TESTIMONY OF AARON D. BASCH
ON BEHALF OF THE RTA
BEFORE THE ILLINOIS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MASS TRANSIT COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL 1234
MAY 1, 2009
GOOD AFTERNOON MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, I AM AARON BASCH, SENIOR COUNSEL FOR THE REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY, THE FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT AND REGIONAL PLANNING BODY FOR THE THREE PUBLIC TRANSIT OPERATORS IN NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS. THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS COMMITTEE HEARING TODAY PROVIDING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY VIEWS ON HOUSE BILL 1234 AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
BEFORE I BEGIN I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK REPRESENTATIVE HAMOS FOR HER LEADERSHIP AS CHAIRMAN OF THIS COMMITTEE AND HER EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE MASS TRANSPORTATION IN ILLINOIS.
THERE HAS BEEN ONLY ONE MAJOR CAPITAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IN ILLINOIS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS TARGETED OF MASS TRANASPORTATION. THE MAJOR SERVICE PROVIDERS SERVING THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA ARE SUFFERING AS A RESULT.
WHILE I APPRECIATE THE RECENT EFFORTS OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO PASS HOUSE BILL 656, MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. WHILE THAT BILL PROVIDED PERPETUAL BUDGET FUNDING OF SERVICE PROVIDERS, AVOIDING MAJOR SERVICE CUTS AND FARE INCREASES; IT DID LITTLE TO REMEDEY THE CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMIC ISSUES THE CTA, METRA AND PACE ARE FACING.
THE CHICAGO TRANSIT SYSTEM IS THE SECOND LARGEST IN THE NATION, PROVIDING MORE THAN 2 MILLION RIDES DAILY. THE CTA, METRA AND PACE OPERATE MORE THAN 3,800 BUSES AND VANS, 2,300 TRAIN CARS, 1,490 MILES OF TRAIN TRACK AND OVER 300 RAIL STATIONS.
JUST TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION, THE RTA AND SERVICE BOARDS SHOULD BE INVESTING AT LEAST $1 BILLION EACH YEAR. THAT AMOUNT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY FUNDING FOR SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS OR EXPANSIONS TO THE SYSTEM.
BECAUSE FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN AVAILABLE, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DELAYED AND REPLACEMENT OF AGING VEHICLES HAS BEEN PUT OFF. THIS RESULTS IN LESS RELIABLE SERVICE, SLOW ZONES, MORE POLLUTION AND HIGHER MAINTENANCE COSTS.
HOUSE BILL 1234 IS AN ESSENTIAL FUNDING PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE MASS TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN ILLINOIS, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CTA, METRA AND PACE. THE BILL WOULD PROVIDE 11 BILLION DOLLARS IN FUDNING OVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS FOR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
THE FUNDS WILL BE UTILIZED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE RTA WITH OVERSIGHT BY THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.
THE INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS WILL ENHANCE THE RELIABILITY OF METRA SERVICE AND IMPROVE FREIGHT OPERATIONS WHILE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESSFUL HIGH-SPEED RAIL SERVICE. THE FUNDS WOULD ALSO PROVIDE FOR THE RENNOVATION OF A NUMBER OF CTA STATIONS, REPLACE DECADES OLD TRACK, AND PROVIDE FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW TRAIN CARS. HYBRID BUSES WILL BE PROVIDED FOR BOTH CTA AND PACE USE.
COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION FOR LONG-TERM CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE COUPLED WITH REFORMS TO THE ORGANIZATION OF SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE A BETTER COORDINATED AND MORE EFFICIENT REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.
A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE NECESSARY FUNDING WILL BE GENERATED BY AN INCREASE IN THE MOTOR FUEL TAX. THE MOTOR FUEL TAX HAS BEEN 19 CENTS A GALLON SINCE 1990. IF IT WERE ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, IT WOULD BE ABOUT 32 CENTS. HOUSE BILL 1234 ASKS FOR INCREASE OF 9 CENTS BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 28 CENTS.
WHILE I RECOGNIZE THAT 11 BILLION DOLLARS IS A LARGE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT IN THESE ECONOMIC TIMES; IT IS NECESSARY.
TFIC WHICH IS THE TRANSPORTATION FOR ILLINOIS COALITION'S HAS RESEARCHED THE NEEDS OF THE CHICAGO TRANSIT SYSTEM EXTENSIVEVELY. A 2006 STUDY CONDUCTED BY TFIC DISCOVERED THAT ILLINOIS TRANSPORTATION PROJECT NEEDS EXCEED $23 BILLION DOLLARS. THE COALITION CONSISTS OF 70 MEMBERS SUCH AS THE AFL-CIO AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THEY HAVE JOINED THE RTA IN EASING THE TOTAL REQUEST BECAUSE OF THE STATE'S BUDGET DEFICIT. YET THE PARED-DOWN FIGURE IS STILL ALMOST 8 BILLION DOLLARS MORE GOV. QUINN ALLOTTED FOR ROADS AND RAILS IN HIS CAPITAL BILL.
THE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ARE A MAJOR ISSUE FOR ILLINOIS FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, BUSSINESSES, AND POLICYMAKERS. WITH THE ECONOMY STUMBLING, ILLINOIS CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO PUT OFF FUNDING OF MASS TRANSIT. THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WILL HELP TO CREATE JOBS, DECREASE CITY POLLUTION, AND IMPROVE THE COMMUTER TIMES FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN ILLINOIS.
ADDITIONALLY, PASSAGE OF HB 1234 WILL ENHANCE CHICAGO’S OLYMPIC BID AND WILL IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES SHOULD CHICAGO HOST THE 2016 GAMES.
THE RTA LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE HOUSE MASS TRANSIT COMMITTEE TO ASSIST IN THE PASSING ON HOUSE BILL 1234 AND CONTINUING THE RENNOVATION OF CHICAGO MASS TRANSIT. THANK YOU.
