CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) ridership jumps to highest level in 20 years

[marmar]

By Jon Hilkevitch
Tribune reporter

3:51 p.m. CDT, March 13, 2012


Millions more passenger trips taken on the Blue and Brown Lines helped boost CTA ridership by 2.7 percent last year, reaching the highest level since 1991, the transit agency said today.

The CTA ridership gain in 2011 over 2010 edged out the 2.3 percent national average increase among U.S. transit systems that was reported this week by the American Public Transportation Association.

The potential exists for ridership to grow even more in 2012, in light of significantly higher gas prices today in the Chicago area compared to last year when the mini-boom in CTA ridership started to take shape.

CTA president Forrest Claypool said early indications point to the ridership increases continuing this year. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cta-ridership-up-chicago-transit-authority,0,4923536.story

[truedelphi]

1. Your thread got duplicated. Maybe you can delete

oen or the other?

[marmar]

2. One's in the Public transit forum. I double posted it on purpose.

[surrealAmerican]

3. Here's hoping this means more state support.

The CTA should not have to beg for every dime, and constantly threaten cutbacks in service. We NEED public transit.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. If they get enough riders they can fund themselves.

[Initech]

4. How about we make a deal with big oil:

You want $5 gas and billions in profit? Fine - we get 40% of that so it pays for alternative transportation options.

[truedelphi]

5. I like it. It'll happen as soon as we have a Congress that

Isn't owned by the Big Oil people, Big Finance et al.