CTA Hits Average Weekday Ridership of 1 Million in May

This is the first time CTA has hit this milestone since the start of the pandemic

Chicago /June 12, 2024 /CTA -- The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) provided 27.7 million train and bus rides in May, bringing the weekday ridership average up to 1 million for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Ridership on bus routes that received additional scheduled service was up 10% on weekdays in May compared to March, while the other bus routes also saw gains of 3%. The additional service has also led to a noticeable decrease in average wait times.

Image Source | (©TobiasBrunner | pixabay)

So far in 2024, the CTA has experienced 22 days where ridership has exceeded 1 million—12 of which were in May. Over the course of 2023, the CTA saw 27 days where ridership exceeded 1 million rides per day.

The final Friday in May, May 31, was the highest ridership Friday since the start of the pandemic with a little over 1 million rides. Friday ridership is typically 5% lower than other weekday ridership.

The CTA has made significant progress in hiring new bus and rail operators to address workforce shortages and the usual trends of attrition. CTA plans to train up to 200 new operators, double the number in 2023. On the bus side, CTA hired 1,000 new bus operators in 2023 and is close to reaching its optimal staffing levels.