An Insider’s Persceptive of Chicago Public Transit: A Conversation with James LaBelle

James C. LaBelle is vice president of Metropolis 2020 and a board member for Metra, the Chicago area’s regional train network. Prior to his current work, LaBelle spent 20 years serving as a member of the Lake County Board, three terms as board chairman and one term as president of the Lake County Forest Preserve District. Mr. LaBelle has a master’s degree in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University, where he also earned a B.A. in Political Science and Business Administration.

How will Mayor Emanuel’s plans for an infrastructure overhaul and $7 billion infrastructure trust in Chicago impact Metra and other public transportation?

The infrastructure trust, as enacted by the Chicago City Council, is an innovative program that has the potential to be a model for additional local solutions that address critical needs in our infrastructure.

The Trust is reportedly intended to be used for a variety of infrastructure, including possibly the CTA Red Line expansion. At this point, however, it is not clear what the long-term potential is for using the Trust to fund public transit infrastructure. We do know there is a huge capital funding need to maintain our transit system – the RTA estimates that over $7 billion will be needed for Metra alone to achieve a state of good repair.

We cannot simply continue past practice of looking only to the Federal and State governments to fund the region’s capital needs. The Chicago region has never had a dedicated source of revenue to fund transit capital improvements, but it is time to create one. The Infrastructure Trust and other forms of “public-private partnerships” can be part of that regional funding.

Chicago is overhauling some aspects of its public transportation network, including the implementation of a bus rapid transit (BRT), the renovation of older CTA train cars, and a transition to hybrid buses. What do you think of these improvements? What changes can we expect from Metra in the coming years?

BRT and all of the other options you mention above are good useful steps. Metra, as well as CTA and Pace, face significant needs for repair and improvement of our existing facilities.

In 2012 Metra will prepare a new strategic plan that will outline the needs and identify those investments that are most critical and cost-effective. We will be inviting public input in the development of the strategic plan. In addition, since most Metra service uses the freight rail system, it is important that the freight system be efficient. Metra is a partner in the CREATE rail infrastructure improvement program, an effort by the “class 1” railroads, City of Chicago, State of Illinois, AMTRAK and Metra to make the freight system more efficient and reduce conflicts between freight and passenger rail in the Chicago region.

Metra’s priority in 2011 was to stabilize the agency’s finances (including approval of a significant fare increase) and make management and policy changes to become more accountable, transparent, and businesslike. In 2012, Metra is looking to the future and setting plans in place to meet the region’s long term transit needs.

Has Metra’s recent choice to raise fares in lieu of making service cuts made a lasting impact on the Metra budget? What are the ways in which Metra users adapted to the fare change?

Raising fares was part of the new Metra business model. We carefully surveyed our customers (we received over 7,000 online survey responses) and reviewed every aspect of our operation to see where costs could be reduced. However, with the recession, revenues declined and Metra had an unsustainable deficit that had to be corrected. Our riders generally came to understand the situation and told us they think Metra provides good value compared with other methods of travel and that they preferred fare increases over service cuts.

While it’s still early, Metra ridership has actually increased almost 2 percent in the first 3 months since the fare increases took effect February first. We had budgeted for a 2 percent loss of riders so this response is encouraging. This response is consistent with what Metra riders told us in the survey – they get a generally safe, comfortable, and timely product for the amount they pay in fares and increasingly understand why we need to raise fares.

The Metra Board also respects the taxpayers of the region who pay the RTA sales tax for transit and the taxpayers of the State who contribute funds to match 25 percent of the RTA sales tax. We want to make sure that the transit service their taxes help pay for is worthy of that support, and having a businesslike approach to setting fares is part of that responsibility.

Feature photo: cc/[phil h]