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The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will increase bus service to pre-pandemic levels starting this Sunday. This winter schedule adds more weekday buses on 19 lines and additional weekend buses on six lines, the agency announced Wednesday. The CTA has been gradually increasing train and bus frequency since the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant drop in ridership. Despite challenges in hiring and retaining operators—challenges they’ve actively addressed by doubling hiring efforts over the past year—the agency is achieving its goal.
CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. stated that this marks a significant milestone, but not the end of their efforts to improve service. “Our ability to provide pre-pandemic service marks not a finish line, but a milestone in providing the exceptional bus service our riders deserve,” he said in a news release. The new schedule incorporates “strategic adjustments” to better align with shifting ridership patterns, reflecting observations that off-peak and weekend travel has increased while rush hour ridership remains lower than before the pandemic. The CTA previously restored train service to pre-pandemic levels in November.
While this is a positive step, ridership remains significantly below 2019 levels. Average weekday ridership this past summer was approximately 67% of its 2019 levels, according to a July agency report. The following bus routes will see increased weekday service: [List of bus routes would be inserted here]. Additionally, the Nos. 6, 80, 84, 151, and 201 will see increased Saturday service, with the No. 151 Sheridan also receiving a Sunday service increase.
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