Robert O. Mohr’s recent suggestion to sell the CTA may have been made a little hastily. Go back 10 years prior to the creation of the CTA, and you will find that the Chicago Rapid Transit, the Chicago Motor Coach Co. and the many private companies that made up the Chicago surface lines all were in bankruptcy, or nearly so.
They all were happy to see the creation of the CTA. It got them out of the business. To create new private companies would only create a new problem.
As long as the American public insists on its “right” to drive private cars, public transportation will be a loser in the private sector. We have to convince the public that its long-term interest lies in public transportation, not the private auto, at least as far as commuting and long-distance travel are concerned. Not even I would like to lug six or eight bags of groceries on a bus or streetcar.
Short local usage seems to be an ideal place for the family sedan. It would be even more ideal if it was electrically propelled, as there would be much less pollution created, both air and noise. Remember how quiet the trolley buses were? My suggestion: Remove as many cars as possible and buy more public transportation. Personally, I prefer light rail lines, including on the streets.
