By Katie EuphratThe Daily Northwestern

Chicago Transit Authority Purple Line passengers might face increased fares, more construction delays and continued deterioration of outdated trains as Chicago’s mass transit system confronts its biggest financial crisis since 1983.

With a $226 million shortfall in the 2007 budget, the maintenance of CTA, Metra and Pace buses is at risk, said Stephen Schlickman, executive director of Regional Transit Authority.

Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) has introduced legislation to reform the system and find additional money before it escalates.

“Evanston has some of the best access to transit in the entire region, so I know that my constituents really value transit,” Hamos said. “I want them to know the only solution is to give (the RTA) more maintenance dollars.”

As chairwoman of the House Mass Transit Committee, Hamos initiated the first audit of the RTA by an outside authority in November 2005.

The audit was disclosed in early March. It reported that current revenue can’t cover operating costs and that weak leadership and competition between the CTA, Metra and Pace is wasteful.

Before the audit was released, Hamos introduced House Bill 1841, which was approved in committee March 15. The bill would give the RTA more responsibilities for regional planning and coordination and the necessary money, Hamos said.

“I predicted we’d be in this situation again because all we’ve done in the past is put a Band-Aid on it,” Hamos said.

The RTA examined the problems before the audit, approving a five-year plan in February that asked for $10 billion in capital funds and $400 million more annually for operating costs.

Schlickman, of the RTA, said coordination between the transit agencies is also a major goal.

“We are working hard to encourage cooperation by reaching out to them,” Schlickman said. “We are going to continue to do that regardless of what the legislation says.”

Fare increases are a major – yet unavoidable – concern for El riders, Schlickman said.

“Every year we must show our expenses are covered by fare revenues, and because of inflation we need to increase fares to do that,” he said.

Waiting for the El at the Davis Street stop, Weinberg sophomore Troy Nee said the RTA needs to focus on making customers happier if they want more money.

“They need to work on getting trains here on time before they worry about money to make this a world-class transit system,” he said.

Hamos hopes to keep the bill alive long enough to have “work groups” to determine if it’s the right start to a solution.

“They’re operating on a six-month budget, so if we don’t fix it this year I don’t know what’s going to happen by July 1, but it’s not going to be pretty,” Hamos said.

Reach Katie Euphrat at [email protected].