Do You Feel Safe on the CTA?

This Wednesday's Green Line derailment left some El riders' confidence shaken. Yet the truth is, people who travel by train are 40 times safer than people riding in cars, and those taking buses are 79 times safer, according to the National Safety Council.

That doesn't mean improvements can't be made to prevent future accidents and improve overall safety on the CTA.

Reconnecting Neighborhoods is interested in hearing from people living in and traveling to the three study areas - Near North, Mid-South and Near West - to find out what they'd like to see improved to make their rides, and their waits at local bus stops and train stations, even safer. Leave a comment, or give us a ring! We'd love to hear from you.

Listen to Community Meetings Online

Did you miss the first round of Reconnecting Neighborhoods community meetings? If so, you can catch up on what you missed by downloading an audio recording of the Mid-South community meeting from the Chicago Amplified page on Chicago Public Radio's Web site. There, you'll also find combined polling results from all three Mid-South meetings.

Reconnecting Neighborhoods will host another series of public meetings later this summer, where people will have the opportunity to review preliminary recommendations drawn from the first round of community meetings. If you share your e-mail with us, we'll be sure to give you a heads up about future meetings, and we'll stay in touch via monthly e-mails and a summer newsletter.

Walkers Deserve Improvements, Too

We were heartened to hear that the Chicago Dept. of Transportation will be improving pedestrian access along the Chicago River. It’s a sign that the city recognizes the need for people to have a full range of options for how they get around, including walking.

Yet we know there’s much work to be done to improve the pedestrian environment in city neighborhoods. Have you ever wanted to walk somewhere in your community, but because of dead-end streets, poorly lit areas, or broken sidewalks, didn’t feel like you could?

Since every trip starts with your feet, Reconnecting Neighborhoods is not only examining the state of bus routes and El lines in your community, but also whether improvements could be made to make sidewalks and walking conditions better for people. So, when you fill out the community questionnaire, please be sure to let us know if there are places in your neighborhood where you don’t feel welcome as a walker.

Near West to Convene Around Transit Monday, April 28, 2008, from 5:30 to7 p.m

If the West Side truly is the “best side,” we have saved the best for last. Concluding the first round of community meetings, the Near West Task Force of Reconnecting Neighborhoods will be holding a meeting Monday, April 28, 2008, at the “Major” Adams Community Center, 125 N. Hoyne.

The meeting will feature a series of presentations and interactive exercises to solicit substantive input from community residents about how they would like to see transit and retail options improved in their community. Previous meetings on the North and South sides have been invaluable in directing this project’s outlook on community needs. A second round of meetings will be held this summer to vet a preliminary draft of improvement recommendations arising from this first round of meetings.

We hope to see you and your neighbors on Monday, and in your community this summer.

Transit Access Helps City Residents Save Money

Rent or a mortgage payment, and the cost of transportation (including, for many families, a car payment, insurance, maintenance, and gas) tend to go head-to-head as the largest household expense. Experts suggest that no more than 45 percent of a household's total income should be eaten up by these two expenses. Yet rising costs mean many families are stretched beyond their means just to put a roof over their heads and get around.

The good news for people with access to a bus, subway or El line is that studies show transit can significantly improve the bottom line for families - yet another reason Reconnecting Neighborhoods is working to ensure mixed-income neighborhods have quality transit options.

The Center for Neighborhood Technology, a national nonprofit based right here in Chicago, recently posted a Housing + Transportation map of the Chicago region on their Web site, which shows that families living in the City of Chicago are more likely to spend 45 percent of their income or less on transportation and housing costs than families living in the suburbs.

That may come as a surprise to those who think it's impossible to find an affordable home in the city. But, even if families moving to the suburbs are saving money on their housing costs, many are finding that a lack of access to transit combined with the need to drive long distances to run errands and go to work is completely eroding the dollars saved on their rent or mortgage.

Would Accurate Travel Times Encourage You to Ride CTA?

One of transit riders' most common complaints is their lack of certainty as to when the next train or bus will arrive. The CTA is responding with plans to provide more real-time travel information to riders by expanding GPS tracking to more bus routes and installing 1,300 digital screens in El and subway stations.

The digital screens will be installed within the next four months.

Reconnecting Neighborhoods wants to know: would you be more likely to take public transportation if you could be certain that the next bus would pull up in, say, five minutes?

No matter what you think about these innovations, they could mean big money to support transit: CTA estimates it will pull in about $100 million over the next 10 years by selling advertising space on the digital screens.

Transit Riders Have a New Home on the Web

The Transit Riders' Alliance, which represents transit riders in the Chicago area, recently announced its spring meeting and launched a new Web site.

Transit riders and others interested in regional transit issues should mark their calendars for a free meeting on April 26, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the DePaul University Chaddick Institute, 243 S. Wabash, 9th Floor, Chicago. Guest speaker Stephen E. Schlickman, executive director of the Regional Transportation Authority, will discuss the future of regional transit. The audience will have the opportunity to share ideas for improving transit in metropolitan Chicago - and as we know from Reconnecting Neighborhoods meetings, people have lots of great ideas to share!

In case you're not familiar with the Transit Riders' Alliance, the group is working to unite local transit riders, railroad passengers and intercity bus riders into a group powerful enough to change transportation policy at both the state and federal levels. They want to expand and enhance transit throughout Illinois, with better buses, faster trains and more universal coverage.

That's a tall order, and you can help: Check out the Transit Riders' Alliance's new Web site, and subscribe to their mailing list for updates on transit news.