Press Release November 29, 2018
Citizens Taking Action for transit dependent riders
For Information: www.CTAriders.org
(312) 842-5036, (312) 714-7790 cell Not Even One Transit Board Member Shows Up
at Hearing on Passenger Concerns
Citizens Taking Action, a public transit advocacy organization, is concerned that not even one Board Member of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) bothered to attend the once a year public hearing Wednesday on CTA, Metra, and Pace.
The full Board was in attendance at a Finance Committee meeting on the 2019 Budgets for the services, but after that was over, they all abruptly departed from the conference room when the public hearing was scheduled to begin.
One employee from the RTA staff was the only person who remained to hear testimony from the public.
Charles Paidock, Secretary, said “Ridership has been going down on public transit in Chicago for the past five years. One would think a Transit Board member would want to hear from passengers on why this is happening, and what could be done to improve services. We have what is called a “fair-box dependent” system for funding public transit, so attracting and maintaining ridership is crucial. We get copies of the proposed budgets, read and discuss them, and prepare testimony. The RTA Transit Board members, who are the deciding officials, apparently however are not interested in anything we have to say.”
The transit group is contacting the Office of the Illinois Attorney General for a determination if the failure to have any Board members present, and conduct only what they term a “pretend" meeting, fulfills statutory requirements, or violates the Open Meetings Act.
