Off track

摘要

The city's average commute is not quite America's longest (that honour goes to New York), but in one respect Chicago is unrivalled: the bitterness and passion of the argument surrounding its public-transport system. If the Illinois state legislature does not act by January 20th, more than half of bus routes in the city will be eliminated, some 2,400 transport workers will be sacked and fares will be raised. Suburban rail and bus lines face cuts as well. Commuters will be forced to drive on already crowded roads or walk to a distant bus or train-this in the depths of winter, with pavements icy and kerbs surrounded by lakes of frigid slush. As America grapples with traffic, high fuel prices and climate change, public transport is often suggested as an antidote. But, as Chicago proves all too well, innovation in public services can easily be stymied by old-fashioned bickering.