CHICAGO, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- The Illinois legislature's failure to pass a long-term funding bill has Chicago transit officials moving on plans to cut service and increase fares Sunday.
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's last-minute offer of a short-term cash infusion has failed to halt the CTA's emergency plans, The Chicago Tribune reported Friday. Transit leaders told the newspaper they weren't prepared to accept a deal they hadn't seen and one that the governor refused to detail.
"We have to operate on the facts of today," CTA President Ron Huberman said. "And the facts of today are we have no dollars."
Blagojevich said he and legislative leaders need seven to 10 days to reach agreement on a permanent funding solution for mass transit in the Chicago area, a plan that would include an expansion of gambling and a multibillion-dollar construction program, the newspaper reported.
In the meantime, he has offered the CTA, Metra and Pace a stopgap plan that would provide funding through the end of the year.
RTA Chairman Jim Reilly said his board has reluctantly accepted the governor's offer, the Tribune said.
