Goverment/Politics | The Heart of a City

The Electric Bus: Sustainability in Chicago’s Public Transit

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Greg Hampton

The two CTA-700 buses make the CTA the first major public transit system with all-electric buses in the county. Photo by the Chicago Transit Authority

The two CTA-700 buses make the CTA the first major public transit system with all-electric buses in the country. Photo by the Chicago Transit Authority.

Sustainability is a major area of focus in cities throughout the country. From climate action plans that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from government buildings, to bans on plastic bags at restaurants and grocery stores, sustainability initiatives have gained traction as city officials become more concerned about their local environments. Yet, an area of city life that has gone overlooked in the local sustainability movement is public transit.

In Chicago, sustainability in public transit has arrived through buses. Since October of 2014, the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) fleet of vehicles has included two all-electric buses. Known as the CTA 700-series, the buses make the CTA the first major public transit system in the country to use all-electric buses in their daily operations.

The CTA-700 buses are used across the city, including on Route 52, a route that takes riders through Northwest neighborhoods such as Logan Square to the heart of Chicago Lawn on the city's Southwest side. Photo by Gregory Hampton

The CTA-700 buses are used on routes such as Route 52, which takes riders through Northwest neighborhoods such as Logan Square to Chicago Lawn on the city’s Southwest side. Photo by Gregory Hampton.

Purchased through grant funding from the U.S Department of Transportation and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the electric buses are designed to save the city an average of $25,000 a year in fuel costs. In addition, each bus is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 121 tons a year, which is the equivalent of emissions produced by 23 passenger vehicles (as calculated by an easy-to-use Emissions Calculator from the federal Department of Energy).

Even with the projected energy and emissions savings, the CTA has a long way to become the nation’s first public transit system completely dependent on all-electric buses. The two buses are just a snapshot of the 1,800 currently in the CTA fleet. In addition, plans for future CTA 700s may be dependent on data gathered from their performance in extreme weather conditions as a part of the CTA’s grant agreements. However, the buses are a major step in creating a more sustainable public transit system for the 2.7 million people that call the Windy City home.

MyCity: Baton Rouge

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Greg Hampton

The Historic Lincoln Theater in Baton Rouge. Photo Credit to Chenevert Architects.

The next entry in our MyCity series is from Harold Dorrell Briscoe. A former community and economic development practitioner, Dorrell’s desire to get involved in public service led him to shape the revitalization of a major community in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

“Since I was 16 years old, I dreamed of working in government and running for political office. For many years, I was very successful in the pursuit of that dream. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Florida and an academic scholarship to attend the George H. W. Bush School of Government Public Service at Texas A&M University. I had the privilege of interacting with President Bush, various ambassadors, and distinguished faculty who have served this country and impacted the world. I graduated in May 2009 with a Masters degree in Public Administration.”

“I served as a project manager for the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority (RDA) from 2009-2011. In that position, I oversaw the renovation process of the historic Lincoln Theater in Baton Rouge (a theater that Dr. Martin Luther King visited), the Land Banking program, and brought in over $2.5 million in one year through grants and tax credit programs.”

“While at the RDA my focus was on land banking in the revitalization of the Lincoln Theater. This process involved securing funding for revitalization, conducting environmental assessment of the property and surrounding area, create a design team, conduct a vicinity survey, and acquire real estate of surrounding area for further development. The RDA had special Authority from the Louisiana Legislature to expedite the process and quieting title to vacant and abandoned property in areas where economic and community improvement was badly needed. My role was to collect over 200 pieces of adjudicated property and lots, clear the title, and essentially give this property away to developers who were interested in revitalizing the area.”

After a massive fundraising and revitalization effort, the Lincoln Theater will reopen this weekend on Valentine's Day, Saturday, February 14th.

After a successful fundraising and revitalization effort, the Lincoln Theater will reopen this weekend on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14th.

“The historic Lincoln Theater is strategically located to provide an economic and social stimulus within the Old South Baton Rouge community. Its’ structural integrity supports its candidacy for revitalization. However, identified environmental contaminates and dilapidation have revealed a need for complete renovation of the building and its surrounding area. The Louisiana Black History Hall of Fame (LBHHF) along with its acquired partners have requested financial assistance to complete the revitalization necessary to bring an iconic, historic building back to commerce.”

Since his involvement in the project, the LBHHF and their partners completed a successful fundraising and renovation campaign and the Theater will reopen this weekend on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14th. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida, Dorrell, along with his wife Tracy, serves as the Young Professionals Pastor at Southpoint Community Church. Dorrell also is a Professor of Public Administration at the University of North Florida. For more information, visit Dorrell’s website.

Recognizing the Power of the Mayor

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Greg Hampton

As Tuesday night illustrated, we devote a significant amount of time and attention in terms of political engagement to Congress and the White House. Considering the responsibility elected officials in Washington have to the more than 318 million residents living in the country, our interest level in the federal government makes sense.

Yet, our lives are impacted by more than debates and votes held by politicians in D.C. Local decisions also influence the way we live our lives. In many cities, the power to make those decisions rest with the mayor.

Prosperity NOLA, New Orleans’ first comprehensive development plan, was created in part to the efforts of Mayor Mitch Landieu. Photo by City of New Orleans.

While not all-inclusive, the following list provides a snapshot into the ways mayors throughout the United States shape the cities they lead:

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio has the legal authority to appoint judges to the City’s Criminal and Family Law Court for a ten-year term;
In Charlotte, Mayor Daniel Clodfelte oversees a city-wide mentoring program designed to leverage the resources of over 50 mentoring groups that improve the lives of Charlotte’s youth;
In New Orleans, Mayor Mitch Landieu worked with business, university, and government leaders to create the New Orleans Business Alliance, an entity that established the first comprehensive development plan in the City’s history;
In Chattanooga, Mayor Andy Burke used his authority to issue an Executive Order that created an open data portal that provides a centralized place for residents to access information from their government; and
In cities such as Chicago (led by Mayor Rahm Emanuel) and Boston (led by Mayor Martin J. Walsh), the Mayor oversees the appointment of each member to the municipality’s school board.

The Chattanooga Data Portal is an example of what can be done through a mayor’s executive power. Photo by Chattanooga Public Library.

Currently, interest in electing mayors appears to be minimal at best. According to research from the University of Wisconsin, voter turnout is low in local races as 21% of voting-age adults cast ballots for their local elections in 2011. As the long-term trajectory of many cities are now increasingly tied to the decisions made by their mayors, it will be important for people living in cities to become more engaged in selecting who gets to make those decisions in future elections.

Governments and Stadium Deals: The Cost of Keeping a Team at Home

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Greg Hampton

Should governments get involved in the retention of professional sports teams? If so, what does that look like? And, what are taxpayers willing to support in order keep their favorite team in town?

Edwards Jones Stadium could spark the next government-financed stadium in the United States. Photo by Kelly Martin.

These are some of the questions surrounding the current stadium situation of the National Football League’s (NFL) St. Louis Rams. Last week, the owner of the Rams Stan Kroenke announced plans to construct an 80,000 seat stadium suitable to host a NFL team in Inglewood, California. In a normal situation, this would have raised eyebrows considering the NFL’s long-standing desire to move a franchise to the Los Angeles area. However, the announcement comes as a warning to Rams fans and government officials as the team (who moved from Los Angeles in 1995) prepares to enter into a year-to-year lease of their current home Edward Jones Stadium. As a result, many in St. Louis and Missouri are looking to their leaders in government to for a new stadium deal that would keep the team in town.

St. Louis would not be the first city to face a similar situation. In Miami, the Miami Marlins (formerly known as the Florida Marlins) played in Sun Life Stadium from 1993 to 2011. Originally designed to host football, Sun Life Stadium failed to meet the demands of Marlins ownership who wanted a baseball-only venue to call home. After a legal battle and successful lobbying effort, the Marlins moved to Marlins Park in 2012. Costing $639 million, Marlins Park was financed largely through taxpayer dollars.

Once seen as an exciting investment, Marlins Park may be more of a burden to Miami taxpayers than desired. Photo by Roberto Coquis.

The outcome of the stadium has been mixed at best. After opening to great crowds early in 2012, the Marlins weathered through a public relations nightmare. A losing season combined with the release of several high priced players and comments from manager Ozzie Guillen praising Fidel Castro (a cultural taboo in the Cuban stronghold of South Florida) led to dismal attendance in 2013. Add in a financing scheme that leaves Miami-Dade taxpayers responsible for an additional $1.18 billion in payments by 2042, and Marlins Park could end up being one of the worst government-involved stadium deals in history.

So far, city and state officials have pledged to do all they can to keep the Rams in St. Louis without increasing the tax burden on taxpayers. Yet, an proposed deal could still include a public investment of up to $535 million if all sides agree. In an era of tight budgets and increased demands on public services, it remains to be seen if taxpayers are willing to support such an investment to keep a team once known as “Greatest Show on Turf” from starting a new chapter out in California.