The Chicago Transit Authority Board has scheduled an informational meeting on proposed fare increase and service reductions for Thursday.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Austin Town Hall, located at 5610 West Lake Street in Chicago.
Under the proposed service reductions, the CTA — effective February 7, 2010 — would eliminate 18 percent of bus service and 9 percent of rail service across all bus routes and rail lines. According to a news release, “the reduction would be spread across all day types to impact the least number of customers.”
The CTA's 2010 operating budget includes this tiered fare system, which will pass some increases on to riders. The increases -- along with service reductions -- would take place on Feb.7, 2010.
Among the 2010 proposed fare hikes is an increase to $3.00 for the following CTA express bus routes:
2 Hyde Park Express
6 Jackson Park Express
10 Museum of Science & Industry
14 Jeffery Express
26 South Shore Express
134 Stockton/LaSalle Express
135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express
136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express
143 Stockton/Michigan Express
144 Marine/Michigan Express
145 Wilson/Michigan Express
146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
147 Outer Drive Express
148 Clarendon/Michigan Express
168 UIC – Pilsen Express
169 69th/UPS Express
192 U. of Chicago Hospitals Express
X28 Stony Island Express
X98 Avon Express
In addition, the following routes will no longer have express service:
X3 King Drive Express 3
X4 Cottage Grove Express
X9 Ashland Express
X20 Washington/Madison Express
X49 Western Express
X54 Cicero Express
X55 Garfield Express
X80 Irving Park Express
53AL South Pulaski Limited
The CTA will hear public comment on its 2010 Operating Budget and Program, the 2010 Capital Program of Projects, the Financial Plan for 2011 and 2012 — in addition to the proposed fare increase and service reductions — and pair of public hearings scheduled for early next month.
The first public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 2 at Lane Technical High School, located at 2501 West Addison Street in Chicago.
The second is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at the South Shore Cultural Center, located at 7059 South Shore Drive in Chicago.
Read more about the informational meeting, the public hearings and the proposed fare increase and service reductions here.