Outlook Bleak on IL Mass Transit but Don't Tell Sen Sandoval

Mass transit has always gotten the short end of the stick in Illinois. This is not a knock against IL, because rail has been an afterthought in this country for most of the last century. IL does have very dire transportation needs, however, and these needs stem from decades of underinvestment in rail and its infrastructure.


Obviously the state’s inability to pass a capitol plan in more than a decade has left much IL’s transportation infrastructure desperate for investment. Mass transportation's needs, however, are more pressing then those of the IL roads system.


Mass transit's need for financial investment is urgent due to the fact that gas tax revenues are used predominately for investment in roads. Additionally,when there has been a capital bill, mass transit has only received $1 for every $2 spent on roads. This 2 to 1 transportation spending ratio is a product of down state legislators who view transit spending as money spent solely in Cook County, whereas road and highway funds will provide projects in their own districts.



IL’s mass transit infrastructure needs are projected at well over $20 billion.

According to a 2006 study commissioned by the Transportation for Illinois Coalition, the unfunded need for Illinois transportation projects exceeds $23 billion. That number has not been adjusted for inflation. Linda Wheeler, a transportation consultant for the Transportation for Illinois Coalition, said the findings mirror the Illinois Department of Transportation’s estimates of the unmet needs.

The RTA itself has requested $10 billion just to maintain its services and infrastructure over the next 5 years.

Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority officials say their agencies need about $10 billion in capital funding to replace old cars, buses, locomotives, stations and rail infrastructure - and to expand and improve service in the future.

To make matters worse, the demand placed on mass transit has grown rapidly and this growth does not appear to be an anomaly or just a temporary trend. Ridership has increased 9% over the last 5 years.

Both the number of miles of service available and the number of miles traveled by riders rose about 9 percent in those five years, the report found. The average number of annual rides taken per Chicago area resident also rose, from 69.6 in 2003 to 72.9 in 2007.

But the cost of keeping the buses and trains running rose faster than the rate of inflation, due to higher fuel, labor and health care costs. Capital funding sunk from $1.04 billion in 2007 to $345 million in 2007.

"You can see the system being stretched," said Joe Schwieterman, a transportation expert at DePaul University.

The need to fund transit is clear. Unfortunately, I do not have high hopes that transit’s investment needs will be meet. First, passing a capital bill is no small challenge. Even though everyone agrees on the need for a capital bill, no one has agreed on a funding mechanism and this is a huge obstacle.

“We’re continuing to work with Quinn and Cullerton to try to get something on the books. There’s no argument about the need,” he said. Finding an appropriate way to fund it “will require cooperation. We’ll use whatever mechanism that is legitimate and will get the job done. Two years ago, a lot of time was spent on gaming. Now, the gaming industry has pretty well collapsed, so I don’t think you can expect them to be participants.”

Brown said Madigan could support a plan to raise the gas tax by 8 cents a gallon, “but the governor has said he will oppose something like that. We’ll try to get a plan done. In the House we need bipartisan cooperation.” Brown said gas tax money can’t be used for nontransportation capital spending, “so we’d have to find another way to fund that.”

So while a capital bill is supported from all corners of government, it does not currently have a politically viable revenue source in the hopper. The GA could easily come to agreement on an 8 cents fuel tax hike to fund a proposed $25 billion capital plan. This solution may have support from Democratic Leadership, though Speaker Madigan has remained mum on where he really stands on the issue. Either way, the idea of a gas tax funded capital bill has not gotten any traction among rank and file members.

The only thing more unpopular then an income tax increase is a gas tax hike. Mix in a healthy amount of risk-adverse political decision making. Add a dash of active campaigning against the notion of a gas tax hike by Governor Quinn, which only heightens the political cost of supporting a fuel tax. The end result is a perfect recipe for legislative inaction.

Even if there is a capital bill, the division of funds at a 2 to 1 ratio does not bode well for transit. There is one legislator, however, who has made it his mission to ensure that transit funding will not be brushed aside by legislators or the Governor.


For weeks, Sen. Martin Sandoval, Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, has been pushing for a robust capital plan and gearing up for a fight to drastically increase the mass transit funding levels found in that capital plan.


On April 1st, in the midst of the mini-capital bill’s passage, Sen. Sandoval held a press conference to announce his support for the Transportation for Illinois Coalition’s capital plan and to declare his intent to lead the effort in the Senate for an equal split of transit dollars between mass transit and roads.

Sandoval proclaimed, “I intend to provide the leadership, along with the Senate, to make sure that transit is not forgotten”

(Here is the audio for that quote)


In an April 8th Tribune editorial, which mirrored the information presented at his April 1st press conference, Sen. Sandoval characterized Quinn’s plan as inadequate and summarized his policy prescriptions for mass transit.

The governor's plan designates only $1.3 billion in new state money for transit agencies within the RTA region: CTA, Metra and Pace. These agencies, independent experts and even the Illinois Office of the Auditor General agree that more funding is needed. The RTA estimates $10 billion in state investments are needed during the next five years—significantly more than Quinn proposes.

To address this, I offer three proposals.

•Increase by 8 cents a gallon the state's 19 cent per gallon motor fuel tax. In addition, increase the fees for driver's licenses and vehicle registrations.

•Though the traditional ratio of state funds dedicated to roads and mass transit has been 2 to 1, respectively, the world has changed and we must reassess that balance. Reliance on foreign oil, increasing environmental costs and energy prices that are likely to go higher when the recession ends make it clear that mass transit is a critical investment. State funding for roads and transit should be distributed on a one-to-one basis.

The PR campaign for public transportation continued on April 17th when the RTA invited 8 legislators, including Sen. Sandoval, to take an inside look at CTA and Metra facilities in order to provide some firsthand evidence to legislators as to the scope of the investment needs facing IL’s mass transit system.


The meat and potatoes of the Sandoval media buffet of his support for mass transit funding was an April 21 Senate Transportation Committee Hearing on the health of IL’s mass transit system. Here again, Sen. Sandoval announced his support for the Transportation for Illinois Coalition’s capital plan

While Sandoval had the backing of business groups, labor unions, transit officials and transportation experts, he was the only legislator making a pitch for the coalition’s proposal.

Sandoval urged swift action to hammer out a plan that could find enough votes to pass. “We are at a crossroads literally and figuratively here in Illinois, and if we don’t get it right today, I don’t know if we ever will.”

Sen Sandoval has not softened on his support for transit funding since the GA's return from spring break. Sandoval was extremely outspoken last week when the Governor's staff threatened to hold up $1 billion in transit funding provided by the mini-capitol bill passed at the beginning of April.

It appears Governor Quinn has delayed distribution almost $900 million intended for transit improvements in the Chicago area, part of a state mini-capital bill, incurring the wrath of state legislators. State Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago), chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the news came from Jack Lavin, Quinn's COO, and budget head Ginger Ostro. Sandoval claims CTA, PACE, and Metra were all told to halt planning on the current projects and to not spend any money. Said Sandoval, "We had a major signing ceremony for the mini-capital bill a few weeks ago with the governor -- and now he's doing a head fake. This tells me Gov. Quinn still has his running mate's playbook that he has dusted off the shelf." Meanwhile, Quinn's staff is saying the projects will be paid for. Quinn Spokeswoman Katie Ridgway told the Tribune, "there is nothing on hold, and it's the governor's intention that transit projects will get started this construction season."

I do not have high hopes for transit, though I think it would be a grave mistake not to take its investment needs seriously. And while there are certainly other legislators who are extremely supportive of mass transit (Sen. Bond for example), there is no doubt that whatever aide transit does receive will be thanks in no small part to the efforts of Sen. Sandoval.

That said, talk is cheap, and Sen. Sandoval is not known for his shyness with the media. Nor does the Senator have an a problem with frequently voicing his opinion. So I'll just wait and see what, if any, agreement the GA and Governor are able to cook up before I start handing out kudos.

One thing is for sure though, we have not heard the last from Sandoval on this issue.