Now that Midway, Skyway, meters, and parking garages are privatized, what will be next?

What would you think of Lake Shore Drive? The City could charge tolls, and in exchange would get a huge amount of cash and leave the burden the the leaser to spend the money on the technology to charge the tolls and a huge amount of improvements as part of the deal.

What about managing funds such as pension funds?

What about going to consultants with more building department? You would not have to worry about hiring more people or letting people go as the market fluctuates? They are starting to do that with some larger projects and the DOWM part of DOB and CDOT.

What about towing/pound services?

I don't see OHare being privatized... maybe a private management company.

How about the Department of Revenue... City spends $45M on this... seems you can have a private company for much cheaper.

I don't think any of these ideas will get us a huge cash payment up front (maybe the pension funds or Lake Shore Drive), but at least we can start saving money. I think our biggest problem is the benefits we pay out and the high salaries that City employees are paid, which is justified for the employees required to live in the City. Compare Chicago employees to any other municipal employees and you will see a huge jump for Chicago. CDOT and IDOT... compare those.... it is huge!

Privatize the work...

Gone are the pension contributions and the huge burden it is on the City. Did you know this year's pension contributions is larger than the $415M deficit?

Gone are the high salaries. For example... the job that a civil engineer at CDOT has making $80K reviewing plans can be done by an engineer for a private company making $56K a year.

Gone is the downtime. When things get slow, you are paying an employee to sit around or move papers on their desk. City only pays for the hours the private company works, which is aggressively negotiated up front.

What do you think?

I would think that charging a toll on the express lanes on the Kennedy would be a good idea. It is already segregated so it already makes a good canidate I would think.

I would think that charging a toll on the express lanes on the Kennedy would be a good idea. It is already segregated so it already makes a good canidate I would think.

I dont think they can. The Kennedy belongs to the state.

I would think that charging a toll on the express lanes on the Kennedy would be a good idea. It is already segregated so it already makes a good canidate I would think.

I just said this in the other thread, toll every interstate in the country. You can charge an even higher toll for the express lanes.

I just said this in the other thread, toll every interstate in the country. You can charge an even higher toll for the express lanes.

I thought they were already going to do this?

Maybe the Illinois Tollway should acquire the City tollways? I know Daley would HATE this. But if they use tollway funds to improve the highways, we could do some really cool things. This should be its own thread.

I know, why don't we charge drivers based on how much fuel they use and use those revenues for making these needed infrastructure upgrades???

:|

:okay:

Mike

Find a way to make 55,290, and 94 tollways.

I know, why don't we charge drivers based on how much fuel they use and use those revenues for making these needed infrastructure upgrades???

I believe that's called a gasoline tax, no? Problem is, I doubt all those revenues get put back into the roads anymore. I'd be all for raising the gas tax, but only if it actually went towards actual infrastructure improvements, and not just down the black hole of government accounting.

Yeah it's pretty easy to raise taxes when it's someone elses money...

It's even easier to "implement a toll" than "raise taxes."

Yeah it's pretty easy to raise taxes when it's someone elses money...

Great idea! Toll the occasional user and out-of towners more so the burden is less on the local residents! Now yuppies from Schaumburg that come in for the Cubs game and to go to The Hange Uppe on a Saturday night can pay a higher fee (just like the Tollways do it). Families from South Bend and St. Charles that come in for movie in the park or a day at the Field Museum will finally have to pay to use our streets.

At the end of the day, maybe the guy from Schaumburg will drive to Cumberland and Blue Line it, the family from St. Charles will take the Metra, and the family from South Bend will take the South Shore. They won't want to pay the high meter parking and the high tolls!

Great idea! Toll the occasional user and out-of towners more so the burden is less on the local residents! Now yuppies from Schaumburg that come in for the Cubs game and to go to The Hange Uppe on a Saturday night can pay a higher fee (just like the Tollways do it). Families from South Bend and St. Charles that come in for movie in the park or a day at the Field Museum will finally have to pay to use our streets.

At the end of the day, maybe the guy from Schaumburg will drive to Cumberland and Blue Line it, the family from St. Charles will take the Metra, and the family from South Bend will take the South Shore. They won't want to pay the high meter parking and the high tolls!

Good they should use blue line and South shore. With the revenue they can improve it and have it up to snuff with if not better than European trains.

Good they should use blue line and South shore. With the revenue they can improve it and have it up to snuff with if not better than European trains.

You would think so! Despite all the additional revenue from the extra riders when gas was $4+ a gallon, CTA was warning of fare hikes due to the increased number of additional employees they had to hire and extra resources to handle the increase in ridership! Apparently the direct costs of ridership is greater than the fares! But at the end of the day the governor was blamed for handing out free rides to seniors.