No one can dispute the need for a rethinking of Chicago’s transportation infrastructure. The roads are now so congested that it will not be long before the business community gives up on Chicago completely and turns to the suburbs.
Other world cities have avoided this kind of decay by encouraging drivers to transfer to public transport-ation. I propose such a plan, but one that allows drivers to keep their cars and possibly even saves money and lives.
What if the CTA were to liaise with state agencies and insurance companies to offer drivers discounts on automobile taxes and insurance if they owned a current CTA pass? It would certainly be possible to create a special “driver’s pass” that offered its holder one round-trip journey with transfers for every working day of the year.
This pass could be issued to any driver who opted for it in return for a tax and insurance discount of roughly the same value. The pass could then be used at the owner’s discretion. He or she might choose to drive to work three days a week and use the saved CTA credits to go downtown for a show on the weekend, or to go to a ball game and not worry about being over the limit when returning home. For situations like these I strongly believe that such a pass could even save lives.
Up to now, one of the big obstacles to investment in public transport has been an understandable hostility from the private sector, which fears a drop in auto ownership. The auto industry would not be affected by such a plan, however, as it hinges on car ownership. Indeed, there is reason to believe that such a scheme would benefit the insurance companies, as claims would drop if tired or tipsy drivers opted to take the CTA home rather than risk their lives and those of others on the expressways.
Drivers would benefit from this idea, the insurance industry would benefit and the Chicago area itself would benefit, as its citizens come together to support and preserve their community.
