Lakefront park planned for old army post
Fort Sheridan: Kirk to announce decision at Monday press conference

By Long Hwa-shu
STAFF WRITER

GURNEE - Lake County, along with other collar counties in the greater Chicago area, should have equal representation as Chicago in a restructured Regional Transportation Authority, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, said Monday.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting at the Gurnee Holiday Inn hosted by the Lake County Board, Kirk also was skeptical that the new RTA chairman be appointed by the governor as proposed in a task force report. Under the proposal the chairman would also double as the chief executive officer. Currently, the jobs of chairman and CEO are separate.

Kirk particularly expressed reservations that the new "transportation czar" possess the power as the purchasing agent, given "all the scandal" swirling around the board.

"The head of the RTA should be responsible for serving the interest of all the nine million people in the region," he said, rather than tilting toward Chicago.

Kirk believes the new RTA chairman should be elected by its board. The congressman's views appeared to reflect most of those attending the meeting to discuss the restructuring. Nearly area 50 municipal and business leaders attended the session.

Lake County Board Chairman Suzi Schmidt of Lake Villa said she does not want a transportation "czar" heading the new RTA, but a chief executive officer to best serve the region, regardless of the person's political affiliation.

The proposed restructuring by the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Task Force calls for each of the five collar counties, including Lake, to have a member on the board. But what troubles those attending the meeting is that the five members could be out-voted by the four members from Cook County and another four appointed by Chicago's mayor.

The proposed plan calls for the board membership to be increased by two to 15. In addition to the suburban five and the four appointed by the Chicago mayor, the Cook County Board would appoint two members to the board. As if that was not enough, the Cook County Board president would also be able to appoint two members to the board.

Of particular concern to those attending Monday's session is Lake County's lack of direct representation on the RTA board. Currently, Lake County shares two board memberships with Kane, McHenry and Will counties on the 13-member board, even though DuPage is a full member. Simply said, Lake County has but half a membership on the RTA board, even though the county has become a vital economic force with a growing population and with more employers relocated to its fold.

Those present at the meeting felt deeply that the proposed restructuring would favor Chicago and Cook County at the expense of the collar counties. Kirk urged the building of an alliance between the suburbs.

What appeared to bother them even more is the proposed merger of the suburban bus division of Pace into the commuter rail division of Metra. In their stead would be a Suburban Bus and Rail System.

The task force report on structuring pointed to Metra as being recognized as "the best commuter rail operator in the United States." Pace is known for its bus service in the suburbs, especially for senior citizens, the disabled and low-income, and as a rail feeder.

"Instead of competing against one another, better coordination between the bus and rail line will improve service," the report said.

A minority report included in the task report noted that, "Although Pace connections with Metra are important, they represent a small percentage of daily ridership. Many more Pace riders transfer to CTA on a daily basis than to Metra."

Former Gurnee Mayor Dick Welton warned Pace would be "gobbled up" if the merger went through. He bristled before speaking when Schmidt told him to be brief, stressing his considerable involvement in transportation issues when he was mayor.

"We would suffer tremendously (in the merger)," he said, pointing out Pace has served well to the elderly, the needy and the disabled.

"Ninety percent of the riders have nothing to do with Metra," he said.

Welton also spoke against the "big government" the new RTA would create which would put local control under risk.

McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Tryon expressed concern that Pace would be "a victim" in a merger with Metra. Calling McHenry a sister county, he said people there are more concerned with reverse commute - bus service, say, between "Woodstock to Waukegan" and from their homes to their doctors. At present, such service is only provided by Pace.

Jim LaBelle of Zion, a former Lake County Board chairman, criticized the various transpotation agencies as "not well-coorindated" and "ill-prepared to deal with the future" in the face of escalating transpotation costs and growing gridlock. According to LaBelle, 86 percent of the people living in the area drive to work. Of these, 67 percent drive alone.

Despite these governmental agencies, he said, "no one is accountable for making the system work. We should go beyond political concerns and mind what people really care," said LaBelle, who is deputy director of Chicago Metropolis 2020. He urged his audience not to let the structuring - the first in the RTA's history - to slip away as an opportunity to make things work.

He stressed the need of "equitable representation" and "a correct balance between the city and the suburbs."

Buffalo Grove Mayor Elliott Hartstein urged those attending not "to reject outright the recommendations" in the task force report.

"We should roll up our sleeves to see what we can do and be constructive about it," said Hartstein, incoming president of the Northwest Municipal Conference.

He spoke of the need for the RTA to be a consumer-oriented organization and that it should learn from consumers. And he opposed the idea that the RTA chairman be a gubernatorial appointee.

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