The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will increase bus service to pre-pandemic levels starting Sunday, according to a Wednesday announcement. The winter schedule adds more weekday buses on 19 lines and additional weekend buses on six others. This expansion marks a significant step in the CTA’s ongoing efforts to restore service levels disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a sharp decline in ridership and staffing challenges.
The CTA has been actively working to increase train and bus frequency since the pandemic’s onset, doubling its hiring efforts over the past year to address operator shortages. CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. stated that the new schedule represents a key milestone in achieving his goal of returning to pre-pandemic service levels by the end of 2024. He emphasized that this is not the end of improvements, but rather a step towards providing the exceptional bus service riders deserve.
The increased service incorporates strategic adjustments to better align with evolving ridership patterns. Carter previously noted a shift away from peak-hour travel towards more off-peak and weekend travel. The CTA already restored train service to pre-pandemic levels in November. However, overall ridership remains below 2019 levels; average weekday ridership this past summer was approximately 67% of 2019 levels.
The following bus routes will see increased weekday service: [List of routes would go here]. The Nos. 6, 80, 84, 151, and 201 will also see increased Saturday service, with the No. 151 Sheridan also receiving a Sunday service increase.