What to do if we don't win the Olympics?

the wait is slow and agonizing. Two weeks until the vote in Copenhagen by the IOC, a vote that decides the fate of one lucky city to host the world for two weeks in 2016. Speculation of who will and who won't show up to the vote, what the final presentation will look like, and any last minute alignments of votes is in the news at this point. However we don't hear the flip side, what if Chicago doesn't win? What do we talk about then? What do we look forward to? I have a few suggestions:

1. We focus on Chicago's transit system. Let's gather together and fight for one transit agency. This is a lesson from the Western cities we can learn from. A unified transit authority that governs suburban transit and city transit will make for a more cost effective, government efficient system. Think about the day your CTA card pays for your Metra ticket, and vice versa. Think about how we as city governments can work with one authority on all modes of transit from regional rail to rapid transit to local bus service. Sounds dreamy doesn't it? The CTA, Metra and Pace have a LOT of work to do to upgrade and expand their systems and fighting over money with the RTA doesn't help matters. Let's combine them and have divisions, Regional Rail, Rapid Transit and Bus Operations. Let's have them talk to one another, coordinate schedules and construction and go after a unified vision at once. We will be adding a High Speed rail network to our system in the next 20 years and someone needs to manage this, adding another authority on top will only make matters worse.

But Craig, what about jobs? Don't you just want to do this to get rid of jobs and those poor people at the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace will fear for their livelihood?

Yes, well, guess what, the amount of work that needs to be done will still be there. I would suspect consolidating services might see a SLIGHT reduction in staffing, but a reduction might be needed. Each division has different modes of transit which require their own operations staff and materials. That will never go away. BUT say getting rid of some of administration that ties up funding at the top, funding that can be used to a better good, would help the system run more effectively.

Beyond a unified RTA, i envision this new agency thinking boldly for the future. implementing a streetcar or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system into the city would be great. Even working with smaller cities like Evanston, Oak Park, Berwyn, etc for their own localized transit systems will help bolster RTA ridership and revenues. How can we leverage the regional rail system to overlay a rapid transit system on that? Providing smaller efficient rail cars and a more frequent service (London is working on a system like this right now) Could fill that gap and provide more incentive for riders if they know that a train will be there and although it wont be as quick as the commuter service, it can get them to their destinations (infill stations would be possible at this level of service as the distance requirements between stations decrease with a smaller, agile train car).

We need to build the STAR line, the circle line, the Gold Line, expand the South Shore Line, and overhaul the L system. We need to build express services to our major airports. Replacing the current steel structure with a 21st century engineering solution would be ideal. Updating the Loop so that all the stations are code compliant and ADA accessible and are no longer bird nests for the city's pigeon population would be great too.

And of course there is the High Speed Rail Network currently running through the legislative people. Updating and expanding Union Station will be needed for this as well as all of the necessary signaling and CREATE projects that are listed out there.

WHEW! that's a lot of work. Can it be done? Sure. We just need the will of the people to talk to their representatives and push for a better system. Until then, we won't get it. There is plenty of money coming down the pipeline and the Chicago Region might lose out if we don't have a unified voice for it and have a compelling argument as to why we deserve it.

Part of the big push for the Olympics is jobs. Seven years of non stop construction, prep, even hiring all of those dancers and children to wow the audience at the opening ceremonies. Plenty of jobs for everyone. But if we don't get it, rebuilding, expanding and improving our infrastructure could be a great way to create jobs, which could in turn lead to more jobs in other sectors.

Beyond transit, the City of Chicago has released and adopted the Central Area Action Plan, a multi-billion dollar vision to improve the quality of the downtown area. Everything from pushing Lake Shore drive further into Lake Michigan to ease the Curve at Oakton St Beach and creating much needed space and parkland in that area to capping the Eisenhower in the west loop to create a series of parks and link that portion to the rest of downtown are on the table. Again more jobs and more money of course but they have identified funding sources locally, statewide and federally. In the suburbs i am sure there are plenty of projects to be had, in Evanston alone I can think of a laundry list of "wouldn't that be nice."

My point is, if we don't get the Olympics, let's focus on the things that haven't gotten the attention of our leaders in the last year. Let's use that energy to improve our city and make it the best it can be so that if we ever go after the Olympics in the future there will never be a question of whether or not our transit system can handle the crush of visitors or if our parks aren't good enough or if we are forcing poorer citizens out of their homes. We need a vision to hold on to and move forward, why not the best city in the world as our vision? We all know it can be that, or else we wouldn't be living here.

With you,
CDS

Olympic Countdown

I am going to focus the next few weeks on the Olympics. Why? October 2 in the morning in Copenhagen the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will meet to decide who will have the honor of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics. Maybe I have never had a close interest in the cities that were voted on before, but I have been following this process ever since Chicago was picked in 2007 to be the United States' city to bid for the olympics. I love the Olympics, the sports are what it is about but the planning and design and attention that it attracts beyond the sports is also what I find fascinating.

Once the winning city gets the nod to host the games they have seven short years to transform into the capital of sports. They will host the world for a brief time, the whole world watching, hoping their athletes win. The city must make their transportation systems run smoothly, the hotel rooms will be packed, the city-wide concerts and nightly celebrations will be precisely timed and planned. This is the time for that City to show the world how they can party and host the greatest sporting event ever. Yes we all arent into ping pong or ribbon dance gymnastics, but someone in the world is and I think that is what is great about the Olympics.

Now on to Chicago. My last post was about WHY I think Chicago should win the Olympics. Today the IOC posted their repots on each city. In April of this year, a 13 member delegation from the IOC came to each city to listen to the bid teams, tour the venues and mingle with celebrities to lobby for their city's right to host. I skimmed the report this morning and well, no city really stands out as THE city to win. I think it's a great synopsis of what each city has to offer, their style for hosting and the general analysis of each essential component to their bid (Security, Transport, Venues, etc).

What I do think is interesting is that while Chicago has their challenges and the IOC has some concerns (sponsorship, transportation plans, etc), Rio has the biggest issues especially concerning safety and transportation. Rio is going to have to do a huge transformation of their city to host the games. The IOC is naturally concerned about displacement of slums, gentrification, and the guarantee that all venues and transport systems proposed can be built on time. The lack of good quality hotel rooms and the fact that they can't guarantee the use of cruise ships docked in the harbor for hotel space is a concern as well. Chicago has the rooms, we have the security and we wont be displacing people. We have a unique chance to fix the things that are wrong with our transport system, yet we dont have to build a brand new one. 6 of the 10 major Olympic sponsors are US corporations, sponsorships will not be a problem.

Tokyo's government just changed hands for the first time since the 1950's. while the new prime minister has voiced support for the games and they have the financial backing of their government, Citizen popularity is low in support. The IOC also found fault in their venues (apparently they listed a few venues as "built" and they havent been built yet...). Their lackluster public voice will be a big factor I think in their loss.

Madrid, well, all i have to say is Yawn. Their bid has been kind of boring from the beginning. I applaud them on education and legacy efforts, making the games an educational experience for their youth and really focusing on how to continue the Olympic spirit in their city and nation post olympics. However, it's just a boring bid. No real wow factor to it. They lost to London for the 2012 bid, and I think this is their last real effort to go for it again, why not think outside the box and do something spectacular? Hire a better PR firm to really get the word out there and say that the london games are not the same as a spanish games? Evoke Barcelona, the games that most people point as the beginning of the modern movement of the Olympics in terms of urban planning, design and spectacle. Does anyone NOT remember the archer shooting the arrow into the cauldron? AWE. SOME. Second to that is the Sydney games where the runner throws the torch into the water and the cauldron rises up out of that, pretty neat.

Anyways, Chicago i think will win in the end. They will blow people out of the water in Copenhagen, Obama will appear and share his love about Chicago and the world will cheer in August 2016 when we open the summer games in Chicago. Fingers crossed for October!