Train angst, plane feuds, uneasy riders: A look at transit in 2008
Angst over trains, feuds about planes, tollway revolving doors and uneasy riders - last year had it all. Here's a quick recap, plus my stab at predicting the future.
What was in 2008
• A public transit "doomsday" with fare hikes, layoffs and route cuts was averted when the state passed a sales tax increase to fund operations early in 2008. Gov. Rod Blagojevich added his 2 cents by pushing through free rides for seniors. Despite the income boost, all three agencies raised fares.
• Pace's plan to fix paratransit service for Chicagoans flopped in March when it launched a new zoned dispatching service. A drumbeat of complaints led to a review, recommendations for improvements and an audit by the RTA.
• Thousands of fliers spent hours waiting around O'Hare International Airport last April after American Airlines grounded numerous MD-80s in response to Federal Aviation Administration concerns about wiring.
• Illinois State Toll Highway Authority chief Brian McPartlin exited Oct. 24 for a job with an engineering firm that had received millions in contracts with the agency. He applied for an ethics waiver but ultimately declined the job after Attorney General Lisa Madigan intervened.
• Chicago in November opened its first new runway at O'Hare since 1971. Court battles opposing the airport's expansion led by Bensenville continued with an Illinois appeals court decision on the environmental factors expected any time now.
• The tollway this fall announced plans for $1.8 billion in carpool lanes and interchange improvements. The so-called Green Lanes got smeared by the Blagojevich corruption scandal in December when the FBI accused the gov of trying to milk campaign contributions out of construction firms.
• The CN and EJ&E merger split the region between (A) those convinced it would ruin their communities with traffic, noise and pollution and (B) towns who already get plenty of freight trains and wanted relief. In the end - as is usually does - the Surface Transportation Board said yes on Dec. 24.
What will be (maybe)
• Billions of dollars: That's what President-elect Obama hopes Congress will pass to repair busted roads and bridges and jump-start the economy. Illinois will be lobbying to get its share of infrastructure dough for programs like O'Hare modernization and CREATE, a construction plan to eliminate railway congestion.
• CN- EJ&E Part Deux: I predict a full-court press of lawsuits.
• Stuck in the middle: A cemetery in the middle of future Runway 10C-28C won't stop Chicago from pouring concrete at both ends. The city plans to start construction this spring despite legal battles with St. Johannes Cemetery and Bensenville. Meanwhile, Bensenville could approve a special taxing district expansion that includes Village President John Geils' family-owned funeral home soon. The village would use the revenues to offset potential airport expansion impacts.
• Beam me up, Scotty: The Transportation Security Administration will install bigger, better X-ray machines known as AT (Advanced Technology) to screen carry-on bags at O'Hare and Midway, but there's no word yet on the arrival of full body imaging for passengers.
• Details, details: Pace leaders promised expanded service and improvements when approving fare increases in November. I'm still waiting for specifics.
What I'd like to know
• Who will be Obama's choices for the heads of the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Railroad Administration?
• What plan will the state pick for the Elgin O'Hare Expressway's east end?
• What will Metra do about the CN merger given that it could add hefty costs to the agency's plans to build the STAR line (connecting suburbs on EJ&E tracks)?
News of the weird
• Dude, where's my brain: A teenage railway fan threw Metra into a tizzy this October when he posted pictures of himself at the controls of a train on MySpace. The incident led to the resignation of the engineer who let the teen operate the train and disciplinary actions against two others who allowed him into restricted areas.
• On second thought: Engineer Jeff Dailey took over as Illinois tollway CEO Nov. 19. A few weeks later, he quit.
• Just checking: A zealous TSA agent used temperature probes to hoist himself onto American Eagle planes at O'Hare while checking their security status. His antics caused big delays while planes were checked for damage to the instruments and a war of words between the feds and the government in August.