Get moving on plan to invest in our transit system

I write about, “Emanuel is right. Better mass transit is crucial to Chicago’s future.” With the upcoming mayoral election and recent news of Amazon’s choice for HQ2 in New York and Virginia, it’s time to act on how we can sufficiently invest in our transit system.

One line in the editorial struck me: “And if nothing is done now, it will fall apart without a plan.” The RTA has a plan, a regional transit strategic plan called Invest in Transit. This five-year plan sets forth a bold, yet practical, vision in which public transit is the backbone of our region’s robust transportation mobility network.

This plan has three main goals: deliver value on our investment, build on the strengths of our network, and stay competitive. It also includes Invest in Transit Priority Projects, which describes $30 billion in specific, tangible capital priorities for CTA, Metra and Pace. More importantly, these are priorities for our riders that will modernize our fleet, eliminate slow zones and prioritize transit in our region. These projects show what we will do with sufficient and sustainable funding. We should be investing $2 billion to $3 billion in our system each year to meet our needs and assure our system’s assets are in a state of good repair. We’re not investing half of that each year.

Underinvestment in our regional transit system is not new. We have seen a continuous underfunding of our region’s transit infrastructure for years. Still, even facing these obstacles, CTA, Metra and Pace are delivering excellent service with limited resources, providing 2 million rides each workday. Even with other mobility options, no other mode can move that number of people safely and efficiently in our region as transit. A recent Metropolitan Planning Council report found that neighborhoods and suburbs located near transit stations are attracting many more new jobs than other areas. Transit is key to our region’s economy. It’s clear that the economic and social benefits of our transit system are vast and impact every geographic corner of Northeastern Illinois.

We have a plan. Let’s move it forward!

Kirk Dillard, chairman,

Regional Transportation Authority

Breath of fresh air

What a breath of fresh air it was to read Carolyn Mehta’s op-ed on her firing by the Pritzker campaign. Thank God we still have, humble, self-possessed, passionate and, yes, human activists working in our political campaigns.

Would that some of our elected leaders could show both the maturity and the ability to take responsibility as Ms. Mehta did. I hope she will grace another campaign soon.

Michael Cahill, Albany Park

Say no to smart phones

Gene Lyons is not the only human being in the world who doesn’t have a smart phone. There are two of us, because I’ve been refusing to get one for years. My old flip-phone died a couple of years ago, and my husband researched and told me where to get a new flip phone. So I did.

I don’t want my phone to be smarter than me. And like Gene, I can wait until I’m home or at a computer before I look up anything that I can’t remember. I detest seeing people walking around with their noses buried in their phones … look up! There’s a real world out here, just waiting for you to be a part of it! And most smart phones aren’t even very good phones. They may be good cameras, good computers, and more. But the sound is really fuzzy and weird when their owners try to use them as actual phones. I guess that part is an after-thought.

Fiona Gierzynski, Wheaton