I pulled out my cellphone to call an Uber. I needed to go from my hotel in New York City’s Times Square to the American Museum of Natural History for a literary gala last spring. The price of the rideshare gobsmacked me. A 2-mile ride clocked in at $70. Um, no. So I did what any self-respecting urbanite would do — hiked up my floor-length dress and sauntered down the street in my Manolo Blahnik stilettos toward the subway. During the 10-minute ride, I observed men in tuxes and women in gowns, everyone en route to the same celebration.
Taking the subway made sense, even all dressed up, because of the $3 fare and efficiency of dodging traffic. Manhattan’s density, carless culture and expense foster a public transportation system truly for all the public, regardless of socioeconomic status.
One thought popped into my mind while people-watching on my NYC excursion: Chicago would never. And for oh-so-many reasons.
As a frequent CTA user, I can’t recall ever pushing the turnstile in taffeta. Our bus and rail system isn’t as robust as NYC’s, but perhaps just as crucial as the routes is the Chicago Transit Authority’s poor reputation. The agency is a source of discontent for riders who complain about ghost buses, tardiness and lack of cleanliness at L stations. Even though crime is down, the perception is CTA is unsafe and unreliable. COVID-19 inflicted financial challenges and behavior I’d never seen before, such as cigarette-smoking in train cars.
We could be on the brink of change for the better.
A new day awaits our regional transit system, which can erase damage, inspire goodwill and reimagine more efficient public transportation. The Northern Illinois Transit Authority is now in effect, replacing the former regional system and charged with developing a unified transportation for the six-county region. By next year NITA will set a seamless regional fare policy across CTA, Metra and Pace.
Public transportation is more than getting from one destination to another. Ridership promotes walkability, and neighborhood equity addresses climate change and fosters economic development around stations. Our future is tied to better service. The best global cities boast a strong public transit. For Chicagoans and suburbanites, NITA represents a chance to be coordinated and not siloed, as we tend to be on other public goods.
I also see a chance to be bold beyond ensuring fiscal prudence. I attended NITA’s open house at Union Station earlier this month where the public used sharpies to spell out transit wishes. I saw a lot of pleas for no smoking and more reliable service. One idea suggested NITA board members and highly paid executives should use the system at least six times a week. Left unsaid was that buy-in from the top ensures investment.
Meanwhile, CTA says it wants to take a fresh look with a bus vision project. Ninety-six percent of Chicagoans live within a half-mile of a CTA bus stop. Riders can fill out an online survey or give their insights at a series of events at various public libraries. Metra, meanwhile, has a dream plan of crosstown service, more frequent trains and connections to O’Hare Airport. Dreaming big plants the seeds for innovation.
It may seem small, but CTA’s clever social media game has stepped up — not just with travel updates — but by featuring behind-the-scenes moments from employees and pithy memes. (“If your girl travels all over the city with you, picks you up, opens the door for you, that’s not your girl, that’s a bus.”) After country music icon Dolly Parton died, the Pink Line saluted her by temporarily renaming the train after her and the song "9 To 5." The Green Line recently celebrated chanteuse and Chicago native Lalah Hathaway’s new album with a custom station and bus. These gestures provide aesthetic appeal and counter the stinky, crime-ridden image of public transit.
NITA will have to toil for a long time to transform the regional system. It may take as long as getting the Red Line extension. Maybe by then I will feel comfortable enough to hike a formal gown to saunter down the L stairs in my stilettos.
Natalie Y. Moore is a senior lecturer at Northwestern University.
