The CTA decides to prostitute out everything (Chicago: leases, buying)

[nightgallery]

"CTA president Richard Rodriguez announced Wednesday that the perennially under-funded transit agency will go out for bids soon to sell naming rights to just about anything it owns and for which others are willing to pay big money in exchange for the public exposure."

"That includes rail lines and stations, bus routes, retail concessions, special events - even the venerable CTA logo will be on the auction block for for-profit tweaking, Rodriguez said."

How about managing the budget money better Richie?

'What's it worth' to name the CTA? - Chicago Breaking News (http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/11/whats-it-worth-to-name-the-cta.html - broken link)

[chicagojlo]

Apple wants the North/Clybourn Red Line station to be called the Apple station or something similar.

If it's that or raising prices, I know what I'd pick.

[nightgallery]

Originally Posted by chicagojlo

Apple wants the North/Clybourn Red Line station to be called the Apple station or something similar.

If it's that or raising prices, I know what I'd pick.

Good luck when so many stations are named after companies that one can no longer keep tracked of which one is which.

[eevee]

so long as they don't raise fares or cut back on service even more, I don't care what they call the stations. could care less if it's North/ Clybourn or "The Apple Station", so long as the North Ave bus doesn't stop running by 10pm and/or the fare gets hiked up to $4/ride

[eevee]

Originally Posted by nightgallery

Good luck when so many stations are named after companies that one can no longer keep tracked of which one is which.

meh, I think the system is confusing anyways w/ so many stops name after streets. tell someone to get off at Damen and they'll be scratching their heads wondering if you meant the blue or pink line. tell someone to get off at the Western stop, they have about 5 different "Western" stops to choose from. might help to differentiate them a bit more. I know when I first moved here, I made similar mistakes

[nightgallery]

Originally Posted by eevee

so long as they don't raise fares or cut back on service even more, I don't care what they call the stations. could care less if it's North/ Clybourn or "The Apple Station", so long as the North Ave bus doesn't stop running by 10pm and/or the fare gets hiked up to $4/ride

You actually think that the CTA selling off naming rights is going to stop fare increases?

LOL

[eevee]

Originally Posted by nightgallery

You actually think that the CTA selling off naming rights is going to stop fare increases?

LOL

nope, not really, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd pick the name change, esp. if the company buying the naming rights spruces up the station a bit

[nightgallery]

Originally Posted by eevee

nope, not really, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd pick the name change, esp. if the company buying the naming rights spruces up the station a bit

If you do not think the selling of station names and train line names will not stop service cuts and fare increases why in the world would you say its cool to begin with?

The spruce up will last 6-12 months tops after that, back to the urine soaked rathole. BTW a guy got shot right by the new station/Apple store lol.

http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-appl...,4371783.story

If the CTA was smart it would have required Apple to provide cleaning for the station as long as its name is on it. But alas, the CTA is filled with morons and thieves.

[chitown85]

Of course the CTA will not do this professionally. But if they should, as mentioned above, it should be like the Adopt a Highway Program. In exchange for naming rights and the logo on a train station, the company should be responsible for maintaining the station.

I'm sure the CTA will provide 99 year leases. But they should make it 2 year leases so then they can reassess values.

[Irishtom29]

Another step in the international corporate oligarchy butting into every goddam aspect of our lives. I'd rather pay higher fares than be subjected to this newest barrage of advertising.

While they're at it they ought to go back to the old names of the El lines; everybody knew damned well what the Lake St. El was and where it went; same for the Ravenswood, the Douglas Park, the Howard and so on. I still get these new names confused; I don't know why they thought the color scheme was a good idea.