Note-taking by
Mare Ralph
Meeting participants discussed the proposed 2025 operating budget, anticipated expenses and potential revenue streams.
Live reporting by
Luis Badillo
Meeting participants discussed the proposed 2025 operating budget, anticipated expenses and potential revenue streams.
Happy to be reporting for
@CHIdocumenters on the Oct 18 Meeting of the Citizens Advisory Board
11:15 AM Oct 18, 2024 CDT
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@Agent_Eli
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Currently reporting usage
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@Agent_Eli
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Another slide on costs. Comments on how costs of labor are proportional with ridership
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growth of labor budget due to union demands for 4 percent higher wages. Electricity rate has gone up 40-50 percent. 4 percent going to security such as uniformed police
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@Agent_Eli
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2026 plan needs $539 mill to cover gap similar for 2027
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@Agent_Eli
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“We need to improve the subsidy per rider”
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@Agent_Eli
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Board member Raby asking now about gaps in budget and how other agencies work to close them
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@Agent_Eli
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Board member Keene asking if there is something “we can do” with our side of the state
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@Agent_Eli
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Board member (unknown name) asking about the issue of communication. Why are riders not able to receive accurate arrival times? “The CTA is just unreliable” would not use it to go anywhere important “it’s like 50/50 if that bus even comes”
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@Agent_Eli
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Response: in this budget there are tools being funded. “Disruption manager” is a tool being rolled out on the bus side of things. Also talking about closing gap in labor.
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@Agent_Eli
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Board member Johnson on the cost of energy: that’s a huge huge cost. Asking if there is any rate setting with ComEd (for example)
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@Agent_Eli
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Response: lengthy explanation on at least three different factors on how energy costs have drastically increased included the effect the Russian war has caused globally
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@Agent_Eli
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Board member Van Der Weele asking about investments in technology. Response: bus systems getting upgraded but is lagging. Also upgrading screens, radio, and major upgrade to operator Control Center.
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@Agent_Eli
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Board member McCray Asking about labor vacancies now. Security services: why were we 33 percent over there?
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@Agent_Eli
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McCray commenting on how board was unhappy with Security Services in previous safety meeting. Response: those contracts will be up for bid soon.
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@Agent_Eli
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McCray: Is reduced fair subsidy on the table to be cut? Expresses concern for Chicago’s working class if federal subsidies are lost.
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@Agent_Eli
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Board Member Robert Castaneda: following up on security dissatisfaction Response: budget for 100 or so uniformed officers come out of CPD budget. “Our agreement with CPD is good from our side”
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@Agent_Eli
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Castanada: my issue is why are we supplementing security with contracts? Is it because we’re not getting the full value of what we’re paying for?
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@Agent_Eli
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Moving on to Capital budget
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@Agent_Eli
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User major projects including reopening 4 major redline stations, and rehabbing up to 20 elevators in the cta
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@Agent_Eli
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“Hoping market is available” for purchasing of electric buses.
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@Agent_Eli
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Details on modernization.
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@Agent_Eli
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Keefe: asking about how red line project is $1 billion over budget. Cta issued bonds used to cover gap. How does that affect future finances? Response: mainly making sure we get federal funding
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@Agent_Eli
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McCray: how many projects on the chopping block to fill in funding gap? Response: We’re not seeing an impact from operations deficit. I wouldn’t see any impact.
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@Agent_Eli
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Castaneda: asking about electric buses. Is there a point where we can start investing in renewable energy at our bus barns? (Solar, wind) Response: the math has been done there. Currently does not make sense.
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@Agent_Eli
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Raby: asking about solar at new redline extension Response: unknown, you would need to ask about red line extension specialists
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@Agent_Eli
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Moving on to public performance measures
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@Agent_Eli
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A nice history slide
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@Agent_Eli
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Cta now required to provide certain reporting as detailed in bill pictured
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@Agent_Eli
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So now CTA has 21 pages of reporting on website.
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@Agent_Eli
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Report on operational headcount, hiring, performance (buses on time).
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@Agent_Eli
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Information on performance can also be filtered by route
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@Agent_Eli
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Reports also available by rail, and individual line (red pictured). Breakdown by vehicle, signal, passenger issues, etc.
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@Agent_Eli
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Special attention is paid to green line as Powell has a business with an employee who has a “ton of green line stories” Everyone has a big laugh. Maybe the first time I’ve seen people get a laugh line at any municipal meeting.
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@Agent_Eli
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Mileage and slow zones also being recorded
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@Agent_Eli
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We’re really getting into the weeds with more data. Bus data now on the fleet, performance by bus model being highlighted.
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@Agent_Eli
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Now we’re onto rail fleet data. We’ve got some trains running since 1981. Board member Peter Henderson gets into IMPRESSIVE detail on which rail lines share which models.
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@Agent_Eli
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I’ll have to catch the recording but pretty sure another board member called him the resident “train nerd”. I would say enthusiast but that’s just me editorializing.
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@Agent_Eli
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Overall costumer complaints coming down year over year. Security complaints down since last April. Operator compliments up since March.
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@Agent_Eli
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Elevator and escalator up time. “These are a challenge to consistently maintain”
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@Agent_Eli
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Some more slides on safety incidents and rail deep cleans. These are moving pretty fast so unable to take pics. Also these are all online on the CTA website. Van der Keefe and Raby commenting: you know the trains actually smell clean recently.
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@Agent_Eli
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McCray: I like the platform. Has an issue with slow zones: they’ve doubled in past 5 years. In 10 they’ve quadrupled. Just wanted to point out.
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@Agent_Eli
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Johnson: is there an upshot on the absentee info? Response: overtime absenteeism may decrease but CTA faces same challenges all other employers do Even employers across the country have trouble getting people come back to work the Monday after the Super Bowl
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@Agent_Eli
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Castaneda: asking about getting a cta official app for security reporting. “We should try to capture user side of it” Raby: they just put QR codes up for instant feedback Castaneda: I don’t trust those public QR codes. (Henderson nods in agreement)
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@Agent_Eli
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Board is now brainstorming ways for riders to leverage smartphone tech to report security incidents.
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Chairperson Raby: I’m ready to go (jokingly) Meeting is adjourned
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That’s been today’s live reporting of the CTA Citizens Advisory Board meeting on behalf of
@CHIdocumenters. Thanks!
