This evening, I had dinner with my good friend Mark and his dad who is visiting from Phoenix, AZ.  At one point during the conversation, I told Mark’s dad about the ongoing drama we have with our public transportation here in Chicago.   I mentioned the notorious “Doomsday” threats we endured at the start of this year, along with the ongoing funding crises that threaten to shut the CTA (or at least most of it) down every few years.  I spared the man the details about the fare increases and service cuts.

When I got home, I saw this article in the Tribune.

It just never stops, does it?

It would be easy to blame Governor Blagojevich’s free rides for senior citizens for these latest dire warnings from the RTA (Regional Transportation Authority).  To do that would be to overlook the most serious problem with funding for public transportation in Chicago.  The system does not receive adequate funding from the state.  Until the Illinois General Assembly develops a comprehensive and long-term funding mechanism, these crises will continue to arise.