Senior Citizens CTA Free Rides Program in Jeopardy

The free ride is almost over for many Illinois' senior citizens, who ride the CTA and Metra. FOX Chicago News looks at why that perk is coming to the end of the line.

Sales taxes are millions of dollars below projections. The real estate market in Chicago has tanked, and the financial plan to bail out the CTA just two-years ago is on life support.

"The system is in dire straits because of the economy we cannot have programs we can't afford," RTA President, Steve Schlickman said.

Schlickman is talking about programs such as the free rides for senior citizens. A popular but expensive perk that former governor Rod Blagojevich added to the CTA bail-out bill two-years ago because he broke his no new taxes pledge.

Lawmakers in Springfield will soon end the program for all but the neediest seniors.

"I think to ask people to pay their fair share who have the financial wherewithal to do it is reasonable especially in these hard economic times," House Minority Leader, Rep. Tom Cross said.

All seniors would still qualify for half-fares. But for most, the days of the free rides are over.

"Over a period of years we're going to lose billions of dollars when we can't afford to, right now we're losing $50 million dollars a year," Schlickman said.

The end of the program “Free Rides for Senior Citizens” will save the CTA $37 million dollars a year but it will likely not be enough to prevent fare increases, lay-offs and service cutbacks.

If legislators vote to eliminate the program in Springfield, only seniors living below the poverty level are eligible for free rides. For a single person, that means an income, no higher, than about $22,000 a year.