CTA's bumpy passage
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION | With a crumbling system and money tight in Springfield, agency has a tough road
When Ron Huberman took over as CTA president last May, he promised to bring General Electric-like efficiency to one of the city's most essential -- and reviled -- public services.
In the past year, the former mayoral chief of staff has pruned administrative staff, changed 59 percent of top management, and squeezed money from private sources to fund service improvements.
"He's definitely trying to run the agency more like a business," said CTA Chair Carole Brown, who also served with former President Frank Kruesi.
Brian Imus, director of the public interest group Illinois PIRG, said Huberman has "done a lot with very little" and cares about rider concerns. "That's something that was lacking under previous administrations," Imus said.
But the 36-year-old CTA chief has been hampered by two big problems, both stemming from Springfield.
The first was the fight for operating funding, which consumed Huberman's first nine months in office.
While waiting for the General Assembly to break its stalemate, the CTA had to scare riders with "doomsday" scenarios of slashed bus routes and higher fares, and was unable to do much in the way of improvements.
The second problem is the ongoing fight for capital. Huberman says the CTA needs $6.3 billion to replace old trains and buses, fix tracks and bridges, and update communications.
A vivid example of the CTA's capital needs was last month's Blue Line meltdown, when a rail car failure started a series of mishaps that trapped 1,500 people in the subway.
Huberman said the CTA has been "very creative" in trying to leverage money. He cited the CTA's decision to lease instead of buy hybrid buses, digital information screens that will pay the CTA ad revenue, and a recent congestion pricing plan that could bring in $153 million in federal money.
"We'll continue to do as many of those things as possible," said Huberman. "But the reality is without a meaningful capital bill . . . we're not going to be in a position to improve service."
Darrell Jefferson, head of one of the unions representing CTA workers, said that under Huberman, the agency is finally stepping into the 20th century.
Didn't he mean the 21st?
"I meant the 20th," e-mailed Jefferson, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241. "Believe me, there are some dinosaurs still working under prehistoric thoughts at the CTA."
To make sure everyone at the top was "hungry" for change, Huberman shook up management. Among the top 100 managers, 59 percent are either new to the CTA or new to their jobs. Brass new to the agency include chief of staff Lydia Murray and chief information officer James Fowler.
"People who've not had fire in the belly, we've asked them to move on," Huberman said. He also cut 200 administrative jobs last year. Higher fuel costs are forcing another 100 non-union cuts over the next six months.
But it's easier to change people than equipment. Some rail stations have not been remodeled in 80 years. Two of the eight bus garages were built before 1910 -- as horse barns.
The rail car that failed in the Blue Line subway on April 15 was 39 years old; 28 percent of the CTA rail fleet is older than 25 years and costly to keep rolling.
Huberman said he's trying to explain to legislators that in tough times, reliable public transit is more critical than ever.
But the situation in Springfield is even worse than it was last year, according to Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Stephen E. Schlickman.
"Not one person I talk to is optimistic about a capital initiative getting accomplished," Schlickman said.
While working for a capital bill, Huberman has had a busy three months announcing low-cost or no-cost improvements, like a program that allows riders to plan routes on Google. Google paid for it.
Other programs include a pilot to test "smart cards" for high school students and "bus tracker," which allows riders on a growing number of routes to see where their bus is on their Blackberries.
Meanwhile, the Brown Line rehab has moved forward, as closed stations reopen with wider platforms able to take eight-car trains.
Rail system slow zones fell from 26.6 percent in October to 14 percent in April. The CTA also pledged to spend $227 million in federal capital funds on system improvements, including the lease of 150 new hybrid buses.
After a series of "good news" press conferences, the CTA stumbled with the Blue Line shutdown April 15. Huberman admitted he made a mistake by at first attaching blame to passengers who self-evacuated from a subway train. Passengers complained they got off because they didn't get good information from CTA workers.
Eugene Thurmond, a recently retired CTA bus transportation manager, said he thought Huberman was doing a "fantastic job," but it would help if he talked more with experienced old-timers.
Thurmond said some managers are afraid they'll lose their jobs if they speak out, and Huberman has to ensure them that they're safe.
"Tell the man the truth," said Thurmond. "If you tell him the truth, he'll do something about it."
