Editorial: Metra must be honest, thorough about upgrades

Since the death amid scandal of former CEO Phil Pagano in 2010 and the highly politicized departure of his replacement, Alex Clifford, three years later, the Metra suburban rail line has managed in recent years to begin regaining a measure of credibility, because its leaders have been aggressively transparent and sensitive to riders' concerns.

They even managed to implement a 10-year program of scheduled rate increases aimed at upgrading the line's rail stock with a modicum of customer complaints - and took the unusual step last year of asking for less than half the fare increase anticipated in their original plan.

But now, as our transportation writer Marni Pyke reported Monday, that fragile trust is in danger of erosion as officials consider scaling back some of the ambitions they promised in 2015, when they announced rate increases that will reach an average of 68 percent by the end of the term.

To justify their vigorous schedule of fare increases, Metra officials pleaded a compelling and passionate case for the need to modernize an aging fleet to make it more reliable, useful and safe. Now, as Pyke reported, they're citing the need to "rethink" their original plan - an action that has some validity in a rapidly changing world, to be sure, but that also raises immediate red flags whenever it is proposed by government officials, especially when, as in Metra's case, it is used to introduce a seeming contraction from promised improvements.

Although some riders are naturally skeptical if not outraged by these developments, Metra should be encouraged that many remain willing to give the agency the time and space to revise and explain any changes from the original proposal. But the rallying cry for those customers is. "Give us more information."

To suggest that Metra customers will still benefit from modernized existing cars even if they don't get as many all-new cars as promised is technically undeniable, but carries the suspicious and familiar ring of political spin.

If Metra is going to continue to improve its reputation and its service, it is important that leaders avoid mincing words and continue the practices of openness, transparency and respect for customers that have gotten them this far. The fare increases Metra built into this capital plan are substantial, and riders are right to want answers about whether they are getting what they were told they were paying for.

Metra should continue to be aggressive and honest in making sure they get them.