John Byrne, reporting for the Chicago Tribune:
While it’s true the standard payment for a single CTA trip will remain $2.25, the mayor’s transit agency plans a 16 percent increase to the cost of a 30-day pass and higher jumps for one-day, three-day and seven-day passes. About 55 percent of CTA commuters use some kind of pass.
It’s now cheaper to pay per trip if you’re a commuter on a “regular” schedule. If you have two jobs, the monthly pass is still a better deal, but I’m guessing people with two jobs can least afford the fare hike.
Speaking of…
The mayor suggested commuters who don’t like the new fare structure are free to get behind the wheel, setting aside the fact many Chicagoans who rely on the CTA to get to and from work don’t have cars.
“Now you, as a commuter, will pick. You can either drive to work or you can take public transportation, and the standard fare will stay the same,” Emanuel said.
A reprehensible position. The people who can least afford the hike have the fewest choices, as Byrne rightly points out. Either Emanuel doesn’t understand that—he’s a smart guy, so I doubt it—or he just doesn’t care.