As the state’s budget crisis comes closer to creating another transit doomsday in Chicago, the Regional Transportation Authority illustrated just how drastic new and sudden cuts to the system could be.
Without any money from the state by the end of May, CTA, Metra and Pace’s operations budgets would have to be cut 20 percent in June — and probably more, according to RTA officials. By contrast, February’s CTA service cuts for the were the result of a 30 percent drop in funding.
While the RTA has known about the problem for some time — the state already owes them $280 million — they haven’t asked CTA, Metra and Pace to create contingency plans yet.
“We have not asked the service boards to do anything specifically,” said RTA executive director Stephen Schlickman. “We will not tell them what they need to do, but they will have to take action to provide minimum levels of service.”
If the state doesn’t provide the money by June, the RTA would be unable to pay $13.3 million to CTA and $3.4 billion to Metra. Additionally, the RTA would have to funnel even more money away from its transit agencies to pay its debts, which could make the potential cuts even more drastic.
Schlickman, however, holds out hope that the state will come through, citing “high-level talks” he said are currently being held between Gov. Pat Quinn’s office, Comptroller Dan Hynes’ office and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
“The state is trying to pay a lot of people, and on a day to day basis they’re looking for where the squeaky wheel is,” Schlickman said. “Right now we’re squeaking very loudly.”
The state gave the RTA a $48 million check earlier this year in an attempt to stem the bleeding after the RTA reported a $250 hole in state payments, and Schlickman said he’s hoping Chicago’s transit systems can get at least a similar “slug of money” this time, if not everything it’s due.