Chicagoland’s regional transit system breaks pandemic ridership records

September 28, 2022

Weekday combined ridership for the CTA, Metra and Pace has consistently surpassed the 1 million mark, and all of the system’s highest ridership dates have occurred in the past 2 months

CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2022 — Ridership across the regional transit system—comprised of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace Suburban Bus, and overseen by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)—has broken pandemic records, with weekday ridership consistently surpassing the 1 million mark for the first time since March 2020.

Fast facts:

• Systemwide ridership hit its high mark on Sept. 14, 2022, at 1,112,520 rides. The top 10 days for systemwide ridership since the start of the pandemic all fall within the past two months.
• CTA rail ridership hit its high mark on Sept. 16, 2022, at 431,965 rides. All but one of the 10 highest ridership dates for CTA rail have occurred since July 2022.
• CTA bus ridership hit its high mark on Sept. 7, 2022, at 534,473 rides. All of the 10 highest ridership dates for CTA bus have occurred in the past two months.
• Metra ridership hit its high mark on July 28, 2022, at 141,016 rides. All of the 10 highest ridership dates for Metra have occurred since July 2022.
• Pace was the first to hit its high ridership mark on Dec. 16, 2021, at 58,200 rides. Half of the 10 highest ridership dates for Pace have occurred in the past two months.

“COVID-19 has presented every sector with myriad challenges, but it has also shown us that transit is an irreplaceable public service,” said RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden. “Our public transportation system has been here all along for essential workers who kept the world turning through the height of stay-at-home orders, and transit is here for students going back to school, workers going back to the office, visitors enjoying the many attractions and events our region has to offer, and everyone in between. It’s heartening to see ridership consistently increase and break records, and we’re committed to continuing to improve the system.”

The RTA is currently developing the 2023 Regional Transit Strategic Plan to guide the transit system over the next five years and beyond. The agency has spent the past year engaging with new audiences about the future of transit in northeastern Illinois and invites the public to weigh in on plan priorities by filling out a survey.

The following tables show the top 10 ridership dates since March 2020 for each category. Ridership data is publicly available to view on the RTA’s COVID-19 Transit Dashboard and available to download on the RTAMS website.

SYSTEMWIDE

CTA RAIL

CTA BUS

METRA

PACE