Mar 14, 2007 11:02 pm US/Central
What Will It Take For CTA To Operate Better?
Troubled Public Transit Agency Has No Easy Way Out Of Woes
by Rob Johnson
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Frank Kruesi on a CTA train.
CBS
The terrifying subway fire on the Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line last July exposed serious flaws throughout the CTA rail system.
CBS 2's Rob Johnson reports on the trouble on the tracks, and whether those problems will ever be fixed.
It was a dubious year for the CTA's 'L' trains. Nowhere was that more true than on July 11, 2006.
The eighth car of a southbound Blue Line train derailed, shutting off power and starting a fire.
Passengers thought they were going to die, some saying they feared burning alive.
A group of 65 survivors is suing the CTA for negligence. A judge determined the CTA was at fault, boosting chances for settlement, but preventing lawyers from further investigation of the accident.
Attorney Dan Kotin believes there are serious track defects.
"I suspect there are some significant, long term on-going problems down there," Kotin said.
The day after that legal decision, the CTA axed five workers including track maintenance foreman Darryl Nelson who says he does not believe there was anything wrong with the track.
But CTA president Frank Kruesi, who recently took CBS 2 on a tour of the 'L' system, defends the firings.
"I can understand if somebody loses their job has got excuses for why they shouldn't be held accountable for it. But you know what? That's their job," he said.
Rick Harris is the president of the union that represents two of the fired workers. He says CTA maintenance procedures are outdated and the men were scapegoats.
"I think what we have is a situation where we needed to hurry up and show the public that we had taken some action. So what's the best we can do, we fired some people," Harris said.
Kruesi, too, admits there are serious shortcomings in the rail system.
"There are areas that need the work and the work hasn't been scheduled yet or there is no money for the work," he said.
And that is why the CTA is hoping to win approval for an ambitious plan to update tracks, trains and towers.
That proposal will cost $5 billion over the next four years. Kruesi is counting on the legislature to come to his rescue.
"There's got to be funding for transit, it's got to happen this year or we're going to be shrinking the system," he said.
But already leaders show little support for Kruesi's costly request.
"I don't know that $5 billion is a realistic number for Mr. Kruesi," said Rep. Tom Cross (R-84th).
"I'm quite sure the mayor's not living in a dream world and maybe Kruesi thinks we have a money printing machine downstairs," said State Sen. Emil Jones (D-14th).
So the $5 billion seems unlikely, which leaves Kreusi with this dire warning.
"People are going to switch and go into cars and if they do that it is going to be even more congested on the roads," Kruesi said.
If it seems like Kruesi is alone on this last ditch plan to help the beleaguered riders of Chicago, it's because he is.
His position has been weakened recently by speculation that Mayor Richard M. Daley is planning to dump Kruesi for someone more popular in Springfield.
Of course it is important for the CTA to get this right, because the biggest concern is the safety of the half million people who ride it each day.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
SLIDESHOW: CTA Train Derailment And Fire
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