Advocates detail qualifications necessary for next CTA leader and call for transparency and a nationwide search
As the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) undergoes a transition in leadership and faces significant challenges with a looming fiscal cliff, community advocates urge our city’s leaders to reflect upon the qualifications necessary for the system’s next president.
Leading a transit agency is a highly specialized role, and given the specific challenges CTA riders have weathered over the last several years, they deserve an experienced, world-class transit leader who is ready to tackle the system’s challenges on day-one.
This means that the Chicago Transit Board in consultation with Mayor Johnson should hire a qualified executive search firm to conduct a thorough, nationwide search after engaging in robust stakeholder engagement with community, advocates, and CTA advisory committees. This is standard practice throughout the public transit industry nationwide.
Chicago deserves a transit leader who can demonstrate the following:
Deep experience running a public transit system in a major metropolitan region. Running a transit agency requires being able to manage large numbers of staff with specializations in rail and bus operations, skills that take many years of direct experience to acquire. CTA needs a leader ready to utilize those skills on day-one.
Experience with understanding, securing and navigating the complexities of federal funding. This is especially critical as we face increasing uncertainty while our values on inclusivity, equity, and climate are targeted.
Long-time practice of consistent and recent transit use. A commitment to using Chicago's transit systems during their tenure as a leader is important, and we need a leader who has an existing practice of regular public transit ridership. CTA deserves a leader who fully understands the challenges that the riders experience on a daily basis.
Record of a commitment to values of equity, transparency, collaboration, and accountability. A successful transit leader is one who fosters strong and trusting relationships with advocates and community stakeholders – one who has invested time in listening and understanding. They need to be able to effectively collaborate with other transit agencies and local, state and federal agencies.
Bold vision for an expansive, accessible, and reliable transit system. They must develop a long-term vision to expand transit access – particularly to underserved communities. This includes but is not limited to, a commitment to innovations like Bus Rapid Transit and coordinating with other agencies to increase service on underutilized lines. They must be firmly committed to achieving a fully accessible system that serves all riders, including people with disabilities.
Championing public transit. Riders deserve a leader who is enthusiastic about public transit, who understands the profound impact it has on the daily lives of our residents, and who is ready to fiercely advocate for a strong, fully funded, accessible and reliable system at the local, state, and federal levels.
Perhaps most critically, a search must take place after the Spring 2025 legislative session in the Illinois General Assembly concludes. Given the conversations around transit legislation in Springfield and the potential for significant changes in governance, any leadership search prior would lack critical context necessary to seek the right candidate for the role. Until then, the best thing for CTA and the region it serves is consistency and stability in leadership. Over the last 4 months, CTA has made strides in rebuilding trust with ridership and overseen the rollout of substantive improvements like the ‘Frequent Bus Network.’ We hope that work can continue.
We are at a critical juncture for public transit in Chicago. The needs and concerns of transit riders deserve attention and we urge Mayor Johnson and the Chicago Transit Board to demonstrate their commitment to building a strong, safe, reliable, and accessible transit system that riders can trust. This starts with a transparent and nationwide search for a candidate that has the experience and qualifications outlined above.
Signed,
Access Living
Active Transportation Alliance
Better Streets Chicago
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Commuters Take Action
Elevated Chicago
Metropolitan Planning Council
Katanya Raby, Chairperson, CTA Citizens Advisory Board
Laura Saltzman, Chairperson, CTA ADA Advisory Committee
It’s time for Mayor Johnson to fund the #PlowTheSidewalks Pilot Program
This year, the City of Chicago released the 'Plow the Sidewalks Pilot Program Recommendations Report,' outlining a year's worth of work by advocates alongside the City to develop a feasible pilot program for municipal sidewalk snow and ice removal. This was a profound step forward in the years-long #PlowTheSidewalks campaign, providing a clear roadmap and outline for the City to begin implementation. But right now, advocates are left fighting for this program to continue – and we need your help.
Since February 2021, Better Streets Chicago has been advocating for the City to make sidewalk snow and ice removal a municipal service. What started as two of us with shovels and a point to make, our campaign quickly gained momentum as we highlighted the disparities in how things currently do – and most importantly don’t – get cleared, caused by the jurisdictional mess that is created by the City’s existing policy, which leaves the job up to adjacent property owners and businesses. We were proud to have our partners at Access Living join the campaign in December 2021. Together, we have been making the case clear that when the job doesn’t get done, it has a real human impact.
Over time, we have built a broad coalition of community, transportation, civic, and advocacy organizations, and City Council allies who have all agreed that it’s time the City take responsibility for the sidewalks in the winter. Together, we successfully passed the Plow the Sidewalks Pilot Program ordinance in July of 2023. This ordinance established a working group of the Mayor’s office, various City departments, the Committee on Pedestrian Traffic Safety, and organizations like Better Streets Chicago to work together over the span of a year to develop recommendations for a pilot program.
After a year of bold advocacy, collaboration, and compromise, the City released the result of this working group in the ‘Plow the Sidewalks Pilot Program Recommendations Report’ on May 31st, 2024. This report was the result of significant effort by advocates to ensure the feasibility and viability of the program, and to ensure it would be equitably distributed. Even the pilot zones in the report today are reflective of the zones proposed by advocacy during the working group, designed using our pilot zone metrics tool.
Unfortunately, since then the City has missed key deadlines for implementation, and has failed to provide the necessary funding in the Chicago Department of Transportation's budget to move the pilot forward. While the City faces significant challenges, eliminating this pilot program does not address those challenges.
Instead, it perpetuates the continued neglect of the needs of people with disabilities, seniors, parents with children, and beyond to participate in society when it snows. This means Chicagoans will continue to be unable to run errands, go to the doctor, buy groceries, and otherwise participate in our economy and in their communities – oftentimes left trapped at home for days until the snow is cleared or melts.
We have been tirelessly advocating for the Mayor to make this right by including the pilot in this year’s budget. Mayor Johnson has publicly stated that he still believes in this program, but a pilot recommendations report is ultimately meaningless if it's not implemented. We need to see plows hit pavement.
Now is the time for Mayor Johnson to make clear his commitment to #PlowTheSidewalks, and there is only one way for him to do that: fully fund the Plow the Sidewalks Pilot Program.
Advocates urge transparency and action regarding the future of Chicago’s intercity bus terminal
Advocates were disheartened to learn last week that the September 23rd subject matter hearing in the Committee on Pedestrian & Traffic Safety regarding the future of Chicago’s intercity bus (“Greyhound”) terminal has been canceled. As the current terminal located at 630 W. Harrison St. is set to be vacated by operators in a matter of days, the City has yet to meaningfully engage advocates, nor has it provided the public and bus riders clarity on either the short-term nor long-term future of the terminal. Without swift action, the City risks permanently losing critical intercity bus services that will impact thousands of riders daily and reduce people’s access to economic opportunities, medical services, and personal travel needs.
Transportation, environmental, reproductive health, disability, civic and community advocates have been sounding the alarm of the risk that comes with losing the terminal, and remain ready to work with the Johnson administration and stakeholders towards a solution.
It is imperative the City remains transparent and provides space for community members, stakeholders, and alderpeople to get answers about the City’s plans for the terminal and to understand how the City arrived at its decisions. This administration has set a vision for co-governance to “create a more collaborative government” that bridges the gap between government and community and “disrupts long-standing mistrust between both groups.” In the spirit of that vision, we urge the administration to commit to bring advocates to the table to provide our expertise on the issue and the community’s needs, and to reschedule the hearing.
Failing to come to a workable solution for the intercity bus terminal would directly harm thousands of people traveling to, from and through Chicago daily – and would be disproportionately placed on the most vulnerable people in our community. This includes low-income travelers, students, seniors, victims of domestic violence, the disabled community, people seeking medical care (including reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming healthcare), LGBTQ+ people, and beyond. Two thirds of intercity bus riders have incomes below $40,000 and one third have incomes below $20,000. More than a quarter have no other viable travel option.
We are deeply concerned that a solution has not been identified with only days to go. However, Mayor Johnson still has an opportunity to course correct by rescheduling the hearing and creating space for residents and stakeholders to be active participants in this process.
Signed,
Access Living
Active Transportation Alliance
Better Streets Chicago
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Chicago Abortion Fund
Commuters Take Action
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Equality Illinois
High Speed Rail Alliance
Illinois Environmental Council
Metropolitan Planning Council
Personal PAC
Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
Coalition to Save the Chicago Greyhound Terminal | Letter to Mayor Johnson
Dear Mayor Johnson:
As organizations advocating for safe, effective, and efficient transportation, we call for the City of Chicago to take immediate action to preserve the Chicago Greyhound Terminal at 630 W. Harrison Street for intercity bus travel. The loss of this facility would disproportionately affect disabled travelers, minority groups, students, individuals who do not own cars or cannot drive, and many others who depend on low-cost travel options, including those fleeing domestic violence or seeking justice at the courthouse down the block. Greyhound’s lease of the facility ends in October, making this an extremely pressing issue that requires our collective attention.
The City or another public entity should buy the Terminal, rehab it, and contract with a firm to manage it. As a public terminal, its future operator, with guidance from the Chicago and Illinois Departments of Transportation, should work with private bus companies to expand service to and from Chicago, as is happening right now in other cities across the country. Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Detroit, MI; and New York, NY, for example, have recently made or are making major investments to support intercity bus terminals. Chicago risks falling behind its peers by failing to take action now. With action bus ridership could easily double in a short period.
As the end of the lease approaches, the City of Chicago has neither:
Presented evidence about a concerted effort to purchase the Terminal or extend the lease, which should involve a collaborative process. No information has been presented about engagement with county, regional, or state officials, NOR
Conducted a full technical assessment of alternatives that could give Chicago sufficient intercity bus capacity, provide passengers with indoor waiting facilities, and offer safe pickup and drop-off if the Terminal can't be preserved.
Without prompt action, Chicago is headed for a crisis this autumn. We expect this crisis to be worse than that in Philadelphia, which suffered the loss of a similar station in 2023. Among the possible relocation options for bus lines if the station closes is the dedicated bus lane on Jackson Boulevard next to Chicago Union Station (CUS) upon the lease expiration. The arrangement has notable problems:
The available curb space is far too small to handle Chicago’s expansive intercity bus system, which would result in a sharp reduction in bus schedules. The Jackson bus lane is not suitable to be a coach bus stop. It is located in a heavily congested area and there is too little space to handle the number of buses and passenger capacity currently seen at the existing Greyhound terminal. Significant cuts and undesirable schedule changes would likely result.
It has no passenger facilities. There is nowhere for people with luggage to wait for their bus, no public restrooms, no protection from the weather, nowhere to find help navigating their bus journey, nor passenger drop-off or pickup locations. CUS’s waiting room is open only to Amtrak and Metra customers. Amtrak has indicated that CUS is not configured and presently has no capacity for intercity bus service beyond the station's current use.
There would be little capacity to serve passengers connecting through Chicago due to the need for people making transfers to wait outside for extended periods. Bus lines would likely have no choice but to restrict the number of connecting tickets sold greatly. This would hurt disadvantaged populations who rely on buses for long-distance trips.
There would be no room for growth. Greyhound and its partners aren’t the only carriers serving the Greyhound Terminal. For example, Indian Trails, Megabus, and OurBus would likely return to Chicago if they had a proper place to drop off and pick up their customers. Chicago should be working to make it easier to visit our city without a car. Intercity buses are a low-cost and sustainable way to do that.
Congestion around CUS is acute, particularly during rush hour, and the lack of off-street pickup and drop-off zones in the area paired with use of bus lanes for Greyhound will have a dramatic impact on CTA service.
The cost of purchasing and rehabbing the station is estimated at less than $40 million—a small fraction of what we regularly spend on major transit, airport, and highway improvement. This relatively small investment would generate a significant return for the city and region.
It is essential that the City of Chicago: 1) move aggressively to buy the station or negotiate a lease extension before it is too late, 2) have the Chicago Department of Transportation be ready with a viable contingency plan that has sufficient capacity, waiting facilities, and needed services if the above proves infeasible. We urge the City to reach out to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Cook County, Illinois Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Authority, and other groups to formulate a response. Our coalition is available to provide technical assistance in this critical effort.
Signed:
Access Living
Active Transportation Alliance
Austin Coming Together
Better Streets Chicago
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community
Commuters Take Action
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Elevated Chicago
Endeleo Institute
Environmental Law and Policy Center
Foundation for Homan Square
Garfield Park Community Council
Greater Southwest Development Corporation
High Speed Rail Alliance
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
Metropolitan Planning Council
North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council
Northwest Center
Northwest Side Community Development Corporation
Sierra Club Chicago
Union of Concerned Scientists
Union League Club of Chicago
Transportation advocates urge Mayor Brandon Johnson to invest public dollars in transit, not stadiums
Like many Chicagoans, the recent unveiling of the Chicago Bears’ controversial plan for a new lakefront stadium has left transportation advocates with far more questions than answers. With a projected cost to taxpayers of $5.9 billion, we find this proposal to be misaligned with our coalition's priorities. At a time when our region’s transit systems are facing a significant fiscal cliff, decades of disinvestment leaving lines in disrepair and many communities without access, ongoing service challenges, and record pedestrian and cyclist deaths, public funding of stadiums should not be a priority.
When asked about whether he supported former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposal for a $2 billion renovation of Soldier Field, then-candidate Brandon Johnson said: “Chicago could also use $2 billion to remove lead pipes, house thousands of unhoused Chicagoans, fully fund public schools, generate neighborhood and business development…pay down our pension and general obligations, or meet dozens of other urgent needs–all of which would generate much-needed economic and quality of life returns.”
We agree.
Decades of research has made it abundantly clear that stadiums are not good investments for public dollars. The economic benefits never cover the cost of investing in these stadiums while the direct profits go to the team and their owners – in fact, Chicago taxpayers are still paying off the former Soldier Field renovation with $589 million in debt remaining. With so many pressing priorities in Chicago, the city simply cannot afford to foot the bill for a new stadium.
Of significant concern, this proposal failed to mention transit at all. Instead, we were presented a vague nearly $1 billion infrastructure proposal highlighting widening DuSable Lake Shore Drive and thousands of additional parking spaces – furthering decades of harmful car-centric planning practices. It is well established that widening roads and expanding parking does little to alleviate congestion, but rather encourages even more people to drive and exacerbates the problem. Chicagoans have instead been calling upon the City to invest in modernizing and expanding CTA, improve and integrate regional transit operations, build a city-wide network of protected bike lanes, expand and maintain sidewalks, and invest in ADA compliance. Rather than using obsolete traffic designs in an attempt to shave a couple minutes off of drivers’ trips for a few special events, the City’s priority should be making the critical investments needed to improve Chicagoans’ everyday mobility.
Transportation touches every aspect of Chicagoans lives, and right now we are facing a series of transportation crises that can no longer be ignored. Mayor Johnson, we urge you: invest public dollars in transit, not stadiums.
Signed:
Better Streets Chicago
Active Transportation Alliance
Chicago, Bike Grid Now!
Commuters Take Action
The Equiticity Racial Equity Movement
Metropolitan Planning Council
The Southwest Collective
Urban Environmentalists Illinois