More: "Trains, the Chicago Way".

[greyhounds]

For those that don't know, Metra is the government (cough, choke) agency that runs the Chicago commuter rail system.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-metra-capra-20130925,0,4686388.story

And we folks just have to fork it over in our taxes.

[schlimm]

Another of your usual anti-government, political messages.

Here is a fact on the source for all those taxes you have to fork over.

http://www.rtams.org/rtams/salesTaxHome.jsp

[BroadwayLion]

greyhounds

For those that don't know, Metra is the government (cough, choke) agency that runs the Chicago commuter rail system.

LION says that commuter fares are far too low to pay for what needs to be purchased.

But REVENUE has two sources: The Farebox and the Taxman. Between these tow sources ALL OPERATING EXPENSES must be paid in FULL. Operating expenses must NEVER operate on a deficit. My grand children do not need to pay for the ride that I took today. Capital expenses are a matter different and are properly paid for via bonds and other fiduciary contrivances. It is ok for my grandchildren to pay for tracks that they will eventually ride on and equipment that they will eventually ride in.

The issue on the table then is the relationship between FARE and TAX. It is well and good for bus and subway to have lower fares and more tax reimbursement, since even people who do not ride on these vehicles do in fact benefit from them in the form of less street congestion, and access to a wider labor pool.

Suburban trains should have higher fares, with more of the cost being derived from the rider on the grounds that 1) they can afford it; 2) their community realizes less benefit from the service; and 3) it is still a far better deal that driving into the city.

LIONS do not know as much about Chicago, but driving round trip to NYC from, say Merrick, would cost $25.00 in vehicle fuel, costs and amortization, $6.00 in tolls, and another $20.00 for parking for a total round trip cost of $51.00. LIRR does the same round trip ride for $25.00; or $276.00 for a monthly ticket vs $1020 for 20 days of driving.

LION now lives in North Dakota. It is a $26.00 round trip carfare to the nearest town; $80 round trip to Bismarck: public transportation is not available.

LION has little sympathy for those who do not want to pay their own way. As for those who cannot pay, the LION wants them to be taken care of. Transit should not be the agency that provides welfare, that is provided by a welfare agency (or schools) which can provide reduced rate tickets on their own dime.

ROAR

[schlimm]

Why should in-city transit be OK to subsidize and suburban rail not?  It is all part of the same metro area.  If the train fares are raised enough to cover operating expenses, the already overcrowded expressways and toll roads would need more lanes, which in some cases is impossible to do and in any case extremely expensive.  In suburban Chicago, Metra is required by law to have a farebox recovery ratio of at least 50%.  In 2011, it was 55%.

[BroadwayLion]

This the LION has explained. Him knows that there will be both fare-box and tax-box funding both suburban and city transit.  IT IS THE PROPORTION of funding that is in question. And this proportion needs to be determined locally in all instances. It is LOGICAL that the city would want the tax-man to carry more of the burden than the fare box.

THOSE WHO DO NOT USE CITY TRANSIT still do benefit from city transit. It reduces traffic on the streets, it brings more customers to your stores, more spectators to your venue, and increases your labor pool.

These considerations do not apply on Long Island (for example) where more people want relief from their tax burdens, and are willing to let commuters pay more for their ride. Commuters are still getting a great bargain as compared to driving cars into the city.

In the city, fewer people own cars, and really do not care if the streets are repaired, they would rather have their tax money going to good transit.

ROAR

[schlimm]

Perhaps LI tax sourcesfor transit are different than metro Chicago.  Here the RTA, serving over two million commuters daily, collects a 1% sales tax withing Cook County, which contains Chicago and the CTA and a 0.5% sales tax in the five surrounding counties.   The RTA then distributes those revenues to the CTA, PACE suburban buses and Metra (suburban trains).  There is no great mass of folks clamoring to eliminate the sales tax, which has been around for ~30 years. 

People who do not use Metra still benefit from the reduction in road traffic. Metra carried over 81 million riders in 2011.  They estimate it would take an additional 29 expressway lanes to accommodate Metra riders because it carries around 50% of the commuters to the Loop in the major expressway corridors.

[n012944]

Cook County collects a 1.25% sales tax for the RTA, not 1%.  

http://rtachicago.com/help/frequently-asked-questions.html

[schlimm]

You are right:

"The traditional RTA sales tax is the equivalent of 1 percent on sales in Cook County and 0.25 percent on sales in the collar counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will. The 1 percent sales tax in Cook County is comprised of 1 percent on food and drugs and 0.75 percent from all other sales, with the state then providing a "replacement" amount to the RTA equivalent to 0.25 percent of all other sales.

The RTA retains 15 percent of the total traditional sales tax and passes the remaining 85 percent to CTA, Metra and Pace. Of this 85 percent, CTA receives 100 percent of the City of Chicago tax and 30 percent of the suburban Cook County tax, Metra receives 55 percent of suburban Cook County tax and 70 percent of the tax collected in the five collar counties, and Pace receives 15 percent of the suburban Cook County tax and 30 percent of the collar counties' tax.

In January 2008, Illinois Public Act 95-0708 increased the RTA sales tax rate throughout the region, increased the real estate transfer tax (RETT) in the City of Chicago, and raised the portion of RTA sales tax revenues matched by the State Public Transportation Fund (PTF). The RTA sales tax rate was increased by 0.25% in Cook County and by 0.50% in the Collar Counties effective April 1, 2008. Proceeds of the sales tax increase in the Collar Counties are divided evenly between the RTA and the county where the tax is collected. The proceeds awarded to Collar Counties can only be utilized for transportation (highways and transit) and/or public safety purposes."

So 1.25% in Cook, 0.75% in DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Will and Kane. 

[CMStPnP]

I am on a project up here that goes through the end of December maybe longer.    I am in Schaumburg, IL have my choice of the Milwaukee District West Line or the UP West line.      I get to fly home to Texas for the weekends if I want (thank goodness)

Man does it suck up here service wise.    I don't know how you resident flatlanders can stand it.    Takes forever to eat out in a restaurant here, rent a car, security check at the airport, etc and Chicago still has manned toll booths on their tollways...........flashback to the 1990's.       Two speeds service wise.     Slow and Slower.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

If you think that getting through security at O'Hare is slow, you should see it at McCarran.  Why do you want to rush when you dine at a restaurant??

As far as manned tollbooths, there aren't that many and I haven't gone through one on the Illinois Tollway system in years.  I have an I-Pass mounted to my windshield and I avoid that problem.  I-Pass tolls are also only half as much as cash tolls.

[richhotrain]

After reading the original post, the content of the link, and all the replies, I still don't know what the OP is objecting to.  Metra, itself, as a transit agency?  Or, the departing Metra official?

Rich

[schlimm]

CMStPnP

 I don't know how you resident flatlanders can stand it.    Takes forever to eat out in a restaurant here,

Perhaps because we enjoy a wide choice of foods beyond Tex-Mex , BBQ and steak?  

Seriously, i should think you'd enjoy riding the old Milwaukee Road.

As to the original poster, just guessing, but I suppose he is disgusted with the incompetence and cronyism on the GOP-dominated Metra board, as are most folks here.  But Metra continues to provide fine service (improvements are still needed, though) for many Chicago-area residents.