Metra CEO Alex Clifford did his cash-strapped agency no favors Wednesday at his City Club presentation by asserting that Metra's largest fare increase ever (25 percent) didn't contribute to a 1.7 percent ridership decline in 2012.

Clifford rightfully made the case for more capital dollars to close a huge funding deficit for maintenance and repairs, but then gave politicians a convenient out by saying Metra riders, and would-be riders, aren't dissuaded by fare increases. If that's true, then elected leaders who control the purse strings might simply tell Metra to keep raising fares to close its funding gaps. If riders don't care about fare increases, why should politicians?

But riders do care, and you can be sure that a modest percentage of riders dumped Metra while fewer new riders took to the rails because of higher fares.

Clifford's claims are also inconsistent with Metra's new promotion to attract riders with, you guessed it, free rides! If fare prices don't matter, why give away rides?

It's true that Metra is still a great value for its typical commuters, but only 12 percent of suburbanites can get to a typical job in less than 90 minutes on transit. And even those fortunate few won't find Metra a good value if fares keep going up and up.

With suburban transit cash strapped and not especially convenient for nearly 90 percent of its potential customers' commutes, Metra should be lamenting the need for large fare increases, not excusing it.

Spring officially begins on March 20 this year, just five weeks away. As Chicagoans know, construction crews return to the streets when spring arrives. We're excited about that because it means the city will get back to work installing new bikeways, making our streets safer for everyone.

What can we look forward to this spring? The city's Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 (PDF) calls for more than 16 miles of new bikeways by May 2013!

The plan is a roadmap to guide the development of a citywide network of bikeways, but the inclusion of a street in the plan does not mean that a bikeway project has been approved by the alderman or necessary government agencies.

Making the plan a reality will still require advocacy and outreach to keep bikeway projects moving forward -- and we're depending on supporters like you to speak up with us. With the state putting down roadblocks for projects like these, you can help right now by telling Gov. Quinn to end the state's obstruction of safer streets for biking.

We've updated our Chicago Bikeways Tracker map so you can see what projects from the plan have been completed and what's proposed for installation by May. Here are a few highlights.

• Spoke Routes on Milwaukee and Vincennes -- The Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 calls for a network of bikeways connecting neighborhoods to downtown, called Spoke Routes. The design of Spoke Routes could include barrier protected bike lanes, buffered bike lanes or conventional bike lanes, depending on street limitations and approval from the alderman and other agencies. Expect to see segments of the Spoke Route network installed this spring on Milwaukee, between Elston and Kinzie, and on Vincennes, between 103rd and 84th. Active Trans would like to see barrier protected bike lanes installed on these streets to provide the greatest level of safety for everyone on the street.
• Crosstown Bike Routes on Halsted and Broadway -- Crosstown Bike Routes will provide connections across the city and between neighborhoods on long stretches of major streets. Just like with Spoke Routes, the kind of bikeways and the level of safety we'll see on these streets may vary. New bikeways are planned this spring for Halsted between Harrison and 26th, Halsted between Garfield and Pershing, and Broadway between Montrose and Foster.
• Buffered bike lanes on Wells and Clybourn -- Last year, buffered bike lanes were installed on Wells from Wacker to Chicago. We expect to see those buffered lanes extend further north this spring, up to North Avenue. Also, following the resurfacing of Clybourn last year, we're anticipating buffered bike lanes this spring on the entire length of the street, from Belmont to Division.

To learn more about ways you can help support these projects this spring, make sure to sign up as a Neighborhood Bikeways Campaign supporter here.

It’s no secret that money for transit is tight. We see evidence of funding challenges in our region's deteriorating train tracks and stations and in the limited transit service in many city and suburban communities.

It’s clear that to achieve a world-class transit system that can accommodate growing ridership and a growing economy, we need ambitious plans -- but ambitious plans will require better funding. At our upcoming summit on Feb. 25, civic leaders will present ideas on how we can better invest in making Chicagoland transit truly world class. Read the full summit program (and be sure to register by Feb. 20).

The Funding Matters panel will feature Randy Blankenhorn, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning; Kevin DeGood, deputy policy director of Transportation for America; and Peter Skosey, vice president of the Metropolitan Planning Council. It will be moderated by Jacky Grimshaw, vice president of policy at the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

In 2013, the Regional Transportation Authority budget anticipates that it will cost $2.729 billion to operate the transit services of CTA, Metra and Pace for the year. In addition to those operating costs, capital investment is needed to maintain and grow the system.

But with funding from federal, state and local sources falling short of even maintaining a state of good repair and operating robust service, how can we aspire to a 21st Century transit system without better funding? CTA, for example, explains that even if its entire capital backlog was funded and the system was already in a state of good repair, its funding would fall far short of what's needed to maintain that condition.

CTA would need $844 million annually just to keep the system in a state of good repair, but the average capital funding level over the next 5 years is only $559 million. How can we not only get the system in a state of good repair and close that $285 million gap to keep it that way, but also fund much-needed improvements and expansions in transit service?

In 2010, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning published the Go To 2040 regional plan with wide support across the Chicago region, outlining several funding options that have yet to be implemented. Last year, Congress passed MAP 21, a new federal transportation bill that includes tools to finance public transportation projects. Additionally, civic leaders are suggesting we explore other innovative funding techniques such as public private partnerships, value capture and changes in our gas or sales tax structure. How much promise do these funding options hold and how do we move them forward?

Join Riders for Better Transit on Feb. 25 for a summit on Building a 21st Century Transit System: a discussion of public transportation’s future, funding and governance in Chicagoland.

REGISTER BY FEB. 20!
February 25, 2013
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
UBS Tower Conference Center, 1 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL
Registration: $25, or $15 for Active Transportation Alliance members/donors. Includes continental breakfast with coffee.
Visit www.activetrans.org/TransitSummit2013 for the full program and to register!
AICP CM credits pending

 Also featuring:

• Governance Matters, moderated by Steve Schlickman, executive director of the UIC Urban Transportation Center and former executive director of the RTA; featuring panelists Frank Beal, executive director of Metropolis Strategies; Dan Cronin, chairman of DuPage County; and John Gates, chairman of the RTA.
• Presentations by noted urban policy expert and commentator Carol Coletta and Scott Bernstein, president of the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Whether you're an 8-year-old child or 80-year-old grandmother, you should be able to ride a bike on your community's streets without fearing for your safety. Barrier protected bike lanes are designed with all kinds of people in mind to make biking a safe and easy option for everyone.

But Streetsblog Chicago and the Chicago Tribune have revealed that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has put the brakes on barrier protected bike lanes and safer streets. This will impact plans for safer streets in both the City of Chicago and the suburbs.

Please sign this petition telling Gov. Quinn that IDOT must cooperate with local communities to create safer streets for biking!

TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Tell Gov. Quinn: Don't put the brakes on protected bike lanes and safer streets