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RTA Head Explains Request for Funding

Steve Schlictman, executive director for the RTA - the umbrella organization that oversees Metra, Pace and CTA operations - spoke March 16 at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast to set forth the need for additional money and gather support for the RTA as it makes a major funding request to Springfield. Mr. Schlictman's speech coincided with news reports of the first audit of the RTA in 24 years.

Auditor General Bill Holland concluded that the Chicago area's mass transit system is in such financial trouble that even doubling the fares would not help.

"What better timing?” Mr. Schlictman asked the audience of about 50 persons.

A need for operating and capital funds
The RTA has "a $226 million operating shortfall in the current budget,” Mr. Schlictman said. But that is, literally, barely the half of it. A strategic plan released in February says that an additional $300 million is needed annually to "maintain, enhance and expand ... operations,” and another additional $100 million is needed for "regional ADA paratransit operations.”

In addition, the RTA would like to see comprehensive funding for capital needs: $10 billion over the next five years "to get the system in good working order,” according to the RTA's strategic plan, and $57 billion throughout the region over the next 30 years.

"Moving Beyond Congestion”
The goal is to help relieve the congestion that has a stranglehold on automobile traffic during the snail's-pace rush hours - and, the RTA believes, a chokehold on the region's economy - by providing better public transportation service, upgraded equipment and well-maintained rails.

"We have the second- or third-worst traffic congestion in the country,” Mr. Schlictman said, "which is a waste of time and fuel - [the fuel cost is] more than twice the cost of running the RTA each year.”

"Moving Beyond Congestion,” the RTA's strategic plan released in February, states the RTA's goal is to generate the additional $400 million annually "without overburdening passengers.” Understanding that fare increases will not do the trick, the RTA is looking to the Illinois General Assembly for major funding. In addition, Mr. Schlictman said, the RTA would consider private partnerships for transit funds, although he did not elaborate.

Getting past obsolescence
The large amount of cash would fund an equally large and crucial public transportation system, according to the report. It characterizes the present system as "an under-funded, aging system in a changing market.” Several drawbacks to the system - parts of which are more than 100 years old - are the slow zones that cause delays; CTA cars that are so overcrowded some commuters cannot board them; and buses, trains and passenger vans that break down frequently.

In addition, the report states, costs of mass transit have risen in the post-9/11 era: the price of oil and the cost of now-mandated security, in addition to the expected increases for employees' expenses in health-care benefits, pensions and the like.

The five-year, $10 billion plan calls for maintenance, enhancement and expansion. The bulk of that $10 billion - $7.3 billion - would be spent on maintenance: replacing its rolling stock, maintaining Metra's 1,200 and CTA's 290 miles of track and their more than 900 bridges or viaducts. Evanston would benefit, Mr. Schlictman said, in upgrades to the Purple and Red lines.

Just over $1 billion would go toward enhancing service by providing more rides on weekends and during off-peak times, offering more options for reverse and suburb-to-suburb commuters and improving passenger efficiencies, such as coordinated schedules, easier transfers, faster service and more seats. Two billion dollars would be used for expansion, including the possibility of putting an Evanston stop on the CTA Yellow Line, Mr. Schlictman said.

State Representative Julie Hamos, chair of the House Transit Committee in Springfield, supports the RTA's strategic plan. "I'm a big believer in the strategic plan and glad they took the time to do it,” Rep. Hamos told the RoundTable. "It's built a real regional boon for transit.”

She has sponsored House Bill 1841, which would amend the Regional Transportation Authority Act and, she says, gives the RTA more oversight authority and more accountability. After endorsing public transit and requesting the three organizations ("service boards”) to increase their ridership, the bill would "change the composition” of the board of directors and "immediately establish a new one.”

The bill is labeled as "companion legislation to the significant funding requested by the transit system in 2007,” according to Rep. Hamos's website.

"It gives additional resources and authority to the RTA to recreate an integrated regional system,” Rep. Hamos said. She identified some problems she hoped would be addressed, such as duplicated services and slow zones.

"I hear from riders that it irritates them when they see Pace buses and CTA buses on the same street. And the CTA needs maintenance [funds] to eliminate the slow zones.”

An Evanston Stop on the Yellow Line?

The City's Division of Transportation is conducting a mail survey of south Evanston residents who live in the vicinity of the Chicago Transit Authority's Yellow Line.

The study includes an evaluation of travel patterns, mobility issues and potential travel markets for the broader North Shore travel corridor and will describe the extent to which an expanded Skokie Swift service would address identified travel needs.

The market analysis, undertaken in partnership with the Village of Skokie and the Regional Transportation Authority, coincides with the CTA's own evaluation of potential alternatives for expanding the Skokie Swift Yellow Line service to the Old Orchard area of Skokie.

Congestion Pricing and Universal Fare Cards

The RTA has a carrot and a stick among its incentives to attract more riders.

The carrot is a universal fare card. "The universal fare card, part of our strategic plan, would allow a rider to go from one service [CTA, Metra or Pace] to another using the same card. It would be a seamless system,” said Diane Palmer, spokesperson for the RTA. She added that, although the universal fare card is still just a concept, "We feel more confident that we can make it work.”

Congestion pricing is the stick. Ms. Palmer described congestion pricing as an increase in the tolls paid by drivers at peak times. "Congestion pricing is used in other cities to deter driving at rush hour.” The difference between the off-peak and rush-hour tolls, she said, would go into a transit fund to help improve public transportation.

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Oakton School WPA Mural Is Restored

Painted in 1936, "Knights and Damsels” is a fresco-style painting depicting four stories of the French King Charlemagne and his noble knight Roland. Four panels, each from a different story, surround the gym, and between them are portraits of different characters.

King Charlemagne, his knight Roland and entourage once again parade in state around Oakton School's gym.Photos by Chris Cascarano

It is still unknown who painted the mural. It is commonly believed that the works were painted by Chicago native Carl Scheffler but there is no evidence, said Heather Becker, CEO of the Chicago Conservation Center. "There is a lot of misinformation out there.”

In the mid ‘90s the mural's colors were noticeably fading and plaster had begun flaking off the walls. Mr. Cleveland and the PTA felt the decaying mural represented the school poorly and might scare away families of prospective students. They sought advice.

The Chicago Conservation Center, which has restored over 400 murals in Chicago public schools, came to evaluate "Knights and Damsels.” Conservators found "usual decay” and estimated restorations, including structural repairs, to cost $130 thousand. Unable to draw funding from District 65, the restoration was put on hold and conservators traced the mural onto paper for documentation.

Still determined to repair the school auditorium, the Oakton PTA decided to raising the funds independently, and began writing letters to legislators and searching for donations.

An exquisitely detailed panel is restored, thanks to Rep. Julie Hamos, a persistent Evanston community and others.

In 1997 they received sponsorship from the Cigna insurance company and other corporate donors to restore one section. "We did the one section so we could show what the rest could look like,” said Mr. Cleveland. Still District 65 was unable to produce funding.

Meanwhile roof leaks accelerated the mural's deterioration. Water seeping onto the wall caused more structural damage and caused large pieces of the wall to come off. Nearly half of some the murals disappeared.

In 2000 school administrators and PTA members began to bring legislators to the school to view the rapidly deteriorating condition of the artwork. State Rep. Julie Hamos committed to the project as a legislative sponsor after seeing them.

"The parents brought me out there; they told me I had to be on-site to see it,” said Rep. Hamos. "When I saw this beautiful piece of history crumbling, I knew I had to help.” She began working to set aside funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity funds.

In 2003 Superintendent Hardy Murphy received a call from Rep. Hamos. "Rep. Hamos called me while I was driving and said, ‘How much do you need for the murals? I think I can get it,'” said Mr. Murphy.

Rep. Hamos reserved the funds, and although the grant was $30 thousand short, the Chicago Conservation Center decided to take on the project.

"We discounted our original proposal because we had been dedicated to the project for nearly 12 years and really wanted to see it finished,” said Bailey O'Connell, of the Chicago Conservation Center.

Slated for restoration, the project hit yet another setback. Although Rep. Hamos had reserved the grant money they still needed the governor's approval, and "when the governor changed, the grants just kept getting passed over,” said Rep. Hamos.

Tenacious as ever, the Evanston community joined together to get the funds approved. Mayor Morton, school administrators and Oakton school parents wrote letters to the Governor. One frustrated woman, Nancy Flannery, decided to seek answers in person.

Ms. Flannery was awarded the Evanston Cultural Fund grant in 2003 to video-document the restoration of "Knights and Damsels.” When the restoration's funding continued to be denied, Ms. Flannery sought answers.

"I just got frustrated when the money would come before the governor and he would veto it,” said Ms. Flannery. "I decided to just go down there to Springfield and ask where our money was.”

Despite her efforts, Ms. Flannery's trip to the capitol was fruitless. "It was a lot of politics,” said Ms. Flannery. "I was usually just passed from office to office.” In 2005 her documentary was abandoned when funds appeared unlikely to materialize.

Rep. Hamos stayed with the project and on May 10, 2006 the state approved the grant. "District 65 has so many competing needs it took a push from the outside,” said Rep. Hamos. "I had to cut a lot of deals,” she said. "In Springfield, that's what it takes.”

Returning to the mural, conservators found the mural in a nearly irrecoverable state. Had they not traced the mural during their first visit, "Knights and Damsels” could not have been restored.

A section around the stage was found to be the oldest and in the gravest condition. As it was painted in tempera, a delicate water-based paint, it was more susceptible to environmental changes.

"If it's done well, it will last forever. Luckily, this was done well,” said Margaret Nowosielska, chief mural conservator for the Chicago Conservation Center.

After repairing structural damages and fallen plaster, conservators sketched an outline from the tracings and began repainting the mural. "We had only half the mural left,” said Ms. Nowosielska. "We had to reconstruct the other half.”

Conservators spent six months matching colors by hand and replicating the original painter's technique to reconstruct the elaborate scenes of the mural. Finally, they applied a coat of varnish to protect the mural for years to come.

"I can barely tell which is my half,” said Ms. Nowsielska.

Friday, March 23, a reception was held to unveil the finished mural. "It's amazing,” said Mr. Cleveland. "I've always wondered what was going on in these murals; I can finally see what's happening now.”

In restoring the mural, Rep. Hamos pointed out that something much greater had been accomplished. "This was not only about the art and history, but community-building too,” she said.

RoundTable Publisher Wins Prestigious Terkel Award

By Victoria Scott

Mary Helt Gavin, publisher and manager of the nine-year-old Evanston RoundTable, was honored by the Community Media Center on March 28 at a ceremony in the Chicago Cultural Center.

As one of three recipients of the 2007 Studs Terkel Community Media Award, Ms. Gavin joins the ranks of journalists chosen by the Center for "go[ing] the extra mile in sourcing stories and thoughtful treatment of context.”

The 2007 honorees, said previous (2000) winner Teresa Puente, "exemplify the spirit of Studs Terkel and tell stories that are often overlooked in the media.”

With the award, the Columbia College-based Media Center recognizes "journalists who work hardest at covering and uncovering the stories and difficult problems and issues that emerge from grassroots Chicago.” They cited the RoundTable, in particular, for its "breadth and depth of coverage.”

Master of Ceremonies Hope Daniels invited the audience to "celebrate the success and continuing feistiness of Studs Terkel.” She thanked the author and champion of the common man for "showing us why hope is his and ours,” then paid tribute to "the kind of journalism that helps a city not just survive but thrive.”

Mary Johns, a 2006 Terkel winner, presented the award to Ms. Gavin. Calling the RoundTable "a platform for a voice of the voiceless,” she commended Ms. Gavin for "working hard to provide news to the common people.”

Ms. Gavin, whom Media Center interviewers described as "unusually retiring for a newspaper publisher,” came to journalism by way of the classics (a Ph.D. in Greek and Roman classics) and the law (a J.D. from DePaul). Training journalists is a high priority at her paper.

She told the Center the RoundTable, which rarely covers crime, "strives to focus on the City's ideas and organizations,” she continued. "When there are stories that are very painful for the community, we don't say this person is right, this person is wrong. We say these people are working on a solution.”

The other 2007 recipients were Elisa Alfonso and Javier Salas, hosts of WRTO 1200 AM, "La Tremenda” radio, and Stephen Franklin, labor and workplace reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Past winners include Ray Suarez, Carol Marin, Eric Zorn, Laura Washington, Alex Kotlowitz, Phil Ponce and Mary Schmich.

Mr. Terkel, wearing his signature red-checked shirt, joked that after 18 years the awards event has "reached the age of consent.”

Then, to salute Mr. Terkel's upcoming 95th birthday, the crowd joined Ms. Schmich on the piano, Mr. Zorn on the guitar and Christopher Walz on the banjo in a sing-along of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land.

Reassessment Increase: Taxes Will Increase But Not at the Same Rate

By Bill Smith

Homeowners who opened notices from the Cook County Assessor's office this week may be looking now for advice on how to appeal their reassessment.

The triennial assessment is meant to reflect the change in property values over the three years since the last assessment, said Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin at a meeting on March 29 at the Levy Center.

Real estate transfer tax records show that the average selling price for properties in Evanston rose 29.1 percent over just the past two years. The median assessment increase in Evanston is 30.3 percent.

Mr. Suffredin said the median assessment increase in Evanston is 30.3 percent, and real estate transfer tax records show that the average selling price for properties in Evanston rose 29.1 percent over the past two years.

However, said Mr. Suffredin, the increase in the assessed value of a home is not a harbinger of a 30-percent increase in the property tax bill. Higher assessments translate into lower tax rates, he said.

Because of the rising assessments, taxing bodies will be able to lower their tax rates, so the average tax bill increases may be much more modest, Mr. Suffredin said.

How to appeal the assessment
Taxpayers have 30 days to file an appeal of their assessments, and Mr. Suffredin said a successful challenge could result in significant savings.

Commissioner Suffredin said that based on his experience helping taxpayers with appeals three years ago, he believes that they shouldn't get their hopes too high for relief from the Assessor's office, and that they instead need to expect to have to move on to the second appeal level, the County Board of Review.

He said new members of the review board seem to be much more receptive to taxpayer appeals than the members who were on the board three years ago.

There are three grounds for appealing an assessment:
* Uniformity - The assessed value of a property is not in line with values assigned similar properties in the neighborhood.
* Over-valuation - The assessed value of the property is higher than its actual value.
* Property description error - The assessor lists the property as being larger than it actually is or having high-value features that it doe not actually have.

Commissioner Suffredin said that only people who show errors in property description are likely to win their initial appeal to the Assessor's office, while the Board of Review is more receptive to the other types of claims. He said uniformity is the most common reason for assessment appeals.

He said that in his experience far fewer people take their appeals to the second level, but of those who do, about two-thirds win assessment reductions.

A copy of the appeal form should have been included with the reassessment notice. The form is also available online at the assessor's web site cookcountyassessor.com. The website also provides a searchable database of all properties in the county, which taxpayers can use to learn the assessed values of similar properties in their neighborhood.

Commissioner Suffredin said property owners with questions about the appeal process can call his office at 847-864-1209 for more information.

Township Assessor Sharon Eckersall says her office, 846 Dodge Ave., will also help with property tax appeals. Deputy Assessor Diane Benjamin said their office will help property owners fill out the proper forms and give information about filing and other appeal procedures. The Township Assessor's phone number is 847-332-2465.

Commissioners Mull Two Transition Zones For Downtown Plan

By Bill Smith

Members of the Downtown Planning Committee of the Plan Commission continue to try to redefine the transition areas between the City's downtown core and the largely residential areas that surround it. Chairman James Woods says he wants to "take a stab at” drawing a new map tthat redefines the areas.

At a meeting last month, Plan Commission members seemed to conclude that they need two transitional zones rather than the single one shown on the originally proposed map.

· One zone, facing the downtown core, would encourage the type of mixed-use developments that dominate the core, but with lower building-height limits.

· A second, facing residential neighborhoods, would eliminate the mixed-use component - permitting only residential uses, but with height limits still greater than what would be permitted in the surrounding residential zones.

Ten different zoning categories are now used downtown, and Plan Commissioners say they hope to be able to substantially reduce that number. The proposed map they have been working with provided the potential to have just three downtown zones - core, traditional and transitional.

Commissioner Stuart Opdycke said he would also like to see all height allowances removed "so we're not looking at skyscrapers" in the transitional areas. The height allowances are incentives added to the zoning code to encourage certain building features, like the inclusion of enclosed parking.

Much of the attention at the March 22 meeting focused on the transition at the east edge of downtown, between Chicago and Hinman avenues. Properties on the east side of Chicago Avenue, the commissioners appeared to conclude, should match the mixed-use nature of the buildings on the west side of that street. But properties on the west side of Hinman, they suggested, should be purely residential.

That distinction runs up against the reality of existing mixed uses at the intersection of Hinman Avenue and Davis Street, although the alley between Chicago and Hinman avenues provides a demarcation line for two possible transition zones.

On other transition blocks, on the south edge between Grove and Lake streets, for example, there are no parallel alleys to use to mark a boundary.

The Downtown Plan Committee of the Plan Commission is scheduled to meet at 8 a.m. on April 20.

Summer Youth Job Fair Is April 21

The annual spring job fair for the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program is scheduled for 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on April 21, at the Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.

The Mayor's Job Fair is an opportunity for Evanston teens and local businesses and organizations to plan their summer employment experience. Teens will complete applications; review and select jobs they are interested in pursuing; and participate in a session designed to help improve their interview skills. They should dress appropriately and know their social security numbers and the names, phone numbers and addresses of job references.

Last year the City was involved in the employment of 189 teens, who performed a variety of jobs including office work, camp counseling and working as field assistants, custodians, health aides, production assistants, inclusion aides and program assistants. Contact the City of Evanston Human Relations Division, 847- 866-2920.