Chicago Transit Authority

The Chicago Transit Authority ( CTA) was established on October 1, 1947, provides in and around Chicago public transport to.

History

Predecessor

1914 all trams have been combined in and around Chicago at the Chicago Surface Lines ( CSL). In 1924 through the merger of Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Co. (founded in 1892), the Lake Street Elevated Railroad Co. (1893 ), the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Co. (1895 ) and the Northwestern Elevated Railroad Co. ( 1900), a second company taking over Chicago Rapid transit Company (CRT). These two companies eventually formed the basis for the CTA.

CTA

The CTA was established in 1947 by an Act of the State of Illinois. With its establishment, it took over the operation of the two mentioned companies. 1953 she took over the company despite protests even the Chicago Motor Coach Company.

In 1974, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA ) was established in 1983 the law regulating the regional transport ( Regional Transportation Act ), improved. In addition to the consolidation of regional rail transport providers to METRA and of companies Suburban buses operated for PACE a part of the budgetary sovereignty of the CTA was transferred to the RTA. Since then, the CTA is obligated to provide at least 51 % of their revenue on ticket sales and to get pre-approved five -year budget of the RTA. It is left to the CTA to determine the amount and types of fares within this framework itself. After the Clinton administration in 1997 the CTA federal funding deleted saw itself forced this 10% of their bus commandment be deleted.

In 2005, the CTA was a deficit of 55 million U.S. dollars in a financial crisis. The debt was given the outdated funding model and the state of Illinois adapted it. Without this measure, the CTA would have been forced to cancel 36 percent of the services and to raise tariffs. In May, the legislature of Illinois answered with a takeover of most of the debts of the CTA in the amount of 54 million dollars. However, the CTA criticized on the financing model and called for a change to avoid future deficits.

Current operation

The CTA operates in Chicago and 40 surrounding suburbs, the second largest after New York public transport network in the United States. On an average day, the vehicles carrying more than 1.43 million passengers: 476,000 in rail transport, with buses 952 100.

The core of the operation of the CTA, the " Elevated Railway" and "L" is called. All - except for two lines which cross the city in a north-south direction - are guided through the " loop", a high- Bahn ring, the elevated over streets surrounding the downtown core. The CTA occupied operated by their stations with at least a customer service representative.

The CTA operates approximately 2,000 buses that operate around 150 routes and 12,000 stops. The bus network comprises 2273 miles ( 3658 km ).