Soaring gas prices make CTA bailout more urgent, Daley says

Skyrocketing gasoline prices add even more urgency to the CTA'srequest for a $55 million state bailout to avert the need to raisefares for cash-paying customers and scale back systemwide CTA serviceto a Sunday schedule, Mayor Daley said Thursday.

"Gas prices are going up, and they're going to keep going upbecause Congress is not going to do anything about it. ... You canblame Democrats. You can blame Republicans. You can blame everyone.But the prices are going to go up. When the prices go up, what'sgoing to happen to people in the metropolitan area?" the mayor said.

"The CTA transports ... more than Metra and Pace combination. Theyaffect not only the city but the …