Why Public Transit?
Purpose
This website is dedicated to all RTA riders and all who care for the welfare of our global city. Public transit is essential to ensure Chicago will be an elite city. While other sites may be forums for voicing displeasure, this site will concentrate on the solutions for solving the issues of the CTA. As any rider can point out, the CTA faces a multitude of difficulties, however this site will look forward always, grasping the big view and will not write off a city permanently for temporary dilemmas. Effective public transit is the key to urban life. History has shown that cities with a mobile population thrive in political, cultural and business circles. A snapshot of the world's financial and cultural centers, i.e. New York City, Tokyo and London, reiterates this notion. These places have extensive networks of subways and buses that allow a populace to flow freely and for quicker commerce in a limited space. As more recently built American cities have shown, automobile-focused urban planning leads to traffic, pollution and a general banal lifestyle. Therefore the citizens of Chicago must demand a better transit system not only to take its place in the world but to allow transit to improve our quality of life. The current Chicago model of ever sprawl, spurned by more and more cars is no longer sustainable. From wasted farmland to increased traffic to a thickening smog that hangs over us, the post-World War II model for Chicago has outlived its usefulness.
North-Side Solutions
1. More frequent trains on all transit lines. In recent years ridership has increased on all North-side lines, we nee more trains. The three major lines need rush hour trains every two to three minutes, at four to seven minuate intervals all seats hard to come by less than half way through a rush hour trip.
2. Bring back the A/B stops. From the post World War II era through the 1990s the CTA operated skip stop system of skipping every other stop creating a faster commute. For example "A" trains would only stop at Addison and Montrose on the Brown Line, skipping over Irving Park, while "B" trains would stop at Irivng Park and Damen.
3. Bring Bus Rapid Transit to Chicago. Giving buses the benefit of constant green lights and small station in which riders pay prior to boarding, would speed up bus travel. Wide streets i.e. Western and Irving Park would be perfect for BRT which has worked in small less densely populated cities around the country.
1) Small Business
Small Business thrives near transit station. When built within the urban milieu, mass transit brings consumers in large numbers to stations that can be surrounded by small businesses. As most agree, independent business is the backbone of our economy and therefore we must make life easier for the entrepreneur. Public transit is ideal for small companies that are without the cashflow of giant corporations. Unlike automobile traffic that engenders big box chains that can afford enormous parking lots, mass transit serves walking customers from store to store without the extra cost of parking. These consumers also come in large numbers, supporting a multitude of unique ventures that may not have enough audience elsewhere. The Brown Line illustrates this best; almost every station sits among a number of neighborhood shops from bakeries to taverns. While other lines may lack these adjacent amenities, this comes from a separation from the neighborhoods they serve. The expressway lines i.e. the Blue and Red lines are examples of this. However every transit line and bus route brings people together and this represents a potential resource that small business should tap.
2) Tax Payers
While some attack transit as being another drain on the tax payers of Chicagoland, nothing could be more incorrect. The fallacy of this belief is that transit riders pay for roughly half the total cost of the ride, while automobile drivers pay only on toll roads. Therefore tax payers should embrace transit as more cost effective means of travel. Even the smallest alley costs money to build and maintain, while costing the users nothing outside of regular taxes. With public transit the rider picks up half the cost. The other benefit of mass transit is longeviity because transit lines last much longer than any road. The Kimball/Brown linejust received its first full renovation after one hundred years of service. Compared to our local expressways which have all been renovated since the 1950s there is no comparision. Expanding mass transit is the only solution for the fiscally responsible taxpayer who is concerned with the incessant sending of local government.
3) The Environment
To be an enviromentalist is to promote public transit. There is no middle ground. Compared to cars, public transit is far more friendly to our planet. With new hybrid buses getting 5 mph only fives riders are needed to get better gas milage than the average car. Beyond buses, the elevated lines are even more enviromentally friendly, running on electricity trains are taylor fit for greener future. While car companies scramble to modernize yesterday's cars , the el trains have mastered the green revolution of tommorow.
4) Public Health
As the American obesity rate continues to climb the call for transit becomes louder by the moment. Walking to and from a bus stop or biking to a train station keeps people execising. This exercise not only aids in conditioning the body but it saves time and money for those who might otherwise have spent more time at the gym. The key to a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood is an urban eniviroment that utilizes space effectively to allow walkers to travel easily. Every Chicagoan should recognize the walkability of his/her neighborhood. Active commuting provides a healthy althernative to the sedimentary lifestyle offered by automobiles.
5) Less Oil Dependency
The recent dip in oil prices are only a short reprise. An America dependent on foreign oil is no longer acceptable. Public transit is the vangaurd of increasing our energy independence. This issue connects to the enviromental issue because public transit offers more effecient use of fuel. More public transit will take automobiles off our roads resulting in less fuel spent pushing the entire country towards a more self sufficient energy use.
