[remote or in person] Chicago Transit Board

Chicago Transit Authority
Transportation

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024
10:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m. CDT

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567 West Lake Street Chicago, IL 60661 (Directions)

CTA Principal Offices, 2nd floor, boardroom

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team

Live reporting by Chris Ridgeway

Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris
On my way to cover a @cta Board of Directors meeting for @CHIdocumenters Taking the CTA to get there. Fingers crossed.

09:26 AM Aug 14, 2024 CDT

Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 2/44
Fair report… made it via CTA slightly faster than estimated trip time. However arriving to a packed out board room. Staff originally told me I could not come in. This is still subcommittee meeting scheduled prior to full board meeting.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 3/44
Finance committee meeting just adjourned at 9:59a. Anticipate the full board meeting to begin after a short break.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 4/44
The Chicago Transit Board has 7 members, governing the @cta. The agenda today is here: transitchicago.com/assets/1/21/Au…
transitchicago.com/assets/1/21/Au…
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 5/44
@cta Board meeting called to order at 10:05a. Jessica Pipersburgh Chair of Ethics committee, begins her report, which is the first item on the agenda after approving previous minutes
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 6/44
@cta Ethic committee recommends substantive updates to the Ethic program. General counsel begins presentation “We would like to make the ethics program here at CTA quite robust.”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 7/44
@cta Anonymous complaints and complaints via email will now be allowed. Changes to due process will include a hearing officer to hear facts. This committee is meant to supplement the office of the Exec Inspector General and law enforcement.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 8/44
@cta Now the ADA Advisory Committee Report from chair Laura Saltzman. Ms Saltzman is also a senior policy advisor with Access Living.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 9/44
@cta Committee had reports on better wayfinding signage for those with accessibility needs. They discussed that 3rd party transit apps show all bus stops as fully accessible when this isn’t always the case.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 10/44
@cta Saltzman singles out the controversial “Redesign the Drive” proposal for N Dusable Lake Shore Dr. Busses are the most accessible option we have. “CTA can be overruled by CDOT which doesn’t consider accessibility in the same way.” (The new proposal for DLSD rejected a bus option)
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 11/44
@cta President Dorval Carter listens during report from ADA committee
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 12/44
@cta Dir. Roberto Requejo asks “What would it look like to have a more functional connected relationship between agencies?  This seems to be a recurring theme”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 13/44
@cta Requejo is the newest member of the CTA board chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…
chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 14/44
@cta Pres Carter, the CTA chief, makes comments saying there are “competing interests.” Dir Bernard Jakes asks if ADA issues are addressed proactively or just in response to complaints. Carter says they have ongoing active work, but also need the ADA committee to point out issues
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 15/44
@cta Carter: “The timeline [around ADA improvements] is not what I want to do, but it’s what I’m forced to do because I can’t find the money faster”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 16/44
@cta Director Michele Lee, who sits on the board as a member of the disability community, says “why can’t we invite CDOT here?” for better collaboration. “Accessibility affects everybody, so it shouldn’t be a competing interest”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 17/44
@cta Ald Ronnie Mosley (21st Ward) is first public comment. He speaks on Red Line Extension. CTA Red line team has “gone beyond the mandate of [just] community meetings” “This is a transformation project”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 18/44
@cta Public Commenter #2: Rev Albert Shears riffs on quote from Dr King - this Red Line extension project is a “check issued as a down payment” against the segregated history of Chicago
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 19/44
@cta Gallery of about 80 people erupts in applause after Rev Shears who has adopted the tone of a pastoral, inspirational political speech, ends with loud “yes we can, yes we can”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 20/44
@cta Next public comments also in celebration of Red Line Extension. First notes that today’s CTA map graphic only shows to 95th street, not extending to the real south border of the city. Abraham Lacy of Far South CDC praises Pres. Carter—“you stuck with it” farsouthcdc.org/staff
farsouthcdc.org/staff
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 21/44
@cta Now the President’s report by Pres Dorval Carter Regarding the DNC: ”we are ready to put the best face on public transit in the country”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 22/44
@cta Carter: “the special skills that I have. They are not fixing a broken bus. Driving a train… they special skill that I have is ‘in getting money’ ”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 23/44
@cta Carter: “When i was a kid, I rode CTA just like everybody else–I didn’t have a car”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 24/44
@cta Carter talks about hearing about potential L extension years ago when he was young. When he became CTA chief it was a top priority. “You deserved this decades ago” “This is truly a legacy project… why I do this work”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 25/44
@cta Carter: “At the end of the day, what we do is more than just move people from point A to point B. We transform communities.”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 26/44
@cta Pres Dorval Carter holds up CTA signage showing “130th St to Howard” representing the Red Line Extension
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 27/44
@cta Rev Michael Eddy—also new to the CTA board—congratulates Dorval Carter “diligent and persevering and have a gift”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 28/44
@cta Now the formal presentation for the Red Line Extension. Originally promised in 1969.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 29/44
@cta The extension is 5.6 miles along Chicago’s South Side. It includes four new fully accessible stations: 104rd, 111th, “Michigan,” “130th.”
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 30/44
@cta Timeline predicts launch of service in 2030.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 31/44
@cta “The construction industry completely changed post-covid” Presentation discussing difficult large cost increases, and demonstrating similar cost issues in peer projects in NYC.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 32/44
@cta Total price tag: $2.9 billion. Recommended vendor: Walsh-Vinci Transit Community Partners. wvtcp-rle.com
wvtcp-rle.com
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 33/44
@cta Discussing the “mega-procurement” process. CTA hired an expert. 15 firms responded to initial “industry comment” phase. Next phase evaluates “Qualified” vendors. Then RFP (request for proposal) phase, negotiations, and the “Best and Final Offer” phase.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 34/44
@cta Job creation is estimated to be 12,512 jobs, and 60k indirect jobs. Presentation team covering significant details about subcontractors, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) initiatives.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 35/44
@cta Board Chairman Lester Barclay makes a statement including lighthearted joke about when he was 16 years old and “in love,” but she lived on the far South Side and he couldn’t take the train.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 36/44
@cta Comments from other board members “historic moment.” Now the official motions for the Fiscal Year and Award of Contract. Both motions pass. The gallery applauds. The Red Line Extension officially approved at this juncture.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 37/44
@cta Now executive session where the board meets privately. Agenda lists items they will cover. Many CTA staff and others from gallery hanging about and chatting—the mood is celebratory. Handshakes and congratulations.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 38/44
@cta Ok the board is emerging from the back room and I expect we’ll be on to final business shortly.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 39/44
@cta Board takes votes to approve items from Exec session, including two collective bargaining agreements. The gallery has largely cleared out after the conclusion of the Red Line Extension earlier.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 40/44
@cta The board APPROVES amendments to the Ethics committee rules and regs (details in the early minutes of the meeting). And APPROVE Thomas J McKone as the Treasurer of the CTA.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 41/44
@cta Now approving property motions from the Finance committee.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 42/44
@cta Board defers the Construction Report and then votes to adjourn at 12:49p
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 43/44
@cta Of note, the meeting was sharply run by Georgette Greenlee, the board secretary. Not sure I’ve seen a public meeting feel so organized and on pace.
Chris Ridgeway @ridgewaychris 44/44
@cta This concludes my live coverage of the @cta board meeting for Aug 14, 2024 including the formal approval of the Red Line Extension. Follow @CHIdocumenters #chidocumenters for more important civic news affecting Chicago.
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Agency Information

Chicago Transit Authority

www.transitchicago.com

(312) 681-5022

ctamedia@transitchicago.com

@cta ‏

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To govern and administer the Chicago Transit Authority.

Remote meetings of the CTA board are live-streamed at https://www.youtube.com/user/CTAConnections/videos. The video may not appear until at or a few minutes after the scheduled start time. If you do not see it right away give it a few moments and try refreshing the webpage.

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