The head of the Chicago Transit Authority says the ailing economy is forcing him to propose steep fare increases, service reductions and job cuts to close a $180 million budget gap.
CTA President Richard Rodriguez says basic train fares would go from $2.25 to $3. With that increase, Rodriguez says the nation's second largest transit system would have among the highest fares in the country.
Rodriguez released his 2010 budget Monday.
It also recommends eliminating 1,000 union jobs out of a total of 10,000. And it calls for an 18 percent reduction in bus service and a 9 percent cut in train service.
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