[IL-Talk] FW: CTA 2021 Budget - Virtual Public Hearing on Nov. 12, 2020 at 6 p.m.

Thu Oct 22 20:35:10 UTC 2020

FYI.

Denise R. Avant, Esq.

President,

National Federation of the Blind of Illinois

773-991-8050

Live the life you want.

For more information about NFBI,

Go to www.nfbofillinois.org

From: Access <access at transitchicago.com> 
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2020 3:26 PM
Subject: Re: CTA 2021 Budget - Virtual Public Hearing on Nov. 12, 2020 at 6
p.m.

Hello Everyone:

Please see the below Press Release regarding CTA's Proposed 2021 Budget
which includes information related to a public virtual meeting at 6:00 p.m.
on November 12, 2020. Feel free to forward as desired.

Thank you.

__________________________________________

For Immediate Release

October 22, 2020

Proposed 2021 CTA Budget Relies On New Federal Funding to Support Service 

Additional financial support from Congress critical to maintaining the CTA
service 

that's carried Chicago through the pandemic 

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today proposed a $1.64 billion operating
budget that highlights the need for new federal funding to support public
transportation across the United States. Though CTA will enter 2021 with no
planned changes to service or fares, the agency depends on continued support
at the federal level to achieve that goal. 

For 2021, the CTA is facing an operating budget deficit of approximately
$375 million-a shortfall caused solely by the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic in March, the CTA-like transit
agencies across the country-has seen an unprecedented loss of ridership and
revenue. Further, state sales tax funding that supports transit is well
below anticipated levels. The American Public Transportation Association
(APTA) projects that if Congress or the Administration do not provide
additional emergency federal transit funding, six in 10 public transit
agencies will have to consider service cuts or other cost-cutting measures. 

"Over the last seven months, the CTA has provided an essential service to
those who needed it the most: health care workers, emergency responders,
grocery and manufacturing workers, and those needing to make essential
trips," said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. "But in order to ensure we
can continue to provide this critical service, we absolutely must receive
additional funding from Congress." 

Congress has already supported public transit with a funding package earlier
this year-funding that helped transit agencies across the country, including
the CTA, to maintain service through 2020 and into early 2021. But further
federal funding is needed to help transit agencies make up for continuing,
unprecedented financial losses and lower-than-normal ridership. 

Despite the challenges to the operating budget, which covers day-to-day
service, the CTA continues to pursue much-needed capital investment. The
proposed budget also includes a five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
of $3.4 billion, which is necessary to continue investing in modernization
and capital improvement projects that will provide safer, more reliable
service for customers, as well as an improved transit experience through the
continued expansion of public art, removal of slow zones, upgrades to
popular transit tools such as Ventra. 

"Investment in transit infrastructure has always been an investment in a
strong future for the city," Carter said. "Further, continued investment in
transit is directly tied to our city's economic recovery, a way to promote
jobs and opportunities at a time when the city needs them most." 

The CIP is supported by funding from Restore Illinois, the 2019 state
capital program that was the first in more than a decade. More than half of
the capital funding will go toward previously announced major projects,
including: 

*	Upgrade of the Cottage Grove Green Line station ($60M) 
*	Blue Line O'Hare Branch power improvements ($50M) 
*	Advancement of the Red Line Extension project ($327.8M) 
*	Phase 1 station improvements under the All Stations Accessibility
Plan (ASAP ($78M) 

APTA estimates that with each dollar invested in transit it in turn creates
$4 of economic activity. "The devastating effects of the dual health and
economic crisis only further highlight how much CTA's long-term capital
projects are urgently needed, and the importance of continuing to plan and
identify funding for initiatives like ASAP and the Red Line Extension
project," Carter added. 

Other capital projects to continue or begin in 2021 include: 

Testing of the 10 new 7000-Series rail cars 

*	Quarter-life overhaul work on 5000-Series rail cars 
*	Roll-out of newest all-electric buses 
*	Start of station and track structure construction as part of RPM
Phase One 

A virtual public hearing will be held on November 12, 2020, at 6 p.m.
Because of the pandemic and the Governor's Executive Order prohibiting large
public gatherings, the public hearing will proceed only virtually.  

A link to view the hearing will be available at transitchicago.com/finance.
Members of the public who wish to speak at the virtual public hearing are
encouraged to submit their request prior to the hearing. Options for
providing comment at the virtual hearing or for submission to the Chicago
Transit Board on the proposed 2021-2025 Capital Program of Projects, 2021
Operating Budget and Program, and the Financial Plan for 2022 and 2023 are
detailed below:  

WRITTEN STATEMENTS: Written statements will be taken into consideration
prior to the adoption of the proposed 2021-2025 Capital Program of Projects,
2021 Operating Budget and Program, and Financial Plan for 2022 and 2023.
Written comments for the Chicago Transit Board's review and consideration
must be submitted by 5 p.m., Monday, November 16, 2020. Written comments may
be submitted in any of the following ways:  

*	Via US Mail, CTA Board Office, 567 W. Lake Street, 2nd Floor,
Chicago, IL 60661  
*	Via drop off at CTA Headquarters, 567 W. Lake Street, 1st floor
mailroom  
*	Via fax at 312-681-5035  
*	Via email at  <mailto:GLonghini1 at transitchicago.com>
GLonghini1 at transitchicago.com   

ORAL STATEMENTS: Members of the public who wish to speak at the virtual
public hearing are encouraged to register prior to the hearing, by
completing and submitting a Request to Speak form online at
transitchicago.com/finance. Individuals registered online by 6 p.m. on 
November 11, 2020, the day before the hearing, will be called by the CTA, at
the telephone number provided, during the November 12, 2020 hearing, to be
connected to the virtual public hearing proceedings. 

DIAL IN AT THE TIME OF THE HEARING: Members of the public may also dial-in,
while the hearing is in progress, to request to speak, by calling
312-681-3091.Individuals who pre-register to speak will be taken up first at
the virtual public hearing. Individuals who call while the hearing is in
progress will then speak in the order that they call in. 

Copies of the proposed 2021-2025 Capital Program of Projects, 2021 Operating
Budget and Program and the Financial Plan are also available for review in
standard size print and large print at the Archer Heights Branch Library,
5055 South Archer Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60632; Austin Branch Library,
5615 West Race Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60644; Harold Washington Public
Library, 400 South State Street, 5th floor, Chicago, Illinois 60605;
Austin-Irving Branch, Chicago Public Library, 6100 West Irving Park Road,
Chicago, Illinois 60634; Avalon Branch Library, 8148 South Stony Island
Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60617; West Town Branch Library, 1625 West Chicago
Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60622; Woodson Regional Public Library, 9525 South
Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60628; Evanston Public Library, 1703
Orrington Avenue, Evanston, Illinois, 60201; Evergreen Park Public Library,
9400 South Troy, Evergreen Park, Illinois, 60805; Oak Park Public Library,
834 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60301; and the Skokie Public Library,
5215 West Oakton, Skokie, Illinois, 60077. 

At the virtual public hearing the CTA will afford an opportunity for
interested persons or agencies to be heard with respect to social, economic,
environmental and other related aspects of the proposed 2021-2025 Capital
Program of Projects, 2021 Operating Budget and Program, and the Financial
Plan for 2022 and 2023. 

At the virtual public hearing, an American Sign Language interpreter and a
Spanish interpreter will be provided. Individuals with disabilities who
require other accommodations to review the budget or to provide feedback
should contact Amy J. Serpe, Manager, ADA Compliance Programs, at
<mailto:aserpe at transitchicago.com> aserpe at transitchicago.com or 312-350-2301
or Relay.  

A copy of the proposed budget is also posted on the CTA's web site at
www.transitchicago.com <http://www.transitchicago.com/> .   

THIS IS A READ-ONLY DOCUMENT.

DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL