Just going to put it out there that appointing a CTA President with no transit experience, after the public has lost confidence in both the leadership at CTA in the past and the current Mayor, may not be the best move.
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The system needs adequate funding and the best solution I've seen pitched is what if we combined with the other transit agencies in the region and let them suck money out of the city, too? You'd have to be a complete idiot to take this job right now
Roberson is doing well at the COO job- doesn’t make him qualified to fix a massive transit system! MBJ needs to face the embarrassment that is the south branch of the green line, forest park branch of the blue line, and dozens of other operational nightmares in the sprawling system. We need a pro!
Tomorrow's meeting has a maximum of 5 speakers - and written comment is only allowed 48 hours before....but the meeting was announced 48 hours before. Doesn't seem very democratic and I hope you indicate with city council how 5 people speaking on behalf of the entire system is failed representation
And if transit advocates are silent or chill about this - then I don’t really understand yall. Yall turn up about everything, but this is the thing folks are confused about?
Bike lanes, etc. have a baked in community engagement process that the mayor quietly selecting an unqualified candidate doesn’t have the same dedicated forums.
It’s time for us advocates to make the forums to ensure our voices are heard.
are there actually major transit advocacy folks that think it’s acceptable not to find someone we think has the best chance to do a Randy Clarke-style turnaround?
There's been 1 article on it so far & it quotes many transit advocates saying this is wrong - the ones prematurely accused of being silent with no evidence.
Paywall free link below
Rather than spreading division with wrong takes how about working on informed solidarity?
So where the organizing & solidarity is in acerbic and debatable comments like "plenty of people turned up way harder for a bike lane than for this" posted to a global platform?
How is that meant to unite, inform or inspire progressives or the genral public - it seems hostile & contemptuous.
Maybe to be productive here, what do you think would be effective? I follow transit advocate circles actively and everyone is uniformly opposed (though not surprised). Is this a place where rallying aldermen to not confirm is the answer? BJ already has terrible approval ratings…doesn’t care
Just gonna say that plenty of people turned up way harder for a bike lane than for this. Lord knows I have been on the receiving end and this current feels like light work, fam.
Most transit advocates are focused on the impending fiscal cliff and this has mostly slipped under the radar, but I signed up to comment on CTA's special session Thursday so hopefully I'll get the chance to advocate for an experienced, capable leader instead of a patronage appointee
I was pretty vocal about Brandon being bad on transit throughout the mayoral race. I was told to quiet down by some transit advocates who feared a Vallas victory. Currently though everyone is pretty vocal about how shit Brandon is in transit. So I'm not sure who you're upset at.
I’ll say that there are moments when I have communicated the need to be public about things others prefer to communicate internally about. It’s a strategic choice, and at times a frustrating one.
what's with this weird finger pointing? transit advocates have been critical of bj's appointments to the cta in general & the john roberson prospect for a while. bike lane fights can get loud/drag on, and the special meeting was just announced, but momentum will build and people will show up
Nothing weird about it. It would be great to see people keep the same energy they do for other issues as they do for this, as the decision is a critical one especially at this moment.
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It’s time for us advocates to make the forums to ensure our voices are heard.
Paywall free link below
Rather than spreading division with wrong takes how about working on informed solidarity?
https://archive.ph/3a9GM
If you think it's not enough well, you're an elected official with power.
Have you reached out to work with these groups to confront the mayor officially or informed & organized your constituents to push back?
How is that meant to unite, inform or inspire progressives or the genral public - it seems hostile & contemptuous.
I’m just not going to vote for him
but as CPS is destabilized, what talent does anyone think Chicago attracts with this Mayor still in power
working for this executive is not a desirable job
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/transit-groups-urge-mayor-rethink-cta-appointment