Chicago Transit Board Votes to Delay Cuts
- By Kevin Zolkiewicz
The Chicago Transit Board voted on Thursday to delay any service and job cuts until July 1st in hopes of receiving additional state funding this spring.
The announcement comes after the Illinois General Assembly failed to provide any additional funding during the fall veto session.
CTA?s proposed “Gridlock Budget,” which assumed no extra state funding, called for a 20% reduction in service and layoffs of over 1,000 workers in order to plug a $55 million budget deficit.
However, the CTA Board decided to hold off on the cuts with hopes that the General Assembly will come up with additional funding duing the spring.
CTA Chairwoman Carole Brown cautioned that without additional funding by this summer, the agency could find itself in a very tough position.
“While we should be happy and relieved that we’re not reducing service on Jan. 2, I am definitely afraid of what will happen if [lawmakers] don’t do anything,” Brown said yesterday.