[VIDEO] You see the video above from CBS 2 Chicago, here's something from Crain's
Patronage on the Chicago Transit Authority has hit the highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, averaging more than 900,000 on weekdays since Labor Day.
Increases in commuting downtown and trips by college students are the main drivers, according to the CTA.
But, burdened by a continuing crime epidemic and a shortage of personnel that has forced it to trim some service, the CTA still is far from what it was, with the top recent day, 935,000 on Friday, Sept. 16, still only about 58% of ridership in pre-pandemic September 2019.
CTA officials are putting a positive face on the latest figures.
“Transit is vital to our region as we recover from a long pandemic that upended our daily normal. The recent ridership peaks are an important barometer of our crucial role in providing affordable and green transportation to all,” CTA President Dorval Carter said in a statement. “The fall season is typically our highest ridership period for the year, and in 2022, that tradition continues. As more riders return to transit, our top focus is providing the most reliable, consistent service possible.”
Carter pointed in particular to a 21% increase in ridership to and from downtown compared to 2021, with ridership almost tripling since January 2021, at the worst of the pandemic. Ridership among college students who use the CTA’s U-Pass last week was up 16% compared to the same week last year.
The question from this is how many of you have gone back to taking the CTA for your commutes?
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