By Samantha Amaro
@redlineproject
Editor’s note: Opinions in this article are that of the author, not the publication.
AI disclosure: MidJourney created the images and the podcast with the use of Notebook LM.
Chicago area’s long-established transit system is extensive: The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace serve more than two million trips each weekday at a cost per rider that is among the lowest in the country.
Access to public transportation can become a gateway to exploring new neighborhoods and reaching recreation spots, and it exists as a form of commuting for individuals. Public transportation makes cities accessible to individuals who do not have cars or the resources to afford one.
The CTA, the nation’s second-largest public transportation system, has cut service on rail lines by 22 percent, and service on city buses by 7 percent, according to publicly available data analyzed by Commuters Take Action, a public transportation advocacy group. This brings into question how equitable is the CTA transportation system, especially when the primary reason for it is economically driven. As reported in South Side Weekly, the city’s infrastructure is designed to funnel people into its downtown, not to make access between and within neighborhoods easier.
As a result, riders face issues such as ghost buses, delayed trains, and rail lines that do not serve the areas where they live. These disparities are faced by Black, Latinx, and other underrepresented minority groups on the South and West Sides That is why some advocacy groups have called for changes to make ridership more accessible and equal for everyone.
What is Transportation Equity?
Equity in transportation can be defined as mobility and accessibility to meet the needs of all community members. The central goal of transportation should be to facilitate social and economic opportunities by providing equitable levels of access to affordable and reliable transportation. Public transportation can open doors for individuals whether it be economically or socially.
Unreliability of Transportation
Residents rrely on public transportation for its speed, frequency and reliability. Individuals bank on the fact that their bus or train is going to show up on time. This goes beyond an individual level because these are all factors that impact communities as well. It is also a reminder that it is not just a system that should work for one person but for communities everywhere.
But that’s not always the case for South Side residents whose most utilized buses are some of the least reliable and most likely to have ghost buses. Per Ghost Bus data, the 62nd and Archer bus, 63rd Street bus, and 9 Ashland Express bus service around 6,000, 7,000 and 10,000 Chicagoans a week, respectively. And one in every five-weekday buses on each of these lines ghost CTA riders, data show. This not only makes transportation trackers unreliable but also interferes with people’s workdays and travel.
Lack of Access and Violence on the CTA
Data from the Active Transportation Alliance shows that a Black resident can access 236,641 potential jobs in 45 minutes using transit, and the average Latinx resident can access 241,622 jobs, compared to 344,182 for the average white resident. This shows that it is not just an issue of inequity but racial inequity.
his allows less access to opportunities for people of color. An equitable transportation plan considers the circumstances impacting a community’s mobility and connectivity needs, and this information is used to determine the measures needed to develop an equitable transportation network.
Other forms of inequality on the CTA — homelessness and crime — were exacerbated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, the CTA announced it would deploy more unarmed security guards to deter crime, but that that doesn’t address the root causes of violence and homelessness on transit: inequities in housing, education, job opportunities and healthcare. People struggling with homelessness, mental health issues, and drug abuse are often using CTA as a shelter, raising concerns around safety, cleanliness and overall functionality of transit.
Kate Lowe, an associate professor of Urban Planning and Policy at UIC, said, “My take on it [the job of an operator] is a very challenging job, that deserves better pay, more full-time jobs. Operators also have safety concerns; some would like more staff, and others would like more security. The US funds so much on security but yet there’s higher rates of violence.”
Investment in the Community
Chicago could remedy these issues by reshaping what public transportation should look like. Some of the goals to remedy these issues can be more investment in public transportation workers increasing their wages, accountability of the city to acknowledge these ghost buses and ghost trains, and finally and most importantly investment in communities allowing access to the city for all and not just some.
One of the longest-awaited is the extension of the Red Line to 130th Street on the Far South Side. It has been a long-fought battle to extend the Red Line, which is happening only because of financial intervention from the federal government and redistributed tax increment finance (TIF) funds. Both the abandoned BRT plan and the hard-won journey to an extended Red Line are indicative of the uphill battle that’s still being fought for true accessibility.
Conclusion
Chicago has a long history of segregation, which has seeped into public transportation. News reports have shown how South and West Side residents have problems with ghost buses and ghost trains. This is why it is important to call out the city for its role in exacerbating these inequalities and the lack of accountability for them. It is important to note how it is through outside funding and mobilizing of the people to fight for accessibility in the city. Throughout this paper we have touched upon equity in transportation, the barriers faced by users, and how the CTA can address some of these concerns via funding and reform.