>>> CTA LEADERS ARE MARKING THE ANNIVERSARY OF A STRATEGIC PLAN AIMED AT BOOSTING STAFFING LEVELS AND THE AGENCY SAID ON AVERAGE IT RAN FAR MORE SCHEDULED BUSES AND TRAINS LAST MONTH AND IT DID IN AUGUST 2022 BUT SOME PASSENGERS AND ADVOCATES ARE STILL CALLING ON THE TRANSIT AGENCY TO DO MORE FOR COMMUTERS AND REGIONAL LEADERS ARE TAKING A HARD LOOK AT HOW TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACROSS THE AREA AND WE WERE AT TODAY'S CTA BOARD MEETING AND WE ARE JOINED WITH THEM NOW.

>> THE CTA STRUGGLE HAS BEEN A CONSTANT TOPIC OF CONVERSATION IN THE CITY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT EVERYTHING FROM CRIME AND CLEANLINESS TO GHOST BUSES AND STAFFING SHORTAGES AND LAST AUGUST THE AGENCY AND BUILD A PLAN AIMED AT TURNING THE TRANSIT SERVICE AROUND AND TO MARK THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY THE AGENCY HAS BEEN TOUTING GAINS IN SERVICE AND STAFFING LEVELS AND MORE AND THE CTA SAID LAST MONTH IT DELIVERED AN AVERAGE OF 88% OF SCHEDULED RAIL SERVICE COMPARED TO 71% IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR AND IT SAID IT DELIVERED 96% OF SERVICE IN JULY COMPARED TO 81% LAST AUGUST BUT THE CTA PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGE THE FRUSTRATION MANY COMMUTERS HAVE AND SAID THE AGENCY IS DOING THE BEST IT CAN DESPITE A TOUGH ENVIRONMENT FOR TRANSIT SYSTEMS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> CERTAINLY WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK EVERY DAY TO IMPROVE ON WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT NOT EVERYBODY HAS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

>> SOME TRANSIT ADVOCATE SAY THERE IS MORE TO BE DONE IN PART OF THE PLAN INVOLVES CHANGING BUS AND TRAIN SCHEDULES TO MATCH STAFFING LEVELS WHICH WEREN'T CUT AND BRADENTON McFADDEN'S WITH THAT GROUP.

>> THEY ARE RUNNING THE RIGHT NUMBER OF TRAINS EVERY DAY AND IT DEFINITELY FLUCTUATES BUT THEY ARE RUNNING IT INCONSISTENTLY AND THEY HAVE TRAINS RUNNING BACK TO BACK AND A GAP IN BETWEEN AND THEY MAY NOT BE IN THE METRICS THE WAY THEY ARE MEASURING THEM.

>> HE SAID THE RELIABILITY METRIC JUST DOESN'T ALWAYS CAPTURE THE LONG GAPS BASED ON THE WAY THEY MEASURE THINGS WHICH IS AN ISSUE.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE STAFFING SHORTFALL AND WHERE DO THINGS STAND?

>> HE SAID A HUGE REASON BEHIND LONG WAITS AND INCONSISTENT SERVICES, SURPRISE, THE AGENCY HASN'T HAD ENOUGH BUS AND TRAIN OPERATORS AND TODAY HE DID SAY THE CTA HAS HELD MORE THAN 10 JOB FAIRS IN THE LAST YEAR WITH NEARLY 3000 ATTENDEES AND PUTTING TOGETHER NEW HIRING AND RETENTION INCENTIVES AND CARTER CALLS IT THE MOST REGRESSIVE -- AGGRESSIVE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM EVER.

>> THE CTA HAS HIRED MORE EMPLOYEES IN 2023 THAN IN ANY RECENT YEAR INCLUDING 600 PLUS OPERATORS WHICH IS AS MANY BUS OPERATORS AS WE HAVE HAD HISTORICALLY IN A 12 MONTH PERIOD.

>> HE SAID DESPITE THAT RECRUITMENT HIS GROUP SEES THE STAFFING NUMBERS RELATIVELY FLAT AND IS HOPING TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT.

>> THEY ARE SHOWING WE LOSE THIS MONEY TO TRANSFER HIS OR RETIREMENTS OR JUST PLAIN SEPARATION BUT WE ARE NOT REALLY SEEING WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE GROWING AND WHETHER IT IS NOT ENOUGH QUALIFIED CANDIDATES ARE TRYING HARD ENOUGH TO GET QUALIFIED CANDIDATES.

>> THE MEETING TODAY HAD A PRESENTATION FROM THE REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY ON CREATING STRONGER AND MORE STABLE ACROSS CHICAGOLAND AND THEY WON'T MAKE ANY FINAL REGULATIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS BUT LOOKING ANYTHING FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO FUNDING MODELS TO INCREASE COORDINATION OR EVEN A MERGER