Ever heard of good management at a government-run agency? Me neither.
Really is a sad story here. After WWII, all of the privately-operated transit companies were under attack by the government via burdensome taxation and regulation. First to be taken over were New York’s subways; then when this got to critical mass at the interstate level, the private railroads on Long Island and upstate NY were basically forced to either operate passenger trains at subsidy or turn them over to government agencies including their property. Fabian socialism at work.
the privately-operated transit companies were under attack by the government via burdensome taxation and regulation. ..
In Chicagoland, it happened in the 1970s.
They called it Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) This includes the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), killing and converting rails to bicycle paths. Also killing ALL local suburban bus companies and their distinctive style busses(OLD).
Now the suburbs have shiny new busses that are mostly empty. They say the main feeder routes bring cheap labor from the city are sometimes full.
Now the RTA spends $5B with two-thirds coming from the suburbs.
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!!!!
Now they want to make it just like New York!
TAX THE ENTIRE STATE, for Chicagos transit system.