Editorial: Transit savings are ready to be found
The salvos have been fired and it’s apparent that there’s plenty of work to be done to save money among the transportation agencies that govern our trains and buses in the Chicago region.
Regional Transportation Agency Chairman John S. Gates, in a memo to his board of directors, criticized the three agencies under the RTA — the CTA, which oversees Chicago city buses and el trains, Metra, which oversees the commuter rail network, and Pace, the suburban bus system — with wasting millions of dollars by duplicating administrative departments, bus routes and maintenance buildings. He said dozens of meetings over the last 18 months have failed to result in any meaningful initiatives that would save taxpayer dollars.
He cited a 2007 Illinois audit among other studies that suggest his view that the three agencies are being inefficient is correct. And he cited efforts under way by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to consolidate city and county functions as a good example of what can be done with the three service agencies and the RTA.
Nice job, Mr. Gates. You are on the right track. And so are the directors of those three agencies.
They shot back that it’s the RTA that is bloated and inefficient. They suggest there are duplicate layers of bureaucracy and too high staffing levels at RTA. They also dispute some of Gates’ conclusions.
While written missives don’t always mean that something might happen, it’s a good thing these ideas are being aired. We, along with the public at large, are tired of inefficiencies and overspending when it comes to taxpayer dollars.
We recognize the importance of what these agencies do, but a healthy airing and debating of priorities is needed to keep next year’s budgets under control. All involved should welcome this.
Of course, we are talking about government and politics here. And we are talking about power and influence. So this won’t be easy. But we encourage the heads of these agencies and their board directors — many of whom are suburban mayors — to keep this debate flowing and find the real savings that we all know are there. These competing memos are a great place to start.
Can we actually get to the $100 million in savings Gates claims? Time for both sides to prove yes or no. But if not $100 million, then how much?
These leaders need to lead on this issue and find common ground.
“This is the reality of fighting over a revenue pie that’s been flat for years,” DePaul transportation Professor Joseph Schwieterman told our Marni Pyke. “Everyone is feeling the pressure for an outside-the-box solution, and the RTA is turning up the heat.”
It’s about time.