(The following story by Richard Wronski appeared on the Chicago Tribune website on October 25.)
CHICAGO — Metra riders can expect fares to increase up to 30 percent over the next three years and trains to be slower, dirtier and more crowded if the commuter rail service has to balance its budget without additional state funding, officials warned Thursday.
Sunday Metra service might also be cut, meaning 43,300 people on a typical Sunday would no longer be able to take the train downtown to visit the Art Institute, shop on Michigan Avenue or see the Bears play.
Metra’s staff laid out the fare hikes and service cut options for Metra’s board of directors, who must grapple with a projected $40 million deficit in 2008. The actions, due to start in February, could be averted if the General Assembly breaks its long-running deadlock and comes up with a new mass transit funding plan for Metra, the CTA and Pace.
But Metra officials expressed little optimism that leaders in Springfield would reach agreement anytime soon after months of squabbling.
Public hearings will be held Nov. 7 and 8 to enable Metra riders to sound off on the options before Metra’s board votes on Nov. 16.
Officials said Metra is being forced to impose the service cuts and fare hikes as the agency is experiencing record ridership—82 million passenger trips are estimated for 2007—and running more than 700 trains a day, many on routes that didn’t exist 10 years ago.
“For this to happen is criminal,” said director Elonzo Hill. “We’re talking about going backward.”
Budget cuts threaten to derail progress the rail agency has made since 1983, when ridership and service bottomed out because of draconian fare increases, officials said.
“We are the victims of our own success,” said Chairman Carole Doris, adding that the agency is operating more efficiently while providing more service than ever before.
The fare hikes could either come in annual 10 percent increases over the next three years or as an initial 5 percent hike in 2008 with two subsequent 10 percent increases in 2009 and 2010. Sunday service would be cut only under the 5-10-10 percent option.
Raising fares by 10 percent annually for the next three years would mean that riders who pay $105.30 for a monthly ticket—the cost of traveling between downtown and Orland Park, Arlington Heights or Flossmoor, for example—would pay about $116 in 2008 and $140 in 2010.
The fare hikes would raise nearly $25 million in 2008, and eliminating 100 positions and reducing janitorial and coach cleaning services would provide $15 million.
Metra officials said it is possible they might eliminate or reduce weekend and off-peak service and close lightly used train stations in 2009 and 2010.
In 2008, Metra anticipates earning $285 million in revenue against $589 million in expenses for an operating deficit of $304 million. But the current RTA sales tax formula would provide only $264 million, leaving the $40 million shortfall.
Metra directors expressed frustration with Springfield on funding. “I think it’s time that politics give way to governance,” said director Arlene Mulder, the mayor of Arlington Heights.