Quote:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...2li-story.html
With Cook County’s help, South Siders could see lower fares on Metra
By Mary Wisniewski | Chicago Tribune | Jul 22, 2019 | 5:00 AM
For more than two decades, South Side community advocates have hoped for cheaper, more frequent Metra service to provide another transit option in areas without easy access to the “L.”
That dream may be finally coming true.
Metra is talking with Cook County, CTA and Pace about lowering fares on both the Metra Electric District and the Rock Island line, which run between downtown and the far South Side and south suburbs. Details are still being worked out... but for the first time, there’s a definite plan to make this happen.
The plan, as outlined in a new mobility study prepared by Cook County, is to lower fares on the Metra Electric District and Rock Island lines within the city to $2.50 — the same price as the “L" — from current Metra fares of $4 to $5.50. Fares also would be lowered between south suburban destinations and downtown, though the exact amounts are still being determined, according to John Yonan, superintendent of the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways.
Under the proposed scenario, Metra trains would run more often, and Ventra cards could eventually would be used to provide free transfers between Pace, Metra and the CTA.
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I can't believe this is finally moving forward... Kudos to Cook County Dept of Transportation for stepping forward to shepherd this and moving beyond just being a roads agency. In the past, it seemed like this kept failing because of a fundamental city-vs-suburb dynamic that was embedded in the structure of RTA and the three transit agencies. Cook County is the unique level of government that straddles the two. It will be an amazing irony if this ends up moving forward because of Toni Preckwinkle!
I guess this also explains plans to electrify Rock Island. With the Englewood Flyover being complete, RI also has full grade separation from other freight railroads except at 16th St next to The 78 site, is owned by Metra, and sees relatively little freight traffic... if it were electrified, it could be almost as robust a transit line as Metra Electric.
Funding for the subsidy and the capital improvements is yet to be identified, but if this can be substituted for all or part of the Red Line extension, that will be a far better use of that $2.3 billion.