Note: In what's sure to be a refreshing change of pace for Streetsblog Chicago readers, I have committed to not making any '80s pop music references in this article about a CTA service announcement.
Last month, Chicago transit advocates were skeptical when the CTA announced that rail service would hit pre-COVID-19 levels before the New Year's Eve ball drops in New York City's Times Square. Or, since we're in Chicagoland, maybe we should say, before the New Year's Eve Pierogi Drop happens in Whiting, Indiana?
At any rate, earlier this week, a transit authority news release stated that the system has a similar goal of reaching that pre-pandemic milestone for bus service by December 31. This time, advocates are either celebrating the announcement, or taking a wait-and-see attitude.
According to the CTA, it will hit this target by increasing service on 19 bus routes, with some (not all) additional runs kicking off this Sunday, December 22. The agency credited the improvement to adding more bus drivers to its roster – more on that in a bit.
"Our ability to provide pre-pandemic service marks not a finish line but a milestone in providing the exceptional bus service our riders deserve," stated CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. "In 2025, we will be expanding on this milestone and looking to make further improvements to our service."
In the wake of unreliable service and unpleasant conditions on transit in the post-COVID era, Carter has faced calls to step down, from everyone from the grassroots advocacy organization Commuters Take Action to Gov. JB Pritzker. But Carter got a feather in his cap on Wednesday, when U.S. representatives from Illinois announced that the feds committed to chipping in $1.9 billion to help make the $5.75 billion Red Line Extension happen.
The bus service press release adds that the new schedule includes tweaks to some bus lines that reflect changing ridership trends. Here are the routes that the CTA says will enjoy a boost in Monday-to-Friday service:
- #2 Hyde Park Express
- #4 Cottage Grove
- #6 Jackson Park Express*
- #15 Jeffery Local
- #26 South Shore Express
- #28 Stony Island
- #35 31st/35th
- #56 Milwaukee
- #67 67th-69th-71st
- #80 Irving Park*
- #84 Peterson*
- #86 Narragansett/Ridgeland
- #120 Ogilvie/Streeterville Express
- #121 Union/Streeterville Express
- #135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express
- #136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express
- #143 Stockton/Michigan Express
- #151 Sheridan**
- #201 Central/Ridge*
* The CTA says the #6, #80, #84, # 151, #201 routes will also get Saturday service boosts.
** According to the agency, the #151 Sheridan will also enjoy a Sunday service increase.
"The CTA has seen an increase in ridership on routes that have received more service throughout the year," the bus service news release stated. "Ridership on routes that already received additional service in 2024 were up 14 to 15 percent year-over-year in October, while routes that did not receive service adjustments have also increased, but at a lower rate of 10 percent during the same period." It added that as part of the rail service increase announced in November, more service has been added to all eight 'L' lines.
In another piece of reported good news, yesterday the CTA announced that it's in the process of "training and qualifying... more than 200 new rail operators and [hiring] more than 1,000 new bus operators in 2024, of which more than 850 have entered service."
"Kudos to the CTA," responded Active Transportation Alliance Communications Director Ted Villaire. "Restoring bus service to pre-pandemic levels is a significant milestone in Chicago's public transportation recovery. We're pleased that the efforts to boost the number of drivers have paid off. Moreover, the increase in ridership on routes with additional service underscores the importance of reliable, frequent transit options."
Commuters Take Action is taking a more guarded attitude towards the increased bus service announcement. That's understandable, because when the agency announced the boost to scheduled 'L' service last month, CTAction's data analysis found that as little as 81 percent of planned train runs were actually showing up. (The CTA contested the group's numbers.)
"We have not had a chance to run our analysis on the new [bus] schedules yet," said CTAction cofounder Fabio Göttlicher. "But we plan to do so in the next few days. Once we do, we'll update the stats on our website and post a short statement."
So can we look forward to robust bus service by New Year's Eve, or will the heralded improvements be largely just on paper? Hopefully we can share CTAction's findings in the near future. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the news is good!
Read the CTA press release about bus schedules here.
Read the CTA press release on staffing here.
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