The Chicago Traveler

Now that seniors can ride the CTA for free and with the rising costs of gas, more and more people have been using the city’s public transit. While this is great in terms of “traveling green,” this means that there are more commuters during rush hour on already crowded buses and trains. But due to limited funding, the CTA cannot afford to buy more buses nor more rail cars.
The answer to the problem? Cattle cars!
Okay, not exactly, but not far from it. According to the Tribune and the Sun-Times, the Chicago Transit Authority is considering removing seats from at least …read more

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A few folks from San Francisco, California, have created a website where they list some basic etiquette rules for riding public transit. I think politeness on buses and trains is a universal necessity though, and many of the suggestions can apply even to Chicago’s very own CTA commuters.
For example, they advise riders to keep cell phone usage to a minimum while on the bus or train. I could not agree more. Oh, Mr. Inappropriate-Volume, all of us do not want to hear your conversation, no matter how interesting you may think it is. Please, please lower your voice or, even …read more

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People 65 years old or over can ride free on Chicago’s public transportation starting today. The free ride programs include the CTA, Metra, and Pace systems which serve Chicago and its surrounding counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will).
Back in January, legislators agreed to a sales and real-estate-transfer tax hike to help bail out the financially struggling CTA. However, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich wouldn’t sign it unless a provision was added: seniors ride for free.
Seniors must have the Senior Reduced Fare Card to take advantage of the free transit. Those who already have a Card are automatically registered. Seniors who …read more

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Ron Huberman, the president of the Chicago Transit Authority, stated that the CTA plans to eliminate the 54th/Cermak branch of the Blue Line, beginning April 27. The CTA declares low ridership on these West Side trains as the reason.
Fortunately, the new Pink Line covers most of this branch. However, there are three stops which the Pink Line doesn’t service: Racine, UIC-Halsted, and Clinton. Therefore, people who used to take the Blue Line (54th/Cermak) east to these destinations will now have to (a) use the Pink Line, get off at Polk, and take a bus the rest of the way or …read more

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The future of public transit in Chicago looks doubtful. Last week, the Illinois House of Representatives shot down a plan to fund Chicago’s Regional Transit Authority (which governs the CTA, Metra, and Pace) by shifting state gasoline sales tax money. Lawmakers refused to support it unless a deal is also reached on road, school, and government projects throughout the state. Unfortunately for public transit workers and riders, those kinds of negotiations take time. A lot of time.
As the buses and trains come closer and closer to losing the funding they need, the CTA board has had to take drastic …read more

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