Pension Overhaul: Politics and Policy

 

Pension Overhaul: Politics and Policy

 

  

 

State Senator Kimberly Lightford, D – Maywood, voted “No”

State Senator Matt Murphy, R – Palatine, voted “Yes”

State Representative Jeanne Ives, R – Wheaton, voted “No”

State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie, D – Chicago,

& House Majority Leader, voted “Yes”

 

Thursday, December 19, 2013

7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

 

December’s pension overhaul vote was an essay in political contrasts and policy differences that bred unanticipated results and unusual alliances.  Breakfast@65West and the Subcommittee on State and Local Government present these four legislators who will take us on their personal path from proposal to final tally in the Illinois General Assembly’s most significant action of 2013. 

 

Of course – your questions for the panel will complete the program. 

 

Breakfast@65West begins with breakfast service at 7:30 a.m., followed by the program at 8 a.m. and adjournment at 9 a.m.  Dress code: Business casual; no denim or athletic wear.  Cost: $23 Members and their guests; $28 Non-Members.

 

Members of the Union League Club may register at www.ulcc.org.  Non-Members may register at: http://PensionsAndPolitics.eventbrite.com. 

 

Union League Club of Chicago

65 West Jackson Boulevard

Chicago, Illinois  60604

 

 

Chris Robling

Principal
Jayne Thompson & Associates
Suite 2200, 33 North Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60602-3857
v 312-658-0445
f 312-658-0464 
m 312-343-2026
crobling@jaynethompson.com

 

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Milt Rosenberg's "Extension 720"

I had the privilege of joining Professor Rosenberg's Extension 720 panel on Wednesday, August 4 to discuss conservatism. 

Two authors with new books appeared.  I have skimmed Rush Limbaugh: Army of One, by Zev Chafets, and read the New York Times Magazine profile from which it evolved on the Sunday morning of its publication some months ago.  Chafets got closer to Limbaugh than any previous writer.  He was granted considerable access both in Florida and Cape Girardeau.  If you marvel at Limbaugh's success, following and influence, then this book is a must.

Richard M. Reinsch II of Liberty Fund published Whittaker Chambers: The Spirit of a Counterrevolutionary last month through ISI's Library of Modern Thinkers series.  It is an analysis of Chambers' mature political thought, in which he locates our relationship with God as far more important than others of his time, basing his view of conservatism with a redemptive element, which he found lacking in, say, Rand's objectivism and appetitive consumerism.

Of course, the star is always Professor Rosenberg, precisely not because he dominates the conversation but rather because he graciously guides it to cover considerable ground.  Honored in 2008 by the National Endowment for the Humanities for his second career in broadcasting, Professor Rosenberg shows every night of the program (most weeknights, 10 p.m. to Midnight, WGN-AM 720 and http://www.wgnradio.com/) what the art of conversation may yield.

On this, our close last night was quite apt.  Professor Rosenberg mentioned that tonight he would host an astronomer from Adler Planetarium and a leading cosmologist from the University of Chicago.  "Our topic -- the universe, and any parallel universes that might exist.  We will of course answer the question, "why is there anything, why not nothing?"  Please join us."

Quite a promise.  Broadcasting's most erudite program easily moves from the meaning of conservatism on Wednesday to the nature of reality on Thursday.  You can be sure Professor Rosenberg and his guests will pay it off, and all of us will be privileged to listen.

PRT at LHR, Personal Rapid Transit at London Heathrow

Thanks for stopping by clearspan.

If you have not been to Heathrow lately, you might enjoy the accompanying photos.  I took them on a phone camera in June.  They depict the new ULTra PRT Limited installation, which should be headed into passenger service presently.



It is a huge step for a technological idea that has been discussed for more than a century, attempted in fits and starts over the last 60 years and now appears set to debut on one of transport's biggest stages, LHR.


ULTra PRT appears considerably lighter and more elegant than PRT 2000, which Chicago RTA and Raytheon abandoned about ten years ago.  The vehicles are considerably less bulky and thus lighter.

They travel on a simple, two-way, flat-surfaced concrete guideway.  That solves a big cost problem, and answers another concern -- escape route -- that bedeviled PRT 2000.


In this case, with only 18 vehicles, if abandoning a vehicle is ever necessary, passengers can simply exit and walk along the broad flat guideway with meter-high railings on both sides to whatever point is selected for disembarkation.


This indicates a battery solution, without a third-rail power source that would complicate evacuation.


The LHR installation appears to be a point-to-point solution (north remote parking to British Airways' Terminal 5), not a network.  And, as I could see the terminal station without a tour (the crew was in various tests elsewhere), it appeared not to be a pure off-line design.

But these points (and I cannot be sure about the station) are small.  The world has waited to see what PRT can do.  Even in the automated people mover world, PRT has been either a step-child or a mad uncle, kept obscure for concerns over price, capacity and service offering.  When ULTra PRT opens, those questions -- and many others -- will finally find answers from the real world, and we will learn if PRT has been worth the very considerable wait.

I, for one, am optimistic.

My hat is tipped to Martin Lowson and all of his colleagues at ULTra PRT Limited for pulling this off. Please let them tell you their story at: http://www.ultraprt.com/.

LHR PRT 6-21-10, guideway fr L2 of T5 parking ramp, looking N.  From the left turn in the background of this image the route travels to the west end of 9L/27R, where it turns north to wrap around a bit east to a remote parking lot. In 2008 BAA announced 18 vehicles and a cost of L25 million.  Link to official BAA release at http://www.baa.com/.

LHR PRT 6-21-10 guideway, between grade and elevated T5 auto access ramp, from N end L2 of T5 parking ramp, just W of MCF(?).  NB: bicycle parking at lower right and bicycle for scale.

LHR PRT, 6-21-10, to northeast from T5 parking L5, guideway showing electric service boxes.  NB steel guideway support column distinct from concrete roadway column to rear.  Tarmac/airside in background.

LHR PRT 6-21-10, from N end of Level 5 of T5 parking ramp.  Note two-way guideway and shallow depth to surface.  Electrical boxes at second PRT column from right, outside railings.  Tarmac/airside in background, car approaching at top.  Guideway surface unquestionably pre-cast concrete, probably manufactured off-site at lowest unit costs possible (thanks: Charlie). 

LHR PRT signage at MCF (?), level two, T5 parking ramp, w/ N end of ramp to left.  Approximate area behind construction wall = three bays E/W x seven and 1/3 bays N/S, certainly enough for MCF, N/S bay = approx. 24', E/W bay = approx. 48'.  Again impressive refinement on PRT 2000, which required approx. 18' repair bays for lifts of passenger compartment from undercarriage.  This height -- approx. 8' to cross beams,  approx. 9' to ceiling.  Note lighting beyond construction wall.


This may be one of the most important selling points for ULTra PRT, Ltd.  Imagine the suburban activity center in which PRT might leverage existing line-haul assets to begin/end trips, as well as circulate people within the activity network.  Notionally this is thought of as the line-haul interchange station, three or four hotels, two or three office buildings and a couple of stops at the local convention center.  


One of the key selling points for PRT is convenience for riders.  Part of this arises from the off-line stations, which enable non-stop, o/d travel.  While PRT certainly could provide crowd-movement at grade level, in a suburban center, with ground at a premium, we will most likely see grade-separated systems in which PRT will zip along at 15' or more over the ground.  This creates an opportunity for the hotel, office and convention center to design second-floor stations.  The benefits of this are manifest.  


Once the system is at height, the less dropping and rising the better for the engines.  Also, a uniform guideway is relatively less expensive than a guideway that has frequent ups and downs.  


Equally important are the human factors.  If access is distributed over two floors, grade for cars and second floor for PRT, arrival can be made that much more humane.  Entering and alighting take place indoors, without weather access to the riders, vehicles and interiors, while the mainline runs parallel to the building outside.  This makes the "no coat" scenario achievable (a convention-goer could pass her entire stay indoors, increasing convenience).  


But for all of this to happen, a developer, or a property manager with a long-term commitment, or the transit property itself has to make a deal for the leaseable square footage that is removed from inventory.


And-- the system has to fit.  PRT 2000 would have required two floors because of its depth below access floor -- doubling claimed inventory.  What you see in the photo above is a system that fits in a high-rise floor.  This is no mean feat and ULTra PRT deserves considerable credit for achieving it. 

LHR PRT 6-21-10, T5, parking L2, MCF(?).  From W.  Station and entrance to T5 elevator bay at right.   Signage: "We're making way for a world-class transport solution."

LHR PRT 6-21-10.  Construction notices.

LHR PRT 6-21-10, T5, parking L2, from S, station platform behind barriers, note vehicles parked behind glass safety doors.  Electronic kiosks visible.  North elevator bay to T5 and Heathrow Express behind blue "Level 2" door at right.

LHR PRT 6-21-10, T5, parking L2, from E at barrier to station platform, close-up of vehicle rear showing bumper and flat concrete guideway surface.  Vehicle depth beneath floor, approx. six inches.  This is ULTra PRT's biggest visible difference from the Chicago RTA/Raytheon PRT 2000 system of the 1990s.  PRT 2000's vehicles ran on three-to-four foot deep undercarriages, making its guideway considerably more complicated -- and expensive -- than the flat-surfaced platform depicted in these photos.

LHR PRT 6-21-10, T5, parking L2, from S, station platform with trolley barriers, ticket kiosks, glass safety doors, yellow chargers (?) between vehicles visible. Vehicles exit to right (N).  Note station appears not to be offline, may be pull-back.  Could not get close enough to determine.

LHR PRT 6-21-10, T5, parking L2, from E, at station platform, close up of ticket kiosk, glass safety doors and vehicle, with signage.

LHR PRT 6-21-10, T5, parking L2, from E, at station platform barrier, close-up of vehicle, safety doors and kiosk.  NB vehicle signage.