Alex

EOY 2019! So the 100% mark reflects ridership averages for the last 12 months as of Dec 31, 2019.

UP-NW is posting just over half of pre-pandemic ridership. Better than most!

Wendella Boats you have the mandate of Heaven

Baseline Metra was from the RTA data, whereas almost everything else on here if from the FTA. I know we've talked the discrepancy there before and the methodology has changed, making Metra's recovery look less favorable here by around 10%!

CTA Yellow Line Ridership and moving average. CTA suspended service in late 2023 after a crash, which is seen as a single point far below the average. This drags the solid yellow moving average line down for a year. The average ticks up considerably in late 2024 after this outlier month is no longer considered in the average.

Yeah that's exactly right. The Yellow Line presented a perfect case study for this over the last year and a half!

Chicago Transit Ridership

These are all 12 month trailing averages, so the low point in ~April 2021 is reflecting what ridership had looked like for the last 12 months as of then.
Here is an example of the Moving Average lines (solid) overlaid with the actual monthly totals (points and dashes).

CTA Bus ridership by day of week, indexed to 2019.

CTA Rail ridership by day of week, indexed to 2019.

CTA Bus ridership by day of week.

CTA Rail ridership by day of week

Yes. Weekends have recovered more ridership for both bus and rail, but are still far below weekdays in raw ridership.

Here are both lines.

Black is monthly ridership totals, or how many people rode the water taxi in June 2025, May 2025, etc.

Yellow is 12-month moving average, or how many people rode in June 2024 to 2025 / 12, May 2024 to 2025 / 12.

The MA provides a smoother line with no seasonality.

Chicagoland Transit indexed to the end of 2010.

Of course! That has me thinking...

If we move our index point, we can see that CTA Rail is closer to its 2010 numbers than the bus is.
A big reason the bus systems look better recovered on these charts is due to how badly they sandbagged the entire 2010s.

Water Taxi monthly ridership

The chart above is a moving average. These are the raw monthly ridership figures for the water taxi, per the National Transit Database.

www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/data-pro...

CTA rail annual ridership

Metra annual ridership

CTA and Metra annual ridership

CTA and Metra!

Letter Calling for Bus Rapid Transit on Western Avenue - 40th Ward of Chicago This past week, Ald. Vasquez and Ald. Matt Martin co-wrote a letter to Mayor Johnson, CTA President Dorval Carter, and CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney calling for Bus Rapid Transit on Western Avenue.

CTA announced their Better Streets for Buses corridors over a year ago now. I think its time for a status update.

www.transitchicago.com/cta-and-cdot...

40thward.org/2024/05/lett...

CTA Annual bus ridership 2011 to 2024

Bus headcount hit 2019 levels a year ago! We're creeping up on 110% of bus headcount.
Unfortunately ridership was struggling mightily even before covid. 2024 ridership hit what we basically had been on pace for during the 2010s. We'll need meaningful infrastructure investments to avoid plateau.

I can't wait to take a train to Munster Indiana

Ridership Recovery for major US Rail agencies. June 2025 ridership range from 60 to 87% of 2019 levels.

Ridership Recovery for major US Bus agencies. June 2025 ridership range from 70 to 100% of 2019 levels.

Rail and Bus system recoveries for major US transit agencies through the first half of 2025.

D.C. continues to impress, with a fully recovered bus system and a rail network that has picked up steam over the last year while most peers are tapering off.

I'm a firm believer that a cash-strapped city and struggling transit agency should consider expediting their Smart Streets Pilot and rolling it out on major bus routes citywide, 24/7.

Chicago Water Taxi to resume 7-day service for 1st time since 2019 Arrivals and departures locations for Chicago Water Taxi will be open for daily service at the Ogilvie and Union Train Stations, Michigan Avenue and Chinatown.

The water taxi did not resume regular service until 2024. This is a 12-month moving average so it takes a year of data coming in for the line to normalize.

abc7chicago.com/post/chicago...

Ridership for various Chicago area transit areas compared to their 2019 ridership, through June 2025. Water Taxi 101% CTA Bus 77% Pace Bus 64% CTA Rail 60% SSL 58.7% Metra 49%

Chicago area transit agency recoveries through the first half of 2025.
Water Taxi has surpassed 2019 ridership numbers!

Getting a 25% discount for the interior being cool af

3842 N Alta Vista Ter, Chicago, IL 60613 - 2 beds/2.5 baths (MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid) Sold: 2 beds, 2.5 baths, 2275 sq. ft. townhouse located at 3842 N Alta Vista Ter, Chicago, IL 60613 sold for $670,000 on Jun 24, 2025. MLS# 12350809. Welcome to one o...

This place is insane and I hope the recent buyers don’t change a single thing

Next transit game: can you beat the bus route on foot?

Just did the math and that means the bus is only averaging 4.5mph!

But Ray, where am I supposed to park???

🫡 🫡 🫡 🫡

Metra window view of The Tower

Still there

There are a handful of alders who I wish would lead their constituents more on density issues. Every Chicago ward has neighborhood groups who scream at any proposal that adds density to a lot, and we lose so much when alders who know better reflexively give way to those groups to quell conflict.

Sidewalk height bike lane on S Commercial Ave in South Chicago. Parked cars to the left and sidewalk+storefronts on the right. Patterned brown bricks delineate sidewalk space from bike lane

Green bike intersection for crossing with sidewalk signal

Get in folks, we’re moving the curb

Often imitated, never duplicated

CTA Monthly runs as a % of scheduled

CTA monthly runs by line

CTA had a good July, running more trains than they have any other month post-pandemic.
Still not hitting the schedule bump from the end of last year, but making steady progress.

Lori Lightfood superbowl spread

You really think a donothing mayor could make… this?