Yeah, because I
think I think for for our because now this information is
being shared. It does look like pretty much half when you
go over the average. So to figure out how you account for
that over the longer. It makes sense and I really
appreciate your point. Well part of it. I mean, I'll be
quite honest with you part of the issues that the
challenges of the job and I don't mean that the challenge
is in terms of what management may do be doing and not be
doing but I'm really talking about the challenges of what
people put up with when they're driving a bus or operating
a train car. Is that what you guys is that what you're
seeing on the exit surveys? Yes. Can you share that data
with us? I'm happy to share all the data with you. But let
me finish my point. Yeah. Sorry. The point is that our
employees are subject to a level of abuse.
That nobody should have to go through and it's part of just
the reality of the society that we live in today. You know,
I see I I I see videos of our employees being punched. I
see videos of our employees being spat on I see videos of
our employees having drinks poured on them and things of
that nature and that is more a reflection of what we you
know, the environment that we operate in as much as it is
something that management is done 1 way or another that
leads to that decision. Um, uh, so you get a lot of
employees who basically are like, I don't want to do this I
can tell you right now when you have a commercial driver's
license,
You have a very marketable, you know piece of paper.
Probably a lot easier to drive a UPS truck than it is to
drive a CTA bus. Um, uh, and so we we faced that we faced
those types of challenges and there's a lot that we've done
obviously to try to address that in terms of increasing the
pay and all the other things that that we normally do
around that. Um, but um, you know, the the attrition rate
continues to be a concern for us,
It's higher than we wanted it to be. Um, we're going to
continue to work on how we basically can improve it. Um,
there's a lot that we're doing around employee morale, uh
these days. I've I've created a whole department within the
agency now that's focused specifically on the type of
things that help address morale and other issues with our
employees. Um, but it's an it's a work in progress and it's
1 that we obviously are committed to doing and whether
we're going to commit it to keep working on uh to try to
hold on to the employees that we obviously expend a a
significant amount of resources training and putting them
in a position to to fill these roles. Sure. I think I think
to that point what is the number goal for attrition rate
that you all have in CTA? I believe it's
Let me just clarify too when you're looking at excuse me.
Hold on a sec. Um, let me remind the panel that prior to
you speaking. Can you please restate your name and your
position Tom? Mccon chief administrative officer. So let me
just note to a clarification on the on the data when you
look at the monthly number, you're seeing both. The number
of people that are hired so in the previous month, we're
looking at 100% or so that are leaving. It's not 30 of that
100 right? It's 30 of the 3,700 employees that that we
have. Yeah. So like overall you got folks who retire you
got folks who transfer so I think for us getting more
specificity on that makes sense and I think to the point
that the president made for uh, my colleague otter person
Fuentes, like if it's data that we're just not
interpreting. Well, that's why we have the quarterly
hearings for you ought to present it rather than just do a
speech in the beginning you could show us a presentation
and say Here's what our data shows some other folks May
read it differently, but this is what we take from it and
what we're doing to improve I think that's just a better
use of time for the quarterly hearings.
I'm happy to do that Alderman and if as we move forward
with these with these hearings.
It may be helpful to have a conversation about specific
topics that we like to talk about. Yeah, because I think in
that context we can bring forth a formal presentation on
various subject matters that I think would give you the
ability to better understand the data and the better, you
know have a dialogue around what we're doing or what we're
not doing to address the concerns. I would love that. I
have not received that. Yeah, we will we will work with
you. Yeah, because I think that so that it feels less
personal.
If we're talking about the data and Improvement, I think you
know, I got a little confused on our end because we had a
meeting 2 3 weeks ago that I thought was for that but it
was actually IGA making introduction. So I think I want to
make sure we have those meetings to set up those metrics so
you can quarter over quarter actually be able to track it
in a way that makes it feel less personal. Yeah, I you
know, I'm fine with with having conversations around the
agency.
And not about me. I think that if you if you distill my
opening remarks, that's really the point. I was trying to
make unfortunately, it shouldn't be about me right it
should be about the agency. Unfortunately. I'm not saying
I'm not saying that as the head of the agency, I'm not
accountable for it. I'm just saying that it should be a
conversation about what we're doing as an agency. Yeah.
Yeah. No, I I agree with you. I think um rather than it
being viewed as a binary either or unfortunately when
you're in a public role it's and also write it is but but
but what the point I was making and the point that I
continue to make is that the nature of what was being done
to me is very unusual. I I get the whole idea of your
public official and you you you take credits with them. I
take criticism all the time. I've been taking criticism for
decades. I've been a public official my entire career. So
the concept of taking criticism has never been a sore point
for me. But what was going on here with Way Beyond that and
that's the point that I was making, okay.
from there. I I do.
goal, right?
yeah, so the goal of of that President Carter mentioned at
the start that we'll have a full bus operating Workforce by
the end of the summer incorporates, uh what we see as
normal attrition. So right now the attrition is and you can
see the numbers right? It's a little bit higher than it was
pre-pandemic. We're working to bring that down but it's a
variety of factors. We've got the information from
employees to work to bring it to to bring it down. It's
actually better than we're seeing amongst our industry
peers, which means that we're making progress there, but we
know there's room to improve. Yeah do the chair we can get
like what that data looks like and then also I guess you
mentioned normal, but what's the number?
What percentage of attrition what are we talking about?
So right now we're at about 15% attrition. I can get you
the exact number on bus operator positions alone. So and
then we can compare that to what it was what it was
pre-pandemic. Yeah, if you get through the check for a
different positions, I I appreciate that. Thank you. Um, I
think uh,
so similarly, there's a little bit of confusion on some of
us because you bring on people who get hired their flaggers
for a certain amount of time then they go to to training to
become real operators. There's a flake rate that occurs.
Right? Some people come back to real operator training just
to kind of brush up on what they already know. Some folks
are brand new. What does that look like as far as the
number that comes in typically and what you actually end up
with on the end because we're not seeing the amount of
increase 1 would
See based on what you're bringing in.
Let me let me try to just break up the question. So I
understand. Yeah, what what answer you're trying to look
for?
So people people who become rail operators start as
flaggers. Yep, and so the recruitment the external
recruitment is for Flagger positions. It's not for rail
operating positions. We don't hire directly from the
outside for rail operators. Um out of the flagger pool
people can go into the training program to become rail
operators. Um, there's been some misunderstanding around
how long someone has to be in a flagger position before you
come a rail operator. There is no, um minimum amount of
time that you have to be a flagger before you can become a
rail operator, um there I know there's been some thought
that you have to be in in a flagger position for at least
12 months something like that. That's not correct. Um,
there's nothing in our Collective bargain agreement that
restricts when someone can move from the flag position to
the rail operator what really drives it is both the
capacity for us to do the training. Um, the number of
classes that we're that we're basically trying to fill uh,
and the time frame that we want to give people to at least
become familiar.
with you know, the the the the process of being on the rail
right away, which is 1 of the reasons why we we move from
the flaggers to the rail operator position because we want
people to have had some level of experience understanding
how movements occur and how the how the system works by
working on the on the right away itself, which is what
flaggers do. Um, I think Tom do you have can you give some
numbers about where we are with the rail operators
themselves?
Yeah with the rail operators then let me start with 2
things. So on the flag or side we are hiring in flaggers at
the rate of about 20 every 2 weeks and that Workforce is
increasing we can get you the exact numbers. Um, we also
are running 3 classes concurrently of training courses for
those flaggers to become rail operators, and generally
that's about a 12-week process to go through that training
again. We can get you the exact numbers, but that just
gives you a general idea of of where we're at in the
process. Yeah, that would be helpful for us just to kind of
get even like a future presentation to talk through what
that looks like. I mean you're saying there's not a
minimum, but I'm sure nobody comes in Flagger day 1 and day
make the rail operator, right? So no and I think it's
because of the output that you just heard here and I think
it's also important to remember that I do need flaggers.
Yeah, if if if I were to have my my chief Transit operation
person tell you uh, my chief infrastructure person. There
we do need people to help us.
With work that we're doing on the right away, which is what
flaggers do. Um, so it's not as if I'm trying to basically
drain the pool, right? So that's why you you're kind of
maintaining this balance between the input on the flagger
side and the output on the rail operator side, but that's
part of what we set up over the course of this year. When
we made the the determination that we could fill 200 rail
operator positions by the end of the year. Yeah, I think
for took all that into account. Yeah, and I'd like around
2, so I'll cut it short but I I do think that having a
better understanding of specificity about that process is
in important because if you guys are committing to like end
a summer end of year and we're not hitting those numbers
without a talk through of what's Happening you're going to
see the same response that we just had about a month ago as
to like, we're not getting it done. And so you
understanding it would be helpful.
So I'm happy to make that 1 of the topics that we walk
through. Um, um at the next Hearing in the meantime, we can
get you more detailed data about what it is that we're
doing and where we are. Yeah, I love that. Thank you.
Thank you Vice chair. Um, just just to level set everything
we scheduled this hearing for 4 hours. We've reached the
halfway point. Um, so
I'm going to move on to non-members at this point, but I
want you guys to be mindful. We're approaching uh them. So
keep your questions and if we can come back to around 2, so
non-members, we're going to start off with uh, well before
that as David Moore, uh, uh chair ottoman Moore you are you
are you ready to speak? Yes. Yes after Alderman Moore.
We're moving on the non-members starting with Daniel lpat
Alderman Daniel laspada.
Uh Alderman Nick pisado, mana hoppenworth and then Lamont
Robertson followed by ultimately.
I'm gonna mix that up Stephanie Coleman, but go ahead go
ahead. Uh, Don Moore.
Can you hear me? Yes.
Okay. Um, thank you so much. First of all, I want to
um
thank the president for uh coming before us um, and I
appreciate um, my colleagues in terms of you know, some of
their concerns let let me just try to
um start out in terms of what I see and I think and I want
to say to um president door on his team specifically for me
when I call on behalf of the 17th board residents. I tend
to call you directly or someone else on your team and
everyone has been very responsive about um, any concerns
that I may have um with my decision
Tennessee and I and I honestly don't get a lot of calls, um
concerning um cha, um, but the ones do I do get you are are
very responsive. Uh, I will say this though, and I don't
know when and where it happened but because I could
I have a tendency to call and get responses. Um, I
necessarily didn't need to always have a hearing but I'm
also an advocate of anybody that's asked to come before the
council that they should appear and I think some of the um,
um issues here from the start president bovo was um, and
I'm not going to say it was a reluctance on your part. I
don't know if that's the word to use but whatever. It
happened in the past that you didn't quickly appear. I
think that sort of left a bad taste in a lot of council
members, um now to get us here, but with that said, um, I I
think you are doing it, um an exceptional job. Um, I have
to say that what we're dealing with the federal government
and trying to get money from the federal government in
different states and different cities. It's a challenge and
I don't think you get enough credit and and being
instrumental in getting funding for this rail line
extension project. Um, and I think it's 1 that
You know, uh not only to be highlighted but also praised.
Um,
having your relationships with people in Washington DC is
critical if anybody's been a government for a while that
comes uh, we never want to get get get rid of anyone that
has those relationships because as people say we just can't
run CTA by collecting fairs. Otherwise, we would have to
extremely increase our fairs to effectively operate any
public transportation and and that can't happen. We need um
funding from DC and we make we had to make sure that we
have those relationships are um that are there and so I
appreciate you for not only having those relationships but
also using um, those relationships relationships matter
another thing. I think you didn't get credit for and
something that I watched and kept the eye on
Although we had people and we had a shortage of folks. Um,
whether from people leaving for other reasons or whatever
there were no layoffs during Co um, and and that's and
that's major. Um, um,
For us to not have any people get laid off, even though we
were facing some um Financial, um challenges. Um, you've
been a um, Transit leader for over 20 years. Uh, I mean
with over 20 years of experience in the industry and it's
something that you know, I totally value. Um,
Uh, I think you so far. I've seen more than 8 billion of
projects completed. I think you you talked about that. Um
and
And you're the first African-American president?
um
Since in this agency reception since 1947. I know we have
some chairs. Uh, I don't think I can remember if lubberman
was president. If so, but that's I can't recall if he was
president of CPS or a CPA but your your commitment to
getting that funding and I don't care what anybody say
funding and money is what we need, um to operate and to
operate effectively and um efficiently again,
With money, you know also need people and quality people
that you can hire. There's every industry including CPS. Um
CPD and I say CPS with teachers CPD with police. Um,
We see these problems and we and we're not asking to get
rid of our um superintendent. I think when we get continue
to get more qualified people on board, uh people that can
do the work. I think we'll see continued continued
improving and I say continue because I definitely see some
improvements, um within CTA and so um for the ones that
have concerns I respect them, but I don't think this is the
time to try to get rid of someone who can be in a position
to
Help us, uh address these concerns and I thank you so much
president Noble for uh peering before us and answering. Um,
the tough questions. I appreciate you.
You know, thank you Alderman. I just
want to amplify 1 thing that he mentioned that I hadn't
really talked about. Um
The reason we've been able to continue to run service and
not lay off. Uh anybody is that I was able to secure a 2
billion dollars in federal emergency relief funding. That's
basically subsidizing CJ right now. That's why the 500
million dollar deficit that we're facing at the end of next
year isn't happening right now. Um that 2 billion dollars
is going to run out in 2025 and that's 1 reason why we're
so focused on getting the funding. We need down in
Springfield to help fill that Gap. But if we hadn't gotten
the emergency relief money, I would have been laying off
employees. I would have been cutting service. I would have
been raising fairs and um, we would have been hitting this
fiscal cliff issue. Probably 3 years ago.
All right. Thank you president for that information. Um, are
you Alderman Moore that concludes your comments?
Yes, sir. Thank you so much chairman. All right. Thank you.
Um, so now we're moving on to non-members, uh prior to
that. Let me acknowledge.
Who's my guys?
Non-members do have joined us. Uh
ottoman Stephanie Coleman ottoman Lamont Robinson on Nicole
Lee. Um, Miss Gil viegas and ottoman Walter. Bernett is
joined us remotely.
All right.
All right, uh Al spot you have the floor.
Thank you. Chairman Mitchell, uh President Carter. Thank
you so much for being with us today. I'll I'll make
3 brief comments and 3 brief questions
number 1
I I want you to know like how essential and integral the
CTA is to the life of myself and my family every morning my
daughter who's 20 months old we take the CTA. We take the
56 bus to daycare Ford and back her favorite place to go
outside. The house is the Peggy Noe Park Nature Museum, and
we're really fortunate that the 74 bus takes us most of the
way there the 76 diversity takes us all the way home. It's
fantastic and I want you to know the buses are always
clean. They always feel safe and
For my daughter I try to model for her the courtesy and the
gratitude that we should be showing towards your employees
on a daily basis.
Number 2. I want you to know that.
I I do not believe but if I have ever
Implicitly or explicitly criticized the performance of your
agency or your job performance on the grounds of race. I
would apologize for that and am willing to be held
accountable for that.
I do not believe that I have done. So but if I have I
accept the accountability I will also say that in all of
the written Communications I've ever received in the warden
night appointments I've had with my residents.
I can say that no 1 has criticized your performance or your
agency's performance on the grounds of your race, and if
they ever have or do in the future, I will hold them
accountable to that as well.
I will also say when you talk about that budget Gap that
budget Gap is real it's pressing and it's going to be a
crisis and I I feel like if we're going to talk about the
need for CTA performance. We need to put skin in the game
as well a few years ago during the pandemic 1 of the things
that this city council did in our budget was we pulled back
right to your Revenue that was going to the CTA to the tune
of 20 million dollars annually.
Something that if that is a first step that we can do as
counsel to be closing that Gap that is a budget ask that I
commit to making this year on behalf of your agency.
So I want to say that because the work that you do is not
only essential to my life. It's essential to the lives of
thousands upon thousands of First Ward residents.
Having said that I I do have 3 questions. So on the meeting
of the moment.
Dashboard, which is great and transparent and robust. It
does talk about when we look at the highest causes of 10
plus minute delays that disturbances and passenger related
matters are the top drivers of those 10 plus minute delays
and that is disproportionately true for the blue line that
serves a lot of first word residents and Logan Square
residents.
I am curious what we have found to be effective at
addressing those D disturbances and passenger issues and
what are investments that you would like to see happening
to cut down on those issues so that we can in turn cut down
on those delays.
Thank you Alderman. And and first of all before I answer
your question, uh, I wanted to to tie your comment about
the ride share Revenue to a comment that was raised. Um, uh
by 1 of the alderman about slow zones. Um,
Part of the money from the righteous Revenue was used to
basically do track renewal work that allowed us to decrease
slow zone. So it was called the FastTrack program and it
was designed and focused on exactly that point. So while we
obviously continue to to make repairs drive slow zones and
address it that money was going directly to supporting that
effort. The other part of the of the funding that was being
used for the ride share program was was was doing um, uh,
Safety and Security upgrades that our facilities new
lighting, um, new cameras and things of that nature that
allowed us to address safety concerns on our system so I
can tell you that you know while that wasn't a lot of money
that we necessarily that can actually came out of that
Revenue. It did have a difference on things that we know
impact customers experience. And so it was an important
piece of our budget, uh, when we had it and it's obviously
a piece that we've had to to absorb in terms of funding
those activities in other ways, um with with regards to
your your your question, of course now, I
forgot the question because I talked too much about that.
That is all I'll I'll repeat it back and I will say that
the FastTrack program works. I remember what day between
Damon and Lake used to feel like there were days that you
could walk faster than the train. Let's say, how are you
trying to sneak? Another 1. Amen? Come on, that's the
comment not a question.
Trying to be supportive.
So the question was related to disturbances. Yes
disturbance passenger drivers of 10 plus minute delays,
right? What are we doing what we'd like to see us doing so
Part of the the challenges around disturbances is both.
The the nature of the disturbance they're not all
disturbances are necessarily equal, uh, in terms of the
impact they have on on the system. And then what the
response is to the disturbance and in many cases, the the
response issue could be as much a CPD response as anything
else where if we're dealing with a problem on our on our
rail car or that filling in to our platform. You will find
the train sitting there waiting for appropriate support to
deal with that problem, uh, the police response times, uh
can vary dramatically and I'm sure as Alderman you all deal
with those same issues in your own Wards, um, depending
upon what else is going on in the city and the time that it
takes to get to you know to get to us, um, uh, and so that
that has a impact on what you may see here other times. It
may be that there's been a crime that has been committed
and this and the service is being delayed by the police at
their request. Um, uh, that's obviously a different
situation.
Uh, given the nature of what we may be talking about. We we
don't we don't give that level of detail in our in our
Communications, uh about what's the nature of the
disturbance, but certainly when there's been some sort of
you know, significant crime, uh, the police department will
declare the the scene a a crime scene and that will
basically impact how we deliver service either because we
have to spend service or we have to do other work around
around that service until they're able to allow us to
resume normal service again, um,
The most obvious solution to to the challenge that I'm
talking about is reducing crime. Um, you know, the good
news is that crime has been reduced on CTA. Uh, the bad
news is that there still is crime on CTA and and um, you
know, I think it's probably a more robust conversation to
have with the police department in terms of what additional
strategies we could put in place that can help with that.
Um, uh from our perspective, uh, we believe that obviously
having a higher degree of visibility of the police on our
system.
Goes a long ways toward both deterring crime, but also
giving our customers the feeling of safety. Um, I've always
recognized and I've made this point before the security
guards that I have on the system are not a substitute for
the police.
You know, they they can engage to some degree. They can do a
little bit of the you know, holding hands around um, uh
rules of conduct and stuff like that. But at the end of the
day, I need the police to step in, you know, when there are
issues that are occurring on the system that that
definitely need to be addressed that way. Um, so from my
perspective, um,
more police and more police visibility would be the big the
big thing I think would help a lot.
I hear you on that sir. And I I know as 1 of our speakers
spoke to earlier criminal and lwd behaviors have no place
on the CTA. If your staff offline can help us understand
what percentage of those disturbances are more.
Mental health or substance abuse related in that case.
There may be additional or perhaps we might argue more
relevant Personnel that we would like to see staffed on the
CTA trains as well. Yeah, that's a very good point and and
I should point out that we do fund through dfss the uh
presence of Social Service, uh agencies on our system, um
that do interventions and and I know that they have data
about what their success rate has been in terms of that
effort. Um, you're absolutely right that homelessness and
mental health, uh issues as well as drug addiction are also
challenges on CTA and the more resources we can put to that
I think the better, uh, I have committed to to funding 2
million dollars worth of those Services last year and I'm
funding 2
Million dollars of it this year and I'll continue to fund
it. Uh, as long as those services are needed but I I I
don't want to give the impression that 2 million dollars is
necessarily enough to deal with this problem. I I think all
of you recognize the challenges around homelessness and
mental health, uh, uh issues are it's a much bigger issue
than CTA and 1 in which we really do need some sort of
holistic approach that's going to really deal with that
problem throughout the city because I think as you address
it as a Citywide issue, you'll see a corresponding impact
on CTA. I I appreciate that sir. My question number 2 is
related to Blue Line Service. So, um again, like going by
meeting the moment, uh data that I pulled earlier today and
as you said the the data and its interpret,
Data listed is 1 Thing interpretation. There's nothing
another so I want to give space for interpretation that
said in April 2023. We were at 82.3% service delivered
April 2024, and we've had some vacillation in the middle,
but we're currently at 86.8% service delivered.
this is this is underperforming against the service as as a
whole which I think is what the frustration is for first
word residents. And I know you talked about the the point
related to short turning that there's times that we don't
go all the way to the Terminus at Forest Park that we turn
around early to go back to O'Hare but as you also shared
earlier, like I don't want my residents necessarily to the
be the beneficiary of a lack of service to black and brown
communities on the west side either.
So what is what are the steps that we can be taking to?
Get to 100% or close to 100% service delivered that don't
rely as much on short-term turning.
Well as as we continue to increase the number of rail
operators that we have on the system. We will have to rely
much less on short turning to address that issue. It it is
it was part of what we need to do and and and just to just
to clarify. Um
It was really a demand issue between the Forest Park branch
and the of the blue line and the or her branch of the blue
line. So it's not as if we weren't running service.
On that branch and providing that service but the demand
that we were seeing under her branch of the blue line was
Far exceeding the capacity for what it was that we could
provide without doing some short turning. We don't
short-term every train it it is periodic. Um adjustment
that we take into account what we need to also service the
rest of our system. Um, but it was 1 way to deal with what
what we were seeing as concerns about overcrowded platforms
and other things that has been alleviated, um, uh both by
the short term turning but also by the addition of
additional rail operators, which we will continue to add
over the course of the year. Uh, and and as we do that you
will see both an increase in in the performance of the the
rail line itself in terms of schedule, but you'll also see
and and Improvement in the quality as well as the quantity
of the service that we're providing, uh for that Branch as
well as through the rest of the system.
I see that I I appreciate the response sir. And I I will
follow up offline about how we can be supportive of
additional hiring. I would note that April 2024 was our
best month for rail operator hiring in a good long while so
that's fantastic. It is um, and it's it's important to
point out. Like I said that we hire as flaggers I and then
we move them into rail operators. So we don't directly
higher, uh rail offers off the street, but you're
absolutely right that this year. We we have trained and
continue to train our rail operators at a very at an
accelerated Pace, uh, so that we can meet our goal for the
end of the year.
I I will more accurately say conversion up to rail
operators.
And hopefully like we continue to build that Flagger
pipeline my last question.
Goes again back to meeting the moment. So it's the
intersection of buses and the DNC which we saw some
reporting on earlier. So if we look at April 2023
we had 23% of the bus fleet unavailable for service and it
is instant different direction since then, but currently
we're still at 23.6% of the bus fleet unavailable for
service. Now, we're not looking to take a a high number of
buses out of operation for the DNC but it did feel like a
significant percentage.
How are we making sure that we're going to have significant
sufficient operators and buses available?
For that time period so that we don't see a reduction in
service Citywide to take care of our our DNC attendees.
Well a couple of things that you need to keep in mind 1 is
um, we don't know yet the exact number of buses that are
going to be needed for the DNC. Uh, we entered into an
agreement with the DNC to provide up to 250 buses. Um based
on the conversations that we've had with the DNC today is
it's going to be south of that number. Um, I don't know
what the final number
will be um, but the thing that that keep in mind if that is
not just about the numbers but it's also about how the
service is being provided that really dictates how many
buses operators that may need at any particular point in
time. Uh, the other thing to keep in mind is that we have
the ability to have our operators work overtime and things
of that nature to basically cover it without impacting our
service as a practical matter. We Face these kind of
challenges almost every week with with special events and
concerts and other things where we provide extra what we
call unscheduled service that is provided to support the
activity or the events that we're talking about. So this is
not a totally out of the normal role for us. There are some
unique tweaks to this because of the security nature of
what we're doing and and the need to address that but we're
working very closely with the DNC. We're working very
closely with the city of Chicago and the mayor's office and
are working through both the the number of buses. They're
going to need the routes of those buses are going to have
to take and ultimately what the resources are. They will
have to dedicate
it to that, uh, and and I'm confident and comfortable and
and certainly my chief transit officer who who is
responsible for the bus service, uh, he and I have
discussed this and we're all confident that we're going to
be able to meet those needs without negatively impacting
the regular service that we provide throughout the system
to some degree. That's also been helped tremendously by The
increased number of operators that we brought on board as I
indicated before we've hired another 400 operators just so
far this month, uh, and we Platte
be
all aligning perfectly for us to be able to manage this and
still manage our other responsibilities throughout the
city.
I appreciate that very much. Thank you, sir. Thank you
chair.
All right. Thank you.
moving on to
ottoman Mana hoppenworth followed by
I'm in Nick's bazo followed by
next pasado and guys that we as we are approaching.
Um, can you prioritize your questions so we can get let's
get everybody an opportunity to address the president.
Thank you chair.
Good afternoon. Good afternoon president. Thank you for
being here. I want to thank you firstly for coming to visit
the 48th Ward. We're very excited about RPM and and your
team has been incredible. It's the first time in a 100
years. We're going to see these Investments to our red and
purple lines and it's going to make a difference across the
whole city. So thank you for that. Also want to thank you
for your commitment to the second chance program. It's a
very important program that I I don't think that we talked
about enough and it it really does save lives. So I
appreciate that so much.
I wanted to
first
Ask what? What's the percentage of women you have on your
Staff, do you know if if you don't then if I could get that
through the chair? Yes, I I can get that for you. I I
probably do have it here somewhere, but it would probably
take me a minute to find the sheet. Yeah that has that
information on it. But uh, we do have a very diverse, of
course including females. I yeah, and I appreciate that. Um
Particularly for um, I have it for you. Okay, go ahead. Um
of our total Workforce of employees 34% are female and 65%
are are male, okay.
I I ask because uh, there was a somebody who came for
public comments and I do want to thank everyone who who did
come to give public comments because it's important to
listen, um, that bathrooms is there. They should be
prioritized workers should be able to have access to
bathrooms. So if I could get your commitment to address
that issue, please yes, and let me let me clarify that a
little bit. I I I didn't respond to it in in my remarks but
We share the same concern about providing our employees
with appropriate facilities to to use for restrooms.
some of the challenge here is just the location where some
of our routes have to end that don't provide the the the um
infrastructure the space to put in a a full War, um, brick
and mortar, uh, restroom facility, but we also enter into
arrangements with with businesses throughout throughout the
city and along a number of our routes that will allow our
employees to use their facilities if they need to do it and
we certainly um, uh, do not discourage our employees so
they need to stop um in the middle of a route because they
need to take a personal, uh, as we like to say, um in a
perfect world, I would not be using porta-potties anywhere.
I I I don't disagree with the comments that were made that
it's not an ideal solution, especially in the winter time
when when you're dealing with with below, you know,
freezing temperatures, uh, it is it is intended to be
almost an emergency option for people with the ability to
also use other options along the way the final point I
would make is
That this is not a new issue for me. It's not it's been
brought up by the union leadership, uh with with me and
with CTA and we have certainly work with them in terms of
altering routes and doing other things that allow our
operators more opportunity to end up in places where they
don't have to use those. I I appreciate that you're going
to be continued and we'll continue to work on that problem.
Thank you. Thank you. I I appreciate that. I I wanted to um
You know we've been talking about.
cleanliness
um on the train
and uh, well firstly I would I will say that um,
We put out a survey to our constituents.
And over a period of 10 days. We got 153 submissions to our
survey.
Um, therefore things that people are concerned about and it
includes cleanliness reliability safety and accessibility.
And it's all the things that we've already talked about,
um, including how to report concerns.
what we also found talking to the kids constituent Services
team is that
sir, 15%
of our constituent service requests
are related to CTA.
This is separate from RPM.
and it has to do with safety and it has to do with
cleanliness and reliability and accessibility and the
biggest thing that people of our complaining about in the
document is smoking.
The last time I took the red line.
As an ex smoker it does bother me. It bothers me very much.
You know, I used to I used to take the metro, you know from
the suburbs when I lived in the suburbs, and there used to
be a smoking car.
And I used to smoke. I I can't imagine that life again, but
actually people are living it every day. And so
many many people have talked about smoking and I had to go
up to somebody and say please I wish you would not smoke on
this train knowing that they could have responded in many
merits of ways. So can I
and and uh, I have 3 other things to say. So, um, I would
just like a commitment, uh from you to have a plan on how
we're going to address smoking on the trains.
We are trying to address it. I I I I know I don't want to
take a lot of time responding to it. But I I it is
something that we know is a constant complaint of our
customers. Um, we've actually created a a chatbot now that
allows our customers to communicate to us complaints 1 of
which is around smoking. Um, when that gets when they do
that it gets actually transmitted to our control center.
Our control center has the ability to contact the operator
and in many cases. The operator will make announcements to
these in to the car or to the train saying smoking is not
permitted on here and hopes that that would help. Okay deal
with the problem. Um, as you know, it's a it's a
bigger issue around people's behavior and other things that
create those issues. Um, and it's certainly something that
we work with a certain something that that the police
department view as a priority. Uh, and I know that there
are more tickets written for smoking on CTA than just about
any other violation of any other code of conduct.
Thank you. I appreciate that. So I
I I can uh consolidate the rest of my questions and and
just to say that the survey
um
153 people responded and these are folks who take the 147
15122368450. 9213620 7896580 on and on.
And they take it because um, they need to get to work. They
need to get their medical supplies to go see the doctor or
they want to be entertained. You know, we we just want
every single Community to be a destination and CTA can do
that and I I Champion CTA. I I really love the CTA. I just
want to just say that I would like
um as you're talking about data and how important it is,
we're going to continue to um survey our constituencies and
I propose that you might prioritize in the data that you
share with us.
cleanliness reliability safety and accessibility in ways
that
I can go back to my constituents and say you know, this is
the chat box that you can use that's helpful for me to
share.
And and we could track that and that that's the other thing
tracking is um, they they say that that's a second thing
smoking and tracking the tracking is not reliable. So, um,
these are folks that you know work at Lori's Children's
Hospital.
You know, it's talking about healthcare workers. They they
can't get to work on time to service. The people that
really need them to the most so cleanliness reliability
safety accessibility and we're talking about safety working
with CPD, but not only that also how we servicing those who
need alternatives to police.
Mental health supports. Um, I I I know we've been adding to
the list of topics to possibly talk about at a at at the
next hearing. I'm happy to give you a more deeper dive into
what we do around those issues, um from our perspective the
data that we see around cleanliness the complaints that
we're getting about claiming this have dropped
dramatically. I I will counter to say that that's not
that's not what we got in our survey. I know and 1 of the
things I was going to ask you too is if you would mind
sharing your survey with me, I will because my team so that
we can then give you some more direct responses to all and
and I and I I would appreciate through the chair, you know,
just to share the explanation of how trains are cleaned how
often they're cleaned. I I'm happy to do all of that and I
think that's a perfect topic for um for that conversation 1
we can we'll give you a written response to that, but we
can also give you a better presentation of the cleaning of
regimen that we engage.
agent and how we address cleanliness on our system both the
bus and the train absolutely and um,
I guess the other the last thing I would say is uh our uh
constituency Trends older.
And so elevators are very important and I understand with
the construction of the RPM. That's an issue right now, but
elevators that for instance that Granville they they are
inoperable and they they have been like that for a very
long time. So I'd like, um, just a through the chair how
many elevators you have. And also how many are out of
operation right now, we we can get you that information. I
think it actually may be on our dashboard as well. Um, but
uh our elevator up time how how what over the course of a
24 hour period how how often our elevators are down our
elevator up time is in the 90% out range. So they're up
more than they're down having said that there can be
instances in a location or some other place where there's
something going on that that elevator that particular
elevator in that case may not be operating the way we
wanted it to but if it you know it
Please feel free to share that with us and I can get you
more more detailed answer to your specific question. Yeah,
and I guess that um that goes to back to you know, how do
we report concerns? What's the best way for us at city
council to report these concerns to you that our
constituent Services directors can't address on their own.
Sure. No, I I mean, I have a a a government relations staff
that should be in contact with your office on a regular
basis. There's someone assigned specifically to you, uh as
Alderman and they should always just reach out to that team
that team will get the I would say it would be more
proactive about that that I I will certainly pass that
along because I my My Hope Is that they are being proactive
but if you don't know who they are and if you're not
getting that type of feedback then that means we need to do
more work which we will do.
Thank you president. Thank you cheer. Thank you.
Uh next we have uh Expos.
Chairman, uh Alderman dial text me and asked if she could
go ahead and me. She's got a meeting at 1 so if it's okay
with you because she jump ahead of me. That's fine.
Go ahead chairman Dow.
Thank you chairman. Uh, hello president, uh Carter. Um,
first I want to um,
Uh, just give you a share a little good news, you know, when
uh, the resolution came forward. I just want you to know
that most of the uh, sign on to the resolutions came from
people who did not live within my community and uh, most of
the people that sent me emails to support you were people
from my community. Um, I just wanted to say that I support
you in your leadership. Um, I wanted to um, also uplift
Gerald Nichols who has been the person, uh, the government
Affairs person for for my office who's is proactive, um and
keeps, uh me a breast of things. I want to uh, underscore
the point that um, Alderman Mina hoppenworth was making
about cleanliness and uh power washing of the stations,
washing of the stations, especially the power washing of
the sidewalks, um around your stations. I think it's
something that's necessary, especially at High
Traffic traffic, uh train stations like, uh, Roosevelt, uh,
47th Street as examples. Um, uh, I wanted to get through
the chair. I don't want to belabor the point. I know that
you've been here a long time, but I would like to get
through the chair the MBE or I guess you do dbe numbers for
your uh contractual spins.
by ethnicity
and amount and amount of spend.
Okay, um wondered if you could comment on a couple of
things. Um, I've been the
People have been sending me some articles about some things
happening in New York. Um 1 is um, the uh, intentional uh
removal of uh homeless and um,
mentally ill people off of their train system connecting
them to services and I was wondering if you have begun
having any conversations with the people.
In the administration leading the treatment not trauma.
um work
To see if that might be a option for the CTA because I
think more people would ride the trains if they felt they
weren't going to be. Um,
harassed uh, or, you know have some of this erratic
behavior that people, you know are raising issues about
so I wondered if you could comment on that and then the
second New York program. Um, I was reading about was the
congestion the MTA there is doing a uh congestion pricing
program where the money raised from that I think uh is
going to the transportation system in New York City at a
rate.
Of about 15 billion dollars that's quite a bit of money.
Um, have you thought about that at all? And that's
that's it for me. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll listen.
Well, I've dreamed about it, um, you know, getting that
kind of money, uh into our system would be a wonderful
thing, um, New York.
Is the first transit system in the country to pursue a
congestion pricing, uh fee, uh to support the public
transportation operations in that City. I think it's
important to also remember that in New York. You pretty
much can't go anywhere unless you're on public
transportation. So they they they're they're system is 1 10
times the size of mine and and secondly, um have probably
10 times the budget that mine does um congestion pricing is
something that they got the state legislature to approve in
New York. Um, uh, uh, uh mtas in the process of
implementing it I believe there are some lawsuits pending
against them particularly from uh, the state of New Jersey
who isn't for obvious reasons real thrilled that the fact
that you have to pay a fee to get into New York. Um, and
that's working its way through the legal process, but I I
know from having talked to the chairman, um of New York MTA
John lever that they are very committed to uh, pursuing
that funding source and they do believe
That with the implementation that funding source, it will
address a lot of the financial challenges that their system
faces, uh going forward. So I think everyone in the
industry is watching very closely what they're doing in New
York, uh to see how it all plays out and certainly, um,
when you look at the portfolio of options that the state
legislature has around funding for the for public transit
is region. I believe 1 of the options that the the mpos um,
cmat put on their website congestion pricing option. Um, I
think that, you know, the politics of whether that happens
in a city like Chicago it's very different than New York.
And so I'm not advocating uh for a particular solution to
that but it is the type of Revenue stream that can generate
significant amounts of funding that can be of that could be
put directly into improving public transportation systems
throughout the region, um with regards to your your other
question about homeless.
and and the program that they have there, um
You may or may not be aware that that even in New York.
That was a very controversial step that was taken and I
believe by the mayor of New York at the time to basically
say I'm taking all the homeless people off of New York MTA
and and basically, um, uh some have argued criminalizing,
uh, the um positive of of the unhoused um here in in
Chicago and Illinois, the unhoused actually have certain
civil rights in terms of what you can or cannot do to them.
Um, they have a right to access public transportation. And
if they pay as uh many cases they do they have the the
right to do that. We have the ability and and we certainly
um, uh, utilize our authority to require the individuals
who are what we call continuously writing, um, uh on our
system which means that they never get off. They just keep
riding back and forth. We have the ability to ask them to
get off the train at the at a terminal, um, uh, and and
actually, um, our employees, uh work to try to make that
happen because it impacts our ability to clean the trains
if they're if they're still on there. Um, as you can
imagine that say, uh, somewhat challenging, um activity for
our employees to engage in there's a certain level of
personal uh, physical risk, uh involved in that and so
we're we're we
We we approach that policy with a certain degree of of
care. Um, but the real solution to that is is the solution
that I discussed earlier which is getting getting these
individuals the type of support that they need through
social service agencies and others, uh to allow them to
pick an option other than being on CTA as a place that they
sleep and spend their nights. Uh, I've made the point on
many occasions that I don't think anybody wants to
basically be living on CTA. It's not
A very accommodating place to be and is certainly uh has a
significant amount of risk, um, a lot of the the physical
assaults and and incidents that we see occur on CTA involve
people who are homeless or people who are mentally um ill
uh, and so I think that the real solution here in Chicago
is continue to work with dfss in the city to really find
options and Alternatives other than being on our system, uh
for these people who need this help and getting getting
them connected with those resources as best we can um, uh
through CTA
All right, uh, thank you Mr. Chairman. I have some other
questions, but I'll put them through the chair and I want
to thank alderman spado for his accommodation. Thank you.
All right. Thank you. I'm down. All right.
Bye.
Thank you chairman. I can assure you. I'll get us caught up
a little so I won't I won't be long I'll be in my usual
brief self. Uh, so just want to start off. Thank you, uh
President Carter and your staff for coming here today and
speak for us speak to us. I I'm sure you weren't too
thrilled about coming after the uh letter with 29
signatures on it. So, um, so just to let you know sir. I'm
I'm appraising public and scolding private kind of guy. Um,
I don't have to try to embarrass somebody and and in public
to make myself look good. So that's not what I'm about but
I am I am troubled by the way you started off today
President Carter and uh, the fact that you you think you're
being attacked because of the color of your skin. Um, I'm 1
of the 21. I'm not 1 of the 29.
Can I share you? Um why I don't agree with the way they did
it that you're not being attacked because of the color of
your skin. So I just wanted to say that it wasn't on my
list originally, but you kind of started off with that and
and I don't believe that's the reason uh, many of the
people on there. Some are my friends some are my enemies
but I could assure you none of them, uh are going after you
because of your color of your skin. Um,
of course public officials shouldn't feel unsafe.
Unfortunately. That's the story of our life nowadays. I
don't know what's happened to this world. You know, we're a
couple older guys here. We know how how the world is
changed. Uh, the world has just gone mad. So I'm not sure
I'm not sure what that's about. I don't have any answers
for that. Uh other than just people need to respect each
other.
um
Not sure why I only a handful of my colleagues will be here
today of 2019 people signed on to a letter and we got you
know, I don't know maybe 15 people came in and out today.
I'm not sure why that is. Um, so I did uh did want to give
a shout out to Gerald. I know uh Alderman Dowell also did
that's really the only person I ever deal with whenever I
have issues. He's always there answers my questions
respond. I probably call him less than any Alderman but he
still responds to me and he has answers for me. So I have 2
questions chairman and and that's it. Um, so so 1 question
is, uh,
President Carter, um
I I heard I heard some troubling things about the percent
of your work for us that calls in on a daily basis. Do you
track that do you have a number? Can you say I heard it was
15% I don't know if that's true or not. So can you confirm
or deny that and an average or a day? I don't know how how
you would refer to it as but do we actually have that many
people on a daily basis average twice?
on a on a daily basis
for daily average for what we would call unscheduled
absences. So obviously there's the vacation and other
things that we view a scheduled absence on a daily basis.
We usually have to account for about a 100%
Um, who would be
I'm looking at my chief administrative officer. He actually
tracks and let me answer your first question. Yes, we do
track that data. And we do have that data. Uh, I think on
on an on an average, you know day we we're looking at about
a hundred, uh, people who take what we would call
unscheduled absence. That means they just they and 100 it
means what means nothing to me is 100 twenty 5% 2% you know
50% I mean, well, I I first of all it depends upon the I
think the way to look at it is a 100 out of what category
of of position fcta, um, not all absence of created
equally, um, obviously we could talk about bus operators,
um bus drivers and train drivers, you know about 100 people
100 plus operators don't show up. Um 1 of the reasons 1 of
the ways that we deal with that. I I I want to clarify how
that impacts our service.
1 of the ways that we deal with that is is why we have what
we refer to as an extra board. So we have people who are
basically available to fill.
The runs for someone who doesn't show up for work, that's
also the same people though that we use to fill the runs
for people who are scheduled to be off. So, um 1 of the
reasons why getting our numbers back up to a full Workforce
level is important is not only just because of the schedule
that we have to put out but it's because we need to fill
the extra board so that we have the ability to manage those
unexpected, uh absences that require us to to impact
service. And so that's basically how we manage it. Um, I
can get you the exact numbers for CTA in that regard and
and also I could give you some comparables to what that
looks like based on the industry as a whole absenteeism is
a challenge in the industry as a whole is not unique to
CTA. Uh, it's something that we all kind of struggle to
deal with but we can certainly get you that data. Okay.
Thank you. And then my 1 other question, I don't feel
you're getting any help from the state's attorney. I may be
wrong, but can you give me an idea?
basically, and I don't not sure if I'm wording this right
but
the amount of CTA arrest that turn into convictions now,
maybe not the raw number but percentage maybe so if you
have I'm just making this number up a 100 arrests a month
what percentage of those people average get convicted or is
it everybody just dismissed dismissed dismissed? So because
you have habitual problem people on on the CTA, which I
everybody's well aware of. I'm sure your your main problem
is you you got a core of you guys know, you're not going to
say who they are or anything but a certain group of people
maybe 50 maybe 100 that are just problems all over the
place. So, can you just give us an idea of
That your arrest and then these people that convicted get I
can get you that exact date. I don't I don't know off the
top of my head. But the point that you're making which I
don't disagree with is that
arrests and convictions are not necessarily A 1 to 1 ratio
here. Um, of course 1 of the things that we do do is we do
work closely, um, uh, uh, uh with the police department,
uh, and and the the State's Attorney's office to really try
to press for um, uh elevated charges when when individuals
commit certain activities on CJ particularly any activity
that involves, um, assaulting or attacking a CJ employee,
um, ultimately in many cases so it's it comes down not
necessarily always see the state's attorney comes down to
the judge. Um, who is the 1 that's going to decide whether
someone should get convicted whether someone can give you
banned.
From CTA or whether there's any other action they're going
to take and so uh the judicial system in general and and I
I don't want to put it all on the state's attorney because
that's 1 piece of it, uh creates challenges in terms of bad
behavior on CTA and certainly particularly amongst
juveniles. I think there's a very real belief that there's
very little that's going to happen to you for what you do
on CTA and that certainly is a problem that we see on our
system that leads to a lot of the challenges, uh that you
hear both in terms of customer complaints and also in terms
of service delivery because those are the interruptions
that we talk about that create the challenges on our system
on a daily basis. So so then can I add a a a third question
and to my second question that would be it and this is a
brief 1 and I just want probably an easy answer can anybody
be banned from using the CTA? So if John Smith is a
habitual problem for us and yes, you've been arrested and
mutual times. Can you say that's it? You can never write a
CTA again. Yes, and we have had people who have been banned
from CPA. Okay. Uh we've got
Gotten a judge to actually include that in the order. Uh,
there are we also have the ability to ban people ourselves.
The challenge. Of course with Banning is that there's no
way to really enforce that unless the person is identified
and ultimately either arrested again, but when they are
arrested they're now both trespassing as well as doing
whatever, uh, they have done that created the problem
initially. So, um, it is a tool that we use. Um, it's not a
tool that necessarily is all that effective to be honest
with you, but
Certainly allows us to to send that message out. I think
some of the other tools that we're trying to use to
address. This is, you know, basically starting to put
people's pictures up on on our digital screens and
elsewhere showing their bad behavior. In other words. Um,
you know, if you're going to break out windows on CTA your
mom your dad your grandmother your sisters, they're going
to see your picture out there doing that because quite
honestly you shouldn't be doing it and there's no reason to
be doing it. Um, all right, uh, so we're we're trying to
find other ways to discourage people from engaging in
conduct. They shouldn't engage in I should point out. I'm
not putting your your picture up for everything you might
do on CTA, but certainly for things where you've done
property damage something like that. We are looking at
other ways to amplify the fact that you know, that behavior
is unacceptable, and maybe hopefully get some Community
Support to for lack of a better word and embarrass the
person into behavior in the correct way. Thank you, sir.
Thank you chairman.
All right.
Thank you all um.
ottoman Robinson follow the bottom and Lee
and then ottoman Coleman
Chairman, thank you, uh very much for the opportunity, uh,
specifically uh today because I am not a member.
of this committee, um, but I am here today because I want
to thank
uh President Carter, uh for coming down today, and I also
want to thank the mayor for allowing you uh to come down
from my understanding that did not happen with the
previous. Um Administration unlike my colleagues President
Carter, uh, and and and chairman. I do have 2 questions,
but I want to lay the foundation here this afternoon unlike
my colleagues that spoke before me.
I think it was important for you to be here.
To defend yourself and your record and how you started out
today. I don't take offense to and this body should not
take offense to I I think it also was important uh for me
to take on some of your frustration because some of that
came out today,
1 of my colleagues mentioned that this is not about race.
well
Mr. President and chairman look if you feel that way you
should be able to say that and I think it's very
disrespectful for anybody and this body any place else to
be able to
The gate how you feel and what you're saying and I apologize
on the behalf of this body.
For you to sit here and for somebody to tell you what it's
not about, so, please take my apology for my colleagues
because that's disrespectful and I hope that they correct
themselves moving forward because again if somebody is
saying this is about race or their sexuality or anything
else we have to be able to listen particularly as elected
officials to be able to take that on and so it really
teased me off that you had to sit through that and again, I
apologize.
As it relates to your record.
Thank you for getting the red line extension done.
That is going to be transformative to the south side of
Chicago particularly.
for African-American
to be able to not only get the work Mr. President, but also
be able to engage with the best of the best which is the
city of Chicago.
And for many years they've been disconnected to
opportunities to be able to come to the city of Chicago the
loop to be able to take care of their families and have
jobs and so your work.
Allowing that to happen after many mayors have not been
able to do that many Administrations.
Thank you for getting that done.
My question is someone that has spent 5 years in the State,
uh general assembly is where we first met.
Can you please you mentioned a little bit before but I want
to know if you can bring Clarity to it.
We look at we always talk about New York and we talk about
other large cities.
What is the difference between their funding mechanisms and
our funding mechanisms and what is a disconnect and what
can we do is this body?
To help as you mentioned before this is not about President
Carter president Carter.
You could retire tomorrow.
You're here for a reason you are here to give back to the
system that has given you much as a graduate of Howard
University.
so with that said
How do we get to a point where we have parity with our
large transit authorities? For example, like New York and
what's the disconnect and how do we get this done? How do
we help the Chicago Transit Authority have parity like they
have in New York.
Thank you for that question. And um
1 of the realities about the funding for public
transportation in the state of Illinois is that we are not
ranked near the top of the country in terms of the amount
of funding that the state provides for public transit in
this region. Um, my belief is that we're we're ranked in
the bottom half of that conversation. Um, but there's
another part of the way the funding works here that that
creates the disconnect, um with with CTA, um, and it goes
all the way back to the Genesis of of this funding, uh back
in the 1980s. Um when Harold Washington was mayor
um
the funding form that was set up in such a way.
that
in the city of Chicago CTA gets 100% It's a sales tax base
funding formula and in the city of Chicago CTA gets 100% of
the sales tax.
That is generated for public transportation in the city.
We get 25% of the sales tax in a generated in Suburban
cook, and we get 0% of any of the sales taxes generated in
the collar counties.
a couple of issues with that 1
First of all, you talk about a sales tax as a basis for
your for your Revenue stream, then it really matters where
sales are being generated and it should come as no surprise
that you know in shopping malls like Woodfield and Oakbrook
and others. That's where you're seeing. A lot of the sales
tax get generated in this region. That's not inside the
city of Chicago.
the implications of that
because we divided this thing up geographically is that the
amount of sales tax that comes to CTA?
To fund our our operating budget.
Um only of the portion that is allocated geographically and
only covers like 80% of our overall operating budget.
So whereas the other 20% come from?
It comes from the portion of the sales tax that is taken off
the top that is supposed to be quote discretionary. Um, uh
funding that's the money that goes to RTA.
RTA is supposed to be using that to fund discretionary
activities in the region. It could be funding Universal
fare cards. It could be funding free rides for students
throughout the region. It could be funding, you know, a new
capital investment project like the red line extension if
it had been done years ago.
They're unable to do that because 98% of that money.
Has to go to CTA just to meet our operating budget.
So you set up a formula back in the 1980s That was supposed
to provide enough money to fund Metro CTA and pace and give
you a discretionary pot on top of that that would allow you
as a region to fund those things that you believe are
Regional priorities for this for the entire system.
Well Metro and Pace get enough funding to support their
operations.
CTA has never gotten enough money to fund its operations.
We have been on the the the you know, the the governmental
public, you know.
view of welfare
for the entire time since the 1980s.
And that's part of the reason why CTA has had so many
fiscal crisis over the years that's part of the reason why
you've always heard about these doomsday budgets and all
the other things that have occurred that only happened with
CTA but didn't happen with Metro Pace. It was that was part
of the reason why
um
What we need.
Is a funding formula that makes some allocation of the
funds in a way that ultimately represents the level of
service that all of us are providing.
I mentioned earlier we provide 80% of all the rides in the
Chicago land area.
We received 48% of all the funding.
New York doesn't have that problem
all the money goes into into a regional pot for them the
funds 100% of their operations. Um, the other thing to keep
in mind that is unique to Illinois and unique to us is that
we're required to recover 50% of our cost from the fare
box.
It's something that's referred to as the recovery ratio.
Recovery ratios are not unusual just about every transit
system in the country has some sort of recovery ratio where
some percentage of their cost is supposed to be covered by
the um fare box.
We have the highest recovery ratio in the country.
No, 1 requires 50% of the total cost to be covered by via
the fare box itself and so what that does
Is it leads to situations where you're cutting service?
Not because people don't need it or want it but because it
doesn't meet the revenue projections necessary to meet the
overall, um recovery ratio requirement, uh for the for the
agency.
That is what has happened in some of the service reductions
that have happened over the years to CTA.
And so when you look at what's happened to CTA over the
last few decades, we look at the amount of service that we
used to provide.
Versus the amount of search we provide today particularly
on the bus side.
and I mentioned the bus side because that is basically 1
60% of our ridership is on bus.
And not surprising a big portion of that is minority.
But when you look at what this has done
to the service that CJ provides it has unilaterally
disassembled that service and made it let much less
appealing.
To the people who are most Transit dependent on services
like CTA, um, and it is universally hit CTA more than its
hit Metro pace.
That's when I say that there's a structural problem and and
the system we have today is broken. That's what I'm talking
about. It is something that's been put in place and I
should point out there have been um additions made to the
formula over the years. But all that was was a patchwork
basically putting something on top of the existing formula
and just saying just poor more money through it. So the
historical um, discriminatory conduct as relates to CTA and
as a result, the city of Chicago has been in place since
the 1980s and it's never been adequately addressed.
in the history of um of our agency
the good news is when you have a 500 million dollar deficit
or a 700 million decimal for the entire region.
People have to start talking about how we fund us in a
different way than ever before and so we have an
opportunity now that I think for the first time in my
career to really have an honest conversation down in
Springfield about how we should fund public transit in this
region and possibly come out with a new alternative
approach. That doesn't penalize CTA even though we're the
biggest transit system in the region itself.
And I think the the opportunity for all of you with Alderman
to be an advocate for that change is going to be critical
to its overall success. Um, uh, this is this is a once I
hate to say it. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to
really re to fix this problem.
and to fix it in a way that will basically put the agency
on the type of financial footing that will start to address
many of the
institutional complaints that people have about CTA service
Um, uh, I think that we can't afford to miss this and and
I'm really looking forward to working with all of you to
really make the case down in Springfield. Well why this is
something that needs to be a priority and needs to be
addressed in the appropriate way do not let them basically
re-up the same thing that they've done in the past because
we will face the same problem all over again in the future.
Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, hopefully we can get 50 folks
to sign in sign on in a letter to our friends at
Springfield, uh to do just that can you um talk about
Your dbe where it was when you got in this chair and where
it is now.
And if you could kind of give us a little insight on how
that has been life-changing. I know we've had some folks
that have spoken particularly in in in Black, uh in latinx
communities. Yeah.
Uh, there have been a couple of things that I've been
doing. Um,
uh, since I've been president of CTA that really focused on
not only creating more opportunities for dves. Um, um, uh
to get business with CTS. Um 1 is I've taken a real hard
look at the size of our contracts and in many instances,
I've broken up contracts to create more opportunities for
small businesses.
The other is that I created a small business program that
allows me to do set aides.
that of of of contracts that can only go too small
businesses so that basically by definition primarily
includes dbe's uh in that category and that program has
grown. Um, uh over the 8 years that I've been here. Um,
some of the other things that we've done is that we've
we've worked to put our GBE businesses in a better position
to do work with CTA by by providing training programs, uh,
that allow them to learn the skills that they need to be
able to put together bids to be able to to, you know,
manage their Billings and to do the things they need to do
to properly um, not only get business with CTA, but when
they get that business,
Not go bankrupt as a result of that. It's basically
explaining to them how government, you know Works how
procurements work how you get paid. Um, the other piece
that we've done which is the 1 that I think has probably
been the most interesting from my perspective is we've also
worked to help build Financial capacity for dbe. We've
connected them up with with bonding companies and others to
basically put them in a position to have the capacity and
the financial resources to allow them to bid on CTA work
and to not you know worried about being able to make
payroll in 30 days because they don't have the financial
resources to back them up. Like most of our bigger firms do
um, in addition to that. We have Mentor programs with our
primes that that basically uh, bring dbe in and help Mentor
them into doing work, um on our business. Um, we have um,
uh created, um,
More opportunities for DVS to be primes. Uh, we have broken
up. For example, uh, we used to on our construction
contracts we used to to to award 1 DV goal that would cover
both the design and Engineering work as well as the
construction work for a project on a design build project.
Well in talking to the engineering community what they told
me this was very early on in my career, uh as as president.
Um, was that what the primes were doing? When that did that
is that they were backloading their dbe participation into
the construction side of the project and basically doing
very little dve, uh goals on the on the uh, engineering
Professional Services side. So we created 2 separate goals.
We created a goal on a on a on a design build contract. We
created a goal for the engineering and Professional
Services work. It would create a separate goal for the
construction work so that so that the engineering companies
many of which are minority owned were able to compete for
and get a significant portion of that business. Um, some of
the other things that we've done is on task order
contracts, uh, instead of putting an overall goal for the
entire contract. We put goals on end of each individual
task order so that we look at the task go to that. We're
issuing and we assigned a specific dbe goal to that task
order which
Increases the amount of DV participation over the entire
life of the contract. Um
There are things like as part of our as part of the
submission of our of a proposal now on our major contracts
in addition to submitting The Proposal you have to submit a
dbe Outreach Outreach and engagement plan how you're going
to proactively reach out to the dbe community engaged them
and opportunities under this contract and that is scored as
part of the overall proposal. So the the companies that
give us the best Outreach and engagement plan.
Are the ones that will get the highest score and possibly
the highest ranking, um on the contract that we will award.
Um all of these
Taken together are part of my effort to really send a
message to the prime community that we have a very strong
expectation of dbe participation on our contracts and that
that expectation starts from the moment. You submit a bid
to us all the way through the contract completion and as a
result of that we've seen a lot of innovative things that
have come from the contractors, uh, scholarship programs
other things that we have found have been helpful to not
only promoting our dves but also in promoting the um
opportunities for Workforce growth to development, which is
the second part of what we've been what we've been really
focused on is how do we ensure that the people in those
communities that have been traditionally been locked out of
job opportunities?
Also get the benefit of these projects we've set up
programs where you have go economic, uh achievement goals
where your your goal is dependent on uh, recruiting and and
and hiring people who come from what have been designated
zip codes where that are viewed as economically, um, uh,
disadvantaged communities, uh, we have specific goals that
are focused around Apprentice training and development. Uh,
We've entered into contracts with other organizations, um
to support the pipeline of Preparing People to basically go
into the
Viewing and get apprenticeship programs. We've used that on
the RPM project and we're going to be using it on the red
line extension project. But the idea here is to basically
not only view these Transportation projects as an
opportunity to improve public transit, but also an
opportunity to create to create jobs and contracts for
those communities who historically have not necessarily
benefited from this work, um, and and by doing that
creating the type of investment back into those communities
that ultimately benefits everyone in the city of Chicago
Mr. President. Thank you, um chairman just to close. Uh,
just 2 points on 1 Mr. President is a recommendation. Um,
I represent the loop all the way as as far as as as High
Park and there are a lot of street closures, um a lot of
reroutes and so 1 of the suggestions is is to make sure
that the drivers to be able to express that to the writers.
Um, uh, if possible and then also if there's if there is a
place on your site, um to be able to share and real time,
um for folks to be able to know what those closures and the
reroutes are uh would be very helpful. Um, and then lastly
I know that you mentioned, um your sea Suite um, that's in
the Box. Um, someone that I also want to be able to command
that I don't think that we were able to recognize is Chris
Rowe who I do spend a lot of time.
um with when I have issues and concerns, um with the uh with
the system, um that uh, those issues and concerns have
always been uh, um,
Addressed, uh, very expeditiously and so Mr. President, I
wanted to share that with you and thank you for your time
today.
Thank you. I I I do want to point out that we do put
reroute information on our website, um in addition to that
on some of our newer buses.
That have digital screens that sit over over the aisle. Uh,
there's the ability to communicate reroutes and other
information on the bus itself. That is not the majority of
our buses right now, but that's part of the new buses that
will be adding to the fleet. Um, but we are looking at ways
to obviously improve, uh, continue to improve our
Communications to our customers about changes to service
that are unanticipated or that may impact their their
riding experience.
Thank you, honor and Robinson, um ottoman leave followed by
Alderman Coleman followed by Alderman Mosley be mindful of
the time people.
Um, thank you chairman. Um, and in the interest of time,
there's a few questions that I'm going to ask through the
chair. You don't have to answer them right now. Um, but
just to piggyback on some things that we're already said,
um, I understand that you've had some great strides in
hiring bus, uh bus drivers. Um, and I think you addressed
earlier the number of people that you're losing just
through attrition. Um, I'm wondering if there are specific
job classifications or positions that you're most
Challenged in so through the chair if we can have that. Um,
uh, and then also what sort of Partnerships do you have
currently, uh with either CPS or city colleges to recruit
people earlier having worked in the airline industry. I
know, you know when you have uh deficits and an aging
population, you've got to get to people earlier. Um, and
then the uh, the last through the chair, uh question is, um
on the whole, uh, topic of extra board employees that you
have. Um, I'm wondering how frequently you're the cta's
operating, uh at a deficit for either trained operators or
drivers just out of curiosity, uh, when you don't have
enough extra or post-pandemic because I can it's a very
different conversation pre post post post pic. Yeah, post
pandemic. Um, okay, so to my questions, um, Can someone
talk about how um on-time performance is on the red line
whether or not you're planning for extra trains when there
are big events, like baseball games, uh on either the North
or the South sides.
Yeah, I I I can get you the actual performance numbers, uh
for on-time performance. I I don't know the top of my head
but to ask your question. Yeah, when they're when there are
major events where we know we're going to get like a rush
of people into a station. Um, uh, like for baseball game we
will we will put in what we call an extra that's basically
designed to to bring in a train that will help sort of
clear the platform and and keep people moving. Uh, that's
part of the service restoration techniques that we use uh
around
special events and other activities, um, sometimes depending
upon the event, uh, even with those efforts you will still
see crowding occurring on the platform and we have
Personnel who who monitor, uh, that situation including
Personnel in our control center, uh, who will work to see
if there are other service restoration techniques we can do
to increase, uh, the capacity to address those kind of type
of concerns. Thank you, um Switching gears a little bit.
Um, there was a recent Tribune article that found 34% of
the city's vacant owned land is near CTA stations and more
than a third of those lots are owned, um publicly some by
CTA. Um, and they're also parking lots just like the 1 that
by the Orange Line on Archer and Holston, um, which I don't
see getting used very often. Um, I'm wondering what um CTA
is doing around smart development around the the stations
with vacant land and parking lots that are maybe
underutilized and could this be something that could be
used to improve Revenue? Um, as we're approaching this
fiscal cliff
the short answer to the last part of your question is yes,
um to the earlier part of the question, we we work closely
with dpd on developing Transit oriented development
opportunities around our stations 1 of the things that I
have discussed with our our folks down in Springfield is
getting more uh tools for CTA to do its own development
activities. Uh, if you look at Trent some other transit
systems around the world, uh, in some places, they're
almost a real estate company that
Operate the transportation system. It's it's amazing like in
in Hong Kong. Uh, what they do in terms of development
around their around their stations Hong Kong course has a
has a density issue. That doesn't come anywhere close to
what we have here in Chicago, but
To your point and I actually have this exact same
conversation with ottoman Coleman the other day. Uh, I am
distressed at the amount of vacant property that we have
along our RightWay.
Some of which we own many of which we don't and the fact
that there isn't any sort of overall plan on how to
leverage CTA to really develop that property. Uh, I believe
that if we had the the the legal authority to do more of
our own development, it would 1 start to address some of
those issues particularly in those communities that want to
see that type of development occur because we obviously
have more incentives to try to make that happen and
secondly, it creates a few pointed out a potential Revenue
stream for CTA that creates somewhat of a safety net
against whatever variability we may see in our public
subsidies as we go forward. I'm hopeful that as Springfield
does their wholesale re-imagination of of of of public
transit funding, uh for this region that that'll be a piece
of what we will get, uh that will then open up the doors
for CJ to do a whole lot more and a whole lot more
aggressively than what we're doing today. Well and I think
to be sure in this whole ecosystem look we know that you
can't control everything that happens.
On a train or on a bus, um, and there's a lot of outside
factors. Um, and you know part of that challenge is getting
more people to ride it. I've said it before, you know, we
we need more people to ride it things will be safer when we
get more people to ride it, um and vacant land around, you
know else stations or or bus stops. Um, that really doesn't
make people feel safe. So I think this is this is a really
unique way, uh to be able to address some of that and I
think that also has a lot of positive Ripple effects. Well,
I think if you look at some of our lines you see what that
density looks like. Um, and you also see the to your point
you see the ridership that those lines have a lot of which
is coming directly from the the, you know, the buildings
and and other development that's right next to right next
to the line itself. I think um, um, we definitely need to
do more of that. I will point out to you from a ridership
standpoint. Um, our ridership is growing faster.
That most of our peers right now. I think that's a direct
result of the fact that we've been able to increase the
amount of service. We're putting on the street. Um, we
heard from our customers very early on that. They would use
CTA more if it were more reliable and if it were more
frequent, um, I I believe that as we get back to full
pre-pandemic level the trend of radishes that we're seeing.
Um, right now it's going to continue, uh that we will be a
lot closer to our pre-pandemic levels, uh than we've ever
been before but to your point. Yes more people makes people
feel safer and ultimately that's what that's the goal that
We have to get to as well, thank you. And then the final
questions related to the red line extension. Um, how are we
meeting the local matching requirements for the red line
extension and is the amount needed um now more than what we
needed originally.
the the source of funding for the local the non-federal
match of the red line extension is primarily the Tif that
the city council approved last year that basically runs
along the quarter of the red line. Um, uh from from the
South Loop down to um to um, 95th Street and Beyond. Um,
there's also some CTA bonds and some other smaller numbers
that are built into that, um, uh with regard to your
question, um on no better answer to that when we finally
lock in our our bids for construction of the project, which
is the process we're in right now, um, certainly 1 of the
concerns has been increasing costs just because that's been
occurring in a construction business everywhere. Uh, we
certainly have built contingencies into our budget for this
project to to address all of that and obviously as we come
to resolution on what the final number will be. We will
obviously take the appropriate steps to make sure that we
have the funding necessary to support the project going
forward. Thank you you mentioned
Some bonds that were issued. Um, can you tell me how much
how many bonds or how much uh, the bonds are worth that
have already been issued or authorized for the for this
project for the I I can get that number. Okay through the
chart be fine. And then I'm also interested in just sort of
you know, what the revenue sources are going to be to repay
those bonds, too.
Yeah, usually usually it's our fare box, okay?
Thank you. That's all I have chair.
Thank you ottoman lie. All right, um Coleman followed by
Alderman Mosley followed by Alderman Irving.
Thank you chairman Mitchell. Um, I just want to say to
President Carter. I am not disappointed in your approach
today. I appreciate your honesty your humility and your
courage, um of staying with the agency in spite of this
season that we call accountability which is actually uh,
been mean-spirited and lacks respect for leadership. So I
want to say thank you. Um, when I look at and I apologize
chairman. I'm going to get to my questions, but when I look
at our sister agencies CTA, chha
Chicago Park District
Chicago Public Schools, when our our students our children
are are testing at under 5% We're not calling for Pedro's
resignation. When I look at Chicago Park District and the
lack of lifeguards and the deplorable conditions of our
field houses. We're not calling for for escano resignation.
And then when we look at CT CTA in spite of a global
pandemic, you have still brought 2 billion dollars to the
agency, you still found a way not to let go or fire any of
the 85% black Workforce.
You still found a way to work with ATU and RTA Union
representatives to make sure that we increase the number of
returning citizens to the agency. So, thank you.
Thank you President Carter for your leadership. Also want
to thank you for the amazing team Sam Smith Todd Britt
Ashley Walker who's an honorary member of my staff because
she works just like, uh streets and sanitation Chris row
Gerald Nichols Denise and Springfield and Vince Williams.
You have an amazing team and thank you for making sure that
people that reflect this agency actually work in our
communities representing you as well.
You know often said that a prophet is without honor, but
it's on but in his own country.
of the um
of the projected red line extension and the investment in
the Blue Line Station. What is the uh projected revenue for
this extension of the 4 billion dollars that you have had
to go out to get Federal funding as well. As you know, the
almost 1 billion that we approved here in City Council in
2019. But what is the projected revenue and how will that
Revenue somehow help CTA in terms of the funding? Um
challenges that we have
Okay, you've you've asked the question where I may have to
call a friend, um, uh phone a friend. Um, I don't know the
answer to your question. We have the answer to that
question because it's part of the justification that we
have to make in order to get the project funded federally,
um, we have ridership, uh projections that obviously would
translate into Revenue, uh from the fare box, uh, as a
result of of the um, uh, increased Roger that would come
from the red line extension, uh project. Um, but I'll have
to get you the actual number because I just don't know it
off the top of my head, okay.
That's it. I think um.
That I commend you that in spite of No, 1 had a handbook on
how to operate an agency in a global pandemic not even our
offices and um the humiliation the criticism in spite of
your family. You can't even enjoy the city with your family
because of of safety issues. So in spite of I want to thank
you, um for your leadership and um, I know you don't have
any days off any incidents, I know for a fact that you are
privy to you are investigating and making sure that not
only the south and west side but the entire Transit
Authority, um,
that we're we're going to do better that we're going to do
better and I want to also thank the 15 members of the
Chicago automatic Blackhawk is for supporting you and uh,
we will not be calling for any resignation of your
leadership.
Thank you Alderman. Um.
first of all, I just want to to to
acknowledge the fact that um
As I said earlier today, I never denied that there is a
more work that we need to do to make CTA better. Um
I think that's something that my entire team is committed to
doing. Uh, I also think that it's important to recognize
that this is a very complicated organization. There are a
lot of moving pieces to it. Um, and it is it is very
difficult to try to understand all of that. Um, uh from
just looking at the data, I I welcome uh, um, uh, Alderman
Vasquez is uh request to have hearings going forward that
are much more subject matter focused because I think in
those conversations we can share with you a lot more of the
Nuance of what we're doing and why we're doing it and how
it's playing out that you never get to when you just look
at numbers, uh, and I look forward to continue to work with
the council to not only make CTA better. But to get us the
funding that we need to allow this agency to operate at the
level that it always should have operated at it has never
been able to operate at because of the restrictions that
have been placed around the funding for it that have been
in place for decades.
Thank you for that. Um.
Ottoman Mosley followed by ottoman Iran. Thank you, Mr.
Chair. Uh
Mr. Chair, it's it's gonna be hard for me to be brief today
because I've seen the the proudness of President Carter
today just from listening in uh, before I was able to be
here in person and it matches up when I've talked to
friends, um throughout this country who said that you were
the Envy of this country and that you've been able to do so
much with so little
And I represent the 21st War which although we lost 95th
Street. Um, we are going to gain.
103 and 111
part of why I wasn't here earlier was I was at a press
conference where the city is opening up a mental health
facility in Rossland.
And it's not in the 21st Ward and it's uh a typical
Alderman. I was like, why is it this in my War?
But when I saw the proximity to 115th Street
and thought about the people who will have access to that
well-needed resource a state-of-the-art resource.
That's going to come about because of the work that you're
doing for the rail line extension.
And I think about the folks in my community Reverend love
who submitted rail line extension, uh petition almost 30
years ago.
We've been waiting you someone who grew up riding and
knowing intimately CTA and how you have pushed for a
population who has not been serviced by it to finally be
serviced by it and I sit in this chamber here.
The opposite ends of folks who are calling for a service to
be better when there are so many without the service at
all.
I thank you for your commitment to that work.
Uh, it's been exciting to see the technical assistance that
you've been providing to businesses the partnership and how
we can make sure that 21st Ward residents and other
residents of impact Awards will be ready to be on the
operation and construction side of the CTA and really
giving them uh opportunity to do business with the city the
growth that happens, uh to those businesses is is just
really astounding so I'm thankful to you, you know, we've
rattled off the names Gerald Latrice Chris Todd Vince and
and so much more. Um,
I want to ask you.
When we talk about accessibility.
for our seniors
for those who have disabilities
What is the extension and just service period going to look
like for them, uh as they continue taking the CTA?
Well, certainly the the red line extension will be 100%
accessible. So not only are they going to be getting new
rail service which will which will dramatically reduce
their travel time. Um, uh in that Community, they'll also
be able to use it regardless of disability, um going
forward, um, uh, you know 1 of the things that I'm very
proud of
uh that I haven't talked about today, but it it it speaks
to the the the federal experience that I bring to the
table.
Um, what's the work that I did with senator Tammy
Duckworth?
Um to put in place the for the first time since the passage
of the Americans with Disabilities Act a dedicated funding
stream to fund accessibility features on Old rail systems
like Chicago's
Interestingly enough. The name of the program is ASAP.
For those of you who are familiar with the the
accessibility program that I have here in Chicago. It's
also called a stop that isn't by accident. That was the
Senator's way of acknowledging the work that that I did
with her to actually create that program for us. We have
been the recipient of a number of Grants such as all of
that program and that's
Result of that we have been able to to turbocharge the
accessibility of our stations that we still have to to
finish in order to make the system completely 100%
accessible.
Um, I I firmly believe
that Mobility
Is a civil right?
And even though as a as a country, we don't treat public
transportation that way.
As evidenced by the way, we fund it. Um, I'm committed to
figuring out every place. I can the money that we need to
do that and to address that 1 of the reasons why the Forest
Park Branch or the blue line is so important to me as a
priority is because it also has a number of unaccessible
stations.
Um, it was built long before the Americans with
Disabilities Act. And if any of you have ever walked down
the ramp that takes you down to the platform, you can very
easily understand how it's not accessible to anybody who
may want to actually use it. Um, I want to make it
accessible and I want to rebuild that Branch. Um, uh, it is
next to the red line extension, which I have now, you know,
I'm on the cusp of of completing the work on is my next top
priority for the city and for the system. Um, and with that
we will be close to 100% accessibility throughout the
entire system itself.
We will probably have more accessible stations by the end of
the next decade than any other old major transit system in
the country. That's a legacy that the city should be proud
of and certainly the Legacy that the communities that we
serve should be proud of and it's something I will be
committed to continuing to do the other thing I think is
worth mentioning because we haven't really talked about it
if my bus system.
um
Believe it or not. The my bus system has not been reviewed.
and the history of CTA
Um, I am undertaking right now, uh, something called a bus
Vision study.
The public Outreach of it just began literally in the last
week or so that's intended to go out to the community and
have a conversation about how our bus system can better
serve their needs.
There are all sorts of things that are probably come out of
this conversation including and I know this has been an
issue for some of the alderman more, um, dedicated bus
lanes for buses. Um, but also more Express buses, um
looking at we where we need to reroute buses to basically
better connect up with destination points that our
communities want to get to that have limited options around
what we what we can do. Um, that is going to be a year-long
process that we're going to be engaged in. We're just
starting it now, we'll be dealing with it through through
the rest of this year the hope is that as we go into our
budget cycle for
2026 we will be implementing a number of bus improvements
that will be reflective of what I also hope will be
additional funding that I have to keep the system running
but also the needs that we know the community have around
our bus service which at the end of the day carries more
ridership than my rail system. I know we spent a lot of
time today talking about the rail system and about its
performance. But the truth of the matter is more more of my
customers are on bus and more of my customers who are in
minority communities take the bus. Um, and if it critical
part of our system that we cannot ignore and it is also in
my opinion the part of our system that has the greatest
opportunity for ridership growth in the future.
My rail system isn't going to move from where it's set up
today. It's going to primarily be a A system that moves in
and out of the central business district.
My bus system has to ability to be flexible to move
anywhere. We want to go throughout the entire city.
And believe it or not.
We have 1 of the best bus systems in the entire world.
Both in terms of span of coverage and hours of service.
Um, it is the opportunity for us to really convert CTA into
a world-class transit system. And I think we have the
opportunity to reimagine it as part of this exercise that
will ensure us, uh that we can deliver on that promise as
we go forward.
Yes, I I um, I used to be for a short stint, uh executive
director of a Transit advocacy organization and in
comparison, um the times when we look at Chicago, we would
see that you could take Chicago start to finish. Um, but
with that can you tell us more about what you envisioned uh
as the partnership for intermedial modes of transportation,
uh with the increase of bikes and scooters.
yeah, I I you know, the the beauty of all the various modes
of transportation that there's opportunities to create
seamless connectivity, um between Bike Share scooter share,
um CTA, um Metro and Pace, um, and I believe as we start to
Leverage The technologies that we have in place. Um, we
have the ability to create what I would refer to as a
Mobility Network.
that would allow individuals or or or residents of the city
or the entire region to move seamlessly between all the
various modes to allow them to use what what best
accommodates their actual needs.
Um, uh, we have the infrastructure in place to start to do
that. Um, we have the opportunity with the right funding
mechanisms to bring together the right, you know, um
organizations to make that happen. Uh, and I think that it
would be a lost opportunity if we didn't work towards that
goal, uh, as part of the overall objective of how the
mobility system can operate in the city. Um, um,
You know, I think the city has done a really great job
particularly with Bike Share of of getting it, you know
placed throughout the entire city. Um, and now we need to
work on the next step which is how you basically make it
more easily connected to the other Transportation options
that people need and want to use uh to get around the city
as a whole.
When we talk about Transportation, uh 1 of the phrases that
we always throw around now is Todd Transit oriented
development. Um CTA has been able to do more than just move
people. It's been also able to create destinations or or
provide, uh, the motivation to provide to to make a
destination.
Can you tell us more about the vision around?
To open spaces and those destinations parks.
Well, I think 1 of the 1 of the challenges that we Face
going forward is how do we best leverage the property
around real estate Investments? I mean real estate Transit
Investments to better support the communities that we we
live in um, there's some some some terrific things that
we're doing with the RPM project with some of the under l
space that's going to convert it into into entertainment
and Community Gathering space, um, um with input from the
community that's actually underway right now. Um, uh it it
was not part of the original plan for the project but it's
something that an opportunity that opened up as we were
doing the construction work that I think the the community
has really embraced and it's the type of thing that I think
we can do more of um, you know, I I talked a lot about
The property on you know around our infrastructure, but
there's also the property under our infrastructure.
Uh, and I think that if you look at other cities who have
had similar opportunities to develop that space into
space and other things I think it's much it's much uh in
sync with what you view as the overall purpose of public
transportation to begin with which is connecting people and
communities suffering apart from that. I think as you
pointed out there are opportunities for what our
traditional uh, Transit oriented development, uh,
opportunities and 1 of the biggest, uh places where we're
going to be doing that is the red line extension. Uh, we're
working very closely with the city on an ETO plan that will
basically not only obviously, you know build out the
stations that I'm responsible for, uh along that Corridor,
but then also have a community-based, uh Community input
it, uh development plan that's going to impact all the
space around um our property and so when I look at the red
line extension, I don't view it as just a um Transit
project. I view it as a community redevelopment project
because by the time we finish with the work we're doing
here we will we will have truly engaged in a
transformational project.
that will that will you know
Change these communities forever.
Mr. President Mr. Chair my last question. Uh, I have a lot
of your Workforce our Ward. What is the upward Mobility? Um
opportunities for them as we have this transformation, uh
within the system and within our communities
you know CTA, um
is very much a a promote from within uh organization. Um
many of my top Executives at CTA came up through the ranks
and the operations group.
Just about every top executive started off with either a
bus operator a rail operator or a CSA or something of that
nature which are all entry-level positions at CTA, uh, and
has moved into those positions 1 of the things that we tell
our incoming graduation class of new employees. Um, it's a
phrase and it's actually a phrase that the union leader um
uses because we invite the union leadership to all of our
graduation classes and we invite them to speak. Um, the
union leadership basically says to the graduating class
welcome to the middle class.
And what they say to them is you now have a job that will
allow you to buy a house.
Get a car.
Put your kids through college.
Give you a retirement pension at the end of your time here
and health care for the rest of your life you now are in a
position where you are able to achieve all of your dreams,
but not just you but your entire family and we sort of take
that to heart at CTA and certainly work through training
development programs and other things to prepare our
employees to move up to various career paths to move up
into higher levels within our organization. Uh, it's 1 of
the things I think we're very proud of and it's 1 of the
programs that uh,
Um, I personally make sure that we're putting the money to
to ensure that we continue to do it going forward.
How how many years have you been in this role? I've been a
CTA. I'm I'm in I'm in my ninth year now ninth year. Well,
I miss wish you nine more you're doing the Y's job. Uh, I'm
proud of the work that you were doing proud of the
partnership and uh, we'll extend the apologies again. Uh,
we are glad to see you but which it was under different
circumstances this body in particular knows uh, some of the
pain that you have been experiencing. Uh, we had a
colleague of our own who reminded us that when you call for
a uh things in the public without communication the
inverted, um reactions that you get from the public and so
I hope that my colleagues will remember that going forward
and uh the next time we see you you get a much warmer.
Welcome. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Chair. Thank you. Got all
right, um finishing out with uh Hunter Jason Ervin,
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, uh members of the committee. Uh,
thank you, uh President Carter uh for joining with us
today.
Some of the comments that have heard previously as it
relates to uh, your leadership of the system, uh, the
amount of work that I believe that you have been able to
accomplish in the time that you have been there. We talk
about the red line extension the green line we uh build,
uh, I'm thankful and preference you're working on the blue
line as you talked about some of the challenges that the
Blue Line faces.
But I definitely appreciate the work that you're doing, uh
at CTA again. Um, and many people don't know the the
breadth and depth of our system as it relates to other
systems throughout the country and the fact that I think in
a lot of cases and I I tell people that you go to St Louis
and uh, you get 1 street light on the corner when you come
to Chicago you get 4 or 5 on the Block so you can actually
see uh, see what's going on. A lot of people don't
appreciate.
The level of service that we have. I was just recently out
in LA and they're just now starting to get some level of
rail service in the portions of communities that have not
had them for years and what that can do to help transform
community. So uh to my brother and on the south side in the
nth and the 21st boards, um, uh glad that they're going to
get that benefit so that their citizens out there can can
be part of the main of our city. So I think it's important
that uh, we uh, you know work with you to find, you know
solutions to some of the challenges that you face. I know
not everything is perfect and we understand that if it was
perfect we wouldn't be having these conversations.
But nonetheless we appreciate the work that you continue to
do.
On behalf of the uh on behalf of the citizens 1 question
that I did have. What is our timeline looking for looking
like on the blue line for uh reconstruction of those
stations? That's how you doing some work down there racing.
But how do we uh, effectuate that through the entirety of
the line down the Forest Park?
Yeah, that's an excellent question Alderman and I wish I
could give you a definitive answer on it. Um, I think the
Thunder degree if dependent on on when I'm able to lock in
the funding to actually do that. I could ask, um bill money
my chief instructor officer to just give a general sense of
once we have the funding. What's really the timeline in
which we'd be able to rebuild, uh that entire branch of the
Blue Line itself, certainly President Carter. So, please
listen to highlight, um bill money and the chief
infrastructure officer and we are currently doing
reconstruction on the Racine station on the fire kind of
Eastern edge of that Branch. We expect that station to be
fully accessible and open from that main entrance in the
early part of uh next year and then we will switch sides of
the station to auxiliary at Loomis and that would be fully
accessible in the early part of 26. We recently rebuilt
15,000, uh feet of track in that area limiting slow zones
as well. We've successfully secured another leg of funding
for uh, making the Plasky station fully accessible as part
of the all station accessibility program that president
in the first kind of historical round there.
expect to go out to design for that station later this
year. And usually it's about 18 months thereafter till we
can get to a full construction project, um to get that out
and it depends on timing of when that season is really is a
bit of a seasonal work.
We also were able to successfully secure 111 million
dollars to do track work between Pulaski and kedzi and
eliminates a major slow zones in that area as well. And we
would hope to have a design package out in a similar time
frame towards the end of this year for that that work and
it's a similar time frame for that construction period and
everything thereafter is really dependent on our ability to
secure the funding in a cycle. It's it's typically from the
the date we get the money in hand that we can start act
acting on we we usually takes about 24 months to to get a
package together get it out for design. We are working to
kind of design all the rest of that track work right now so
that as the money becomes more readily available we can get
those packages up quicker. Um, but but funding really
drives a lot of that conversation, so
You know 1 of the things that I've had conversations with
our our colleagues in the Department of Transportation in
Washington DC is the history of that Corridor to our
community.
um
clearly when the expressway was built it divided.
The African-American community on the west side and for
anybody who knows the history of of S Chicago the West Side
used to be a very vibrant commercial area of the city as
well. A lot of a lot of the middle class African-Americans
lived in that part of the city even more so in the south
side which had in the early, um, you know, I was saying
early but but at at certain point in the city's history
really didn't really wasn't for African-Americans, so it
was for for white people, um that became more integrated
over time, but, you know early on after the Great Migration
most of us were on the west side of the city of Chicago.
Um, uh,
the expressway is 1 of the many sort of institutional, um,
discriminatory activities that the the government engaged
in at that point in time. The terror Community is a part.
Uh, it is also the focus of this Administration in terms of
trying to correct the wrongs of the past. Um, the Secretary
of Transportation has talked about this issue on a number
of occasions and I have been making the case to the
officials in dot that if there's ever a project that should
be getting similar type of consideration around extra
funding to support it. This is the type of project that
would do that. You know, the fact that we have a Transit
line in the middle of an expressway is not an ideal
situation under any stretch of the imagination, but the
fact that that Transit line is probably the 1 positive
That allows people who don't have a car to be able to get
around that Community, uh is something that needs to get
addressed in a much more direct way. Uh, and I'm hopeful
that the administration is going to start recognize that
benefit for this work and that will end up getting the
funding necessary to to to do the repairs that we need to
do there.
Well, uh, thank you. Uh, thank you for that. Uh, the Blue
Line definitely is a a link as far as the west side is
concerned, uh doing a whole lot of things as well as the
green line. I see that the station that Daemon is moving
along. Well matter of fact, we had a group of young people
out, uh, whom Kelvin Elementary School loud FH paschen this
past week, but learning about the careers and learning
about things of that nature. So definitely what you're
doing as it relates to, uh, Building Bridges, uh with the
community with these uh construction projects I think is
working as we get our young people involved that uh, all
them actually both Autumn and burn that and I participated
in this past week. So again, uh, we definitely want to uh,
continue down the path of what you're doing, uh, making
Transit accessible, uh, not just in certain parts of our
city, but across the city as a whole and uh, you know, so
that we can make everyone part of
the largest that we uh that we see, uh, Beyond just downtown
Chicago and again transportation is a critical link that
moves people not only uh, you know to jobs and to things
that they want to do in life but also connects our
community. So when we see young people that have their
living all Gale Gardens having the opportunity to work at
O'Hare and not have a 4 hour bus commute to make it happen.
Uh, those are the types of things that make Transit
Equitable and Powerful as a tool to bring all of our
communities together. So again continue to work that you're
doing of course, we're going to have a few Kinks that we
have to work out. We we will manage that but again, we
definitely uh support the effort that you're doing and want
want to keep uh, you know minds and people that understand
I think a lot goes unstated, you know, and sometimes you
got to teach your own horn, uh, the money that you got to
do. The red line is something that people have been trying
to do for 30 years, but you actually got it done rebuilding
the green line is stuff that people in they're trying to do
but you actually got it done.
You know red purple modernization had been on the books for
a while, but you actually got it done. So, uh a lot, you
know does isn't said about your leadership and what you've
been able to accomplish during your tenure of with CTA. And
so I think the city owes you a debt of gratitude and we
want to continue to support that work. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman, Terry.
Mr. Chairman vice mayor Bernette just want to say I concur
with everything everybody said
Good.
Thank you. Thank you. Um Bernette. Thank you everyone. Um,
That uh, looks like we've we've put in our second, um
quarterly Hearing in in in the books, uh president. I want
to tell you personally, you know, I I appreciate the time
you spent with us today you uh shared a lot of information.
Um, I feel a lot more enlightened, um, going back to my
board at the um, I look forward to uh, working with you
more looking forward to your leadership. And for the record
I have absolutely I appreciate how you started this off you
refer to it as addressing the elephant in the room and it
needed to be addressed and I think you did just that. All
right before I before I call and see leading to an end. Um,
Vice chair Vasquez, but
Is 2 oclock. We we only had this hearing scheduled for 4
hours.
Say that again. That is some of the answers it kind of felt
like last term with Ary right including yours wasn't
supposed to being able to get around. Alright, I appreciate
yeah. Yeah, so
Point of information when is the next uh, hearing for the
president and the CTA?
Front of this committee. We haven't scheduled it, but we
work in the scheduling.
All right.
Okay. All right. Thank you. All right Deborah being no
further business before this committee. Can I get a motion
to adjourn by the same roll call vote as was applied to
determine Quorum ottoman Mosley. So moves on the motion all
in favor say I
oppose know in the opinion of the chair the eyes have it
the meeting committee on transportation and public way as a
Jour. Thank you.