If I ran Transit for one day...

[Busjack]

38 minutes ago, Elkmn said:

I just did a bit of back of the napkin math, but repurposing the parking lots at Wabash and Van Buren into a yard/maintenance facility would allow for storage of at least 16 8-car trains, which could be an extra 5-6 trains for the Pink, brown and orange lines during rush (if yards are at full capacity). It could also allow trains coming into the loop to end there instead of run back to their terminals near empty, if the CTA wanted that. 

Plenty of excess capacity at 54th. Other than that, it would have to be the world's most expensive train yard.

[YoungBusLover]

Doomsday 2.0 is looming and I have no idea how any agency would find a way to fill a massive $771 million budget gap in less than 9 months without the help of State/Federal bailout. To any member out there what would you do to mitigate the looming service cuts? From Pace/CTA/Metra?

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, YoungBusLover said:

Doomsday 2.0 is looming and I have no idea how any agency would find a way to fill a massive $771 million budget gap in less than 9 months without the help of State/Federal bailout. To any member out there what would you do to mitigate the looming service cuts? From Pace/CTA/Metra?

1. If this is like Doomsday 1.0 (2006-2008), it's a political stunt. Transit agencies that try to cry "wolf" without a clear plan for reform shouldn't be allowed to just make threats.
2. As 2010 demonstrated, if they have to cut, they'll do it in a more responsible manner.
3. All 4 boards are lobbying Springfield, but it is mostly to save their own jobs. See the thread on that subject.
4. Tribune and Joe Schwieterman complaining about $26,000 in leased car payments isn't going to close a $770 million deficit. But if Schwieterman is the sole expert, at least as local media are concerned, maybe he should volunteer to be CTA Executive Director, pro bono.

[Sam92]

19 hours ago, Busjack said:

1. If this is like Doomsday 1.0 (2006-2008), it's a political stunt. Transit agencies that try to cry "wolf" without a clear plan for reform shouldn't be allowed to just make threats.
2. As 2010 demonstrated, if they have to cut, they'll do it in a more responsible manner

 

20 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Doomsday 2.0 is looming and I have no idea how any agency would find a way to fill a massive $771 million budget gap in less than 9 months without the help of State/Federal bailout. To any member out there what would you do to mitigate the looming service cuts? From Pace/CTA/Metra?

Yeah looks like it's a tug of war/sky is falling scenario as busjack says and while the 2010 cuts were a more reasonable approach they still should've did a mix of the 2012 restructuring along with cutting the lowest performing X routes rather than just blindly cutting all the X routes just to still compete with pace (which thankfully they finally knocked that off). Part of me feels like one side is gonna cave the give the others what they want BUT after whatever bailout hopefully comes they hurry and clean up a few things like the remainder of the Evanston restructuring that was supposed to happen.  As far as what I'd do, I've hinted at it in other places in the forum but to reiterate:

A further realignment of the south Lakeshore corridor (particularly the downtown terminals of J14, 26 and 28), eliminate 30 north of 92nd but instead of my previous suggestion to send it bronzeville I'd just combine the remaining segment with 95 (to still give them a red line connection). 43 and 44 would get combined, an idea came to mind about the development in west loop; bring back 23 in some form as busjack suggested but route it via Halsted, Harrison, Racine, Washington, Green and loop around near grand pretty much replacing the short trips on 8 Halsted to give Bridgeport riders a more direct connection to the medical district/UIC area as well. For rail how about using the argyle middle track to put in Red line trains that run between there and Garfield (turning back at 63rd middle) to address the Dan Ryan being over served in the reverse peak direction and put purple in the subway to end at Roosevelt. Apparently Belmont is also getting a middle track nearby so maybe start some peak brown line service there to make up for the purple line reroute. It's a game of making the most with what we have IMO 🤷