RTA rider survey shows strong support for increased funding and an empowered RTA

Since 2021, the RTA has been conducting a quarterly panel survey to better understand transit rider experience and gather input from transit users across the region. Initially launched during the pandemic to capture rapid shifts in travel behavior, the survey has become a consistent and valuable tool.

Each quarter, RTA asks riders about customer satisfaction, public safety, and service quality. In Winter 2025, the survey focused on a timely and critical issue: public opinion on transit funding and reform as the region approaches a looming $771 million fiscal cliff that must be addressed by the end of the spring legislative session.

The Winter 2025 survey was conducted digitally from March 3-17 and received roughly 1,500 responses from across six counties, presenting a representative sample of our riders. The following key findings were shared with the RTA Board of Directors at its April 2025 meeting.

Riders are satisfied with service with opportunities for improvement. More than 70% of respondents gave high marks (6 or above on a 10-point scale) in three key areas: value for fare paid, overall satisfaction, and willingness to recommend transit.
“Transit where and when I need to travel” and “getting to my destination on time”—or speed, frequency, and reliability—are most important to riders and also score the highest in service quality satisfaction levels.
Public safety remains a concern. While most respondents feel safe on transit vehicles (68%) and at stations and stops (71%), a significant number reported witnessing issues, including:
- 40% witnessed serious disturbances such as robbery, assault, or harassment.
- 75% observed people using transit vehicles as shelter.
- More than 80% encountered nuisance behaviors like noise, loitering, or substance use.
Clean, well-lit and monitored spaces are the top safety priority. 86% of riders said these conditions would improve their sense of safety, including strategies like more frequent service (75%), the presence of police (70%), and cameras (62%). Other methods—like K-9 patrols and private security—garnered mixed reactions.
Riders want to see more funding for transit to increase service and add new services to the regional system. Riders rank reforms or governance changes lower in priority than additional transit funding.

In depth results

Each quarter, transit riders rate three key metrics of satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 10: value of service for the fare paid, willingness to recommend transit to a friend, and overall satisfaction. These scores will be tracked over time by monitoring the percent of respondents who score 6 or greater on each metric. In the spring quarter this year, 80% of respondents are satisfied with the value of service given the fare paid, 79% would recommend transit to others, and 71% are satisfied overall.

The RTA is committed to riders’ personal safety before boarding and while traveling. Most survey respondents feel safe onboard transit vehicles (68%) and waiting at stations and stops (71%). A minority of survey respondents report witnessing serious disturbances such as robbery, assault or harassment.

I have witnessed this behavior
Serious disturbances such as robbery, assault, or harassment	40%
Use of transit vehicle as shelter or temporary housing	75%
Damaged or dirty facilities, or broken vehicles	77%
Less serious disturbances such as excessive noise, or loitering	82%
Nuisance related to alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana	82%

Survey respondents show support for different strategies to enhance safety. There is broad support for some strategies, such as maintaining clean, well-lit facilities. But other strategies generate support with some respondents and not others; for example, K-9 patrols.

How would each strategy impact your perception of safety and security	Percent of respondents who would feel “more safe”	Percent of respondents who would feel “less safe”
Clean, well-lit, well-maintained places	86 %	3%
Frequent and reliable service	75 %	4%
Presence of police officers on board vehicles and in stations	70 %	13%
Video cameras in vehicles, stations, and shelters	62 %	4%
Presence of other passengers / Full vehicles	59 %	5%
K-9 dog patrols	54 %	18%
Private security personnel	48 %	16%
Ambassador / Social worker	47 %	5%

Survey participants indicated their top priorities are service availability (transit when and where you need it) and personal security.

Among public transit riders surveyed, the greatest positive impact on the transit system would come from an increase in funding for bus and rail service on par with public financing for roads and highways. Riders also had high support for structural changes that give RTA increased oversight and authority. These ranked as more impactful to riders than improved service coordination and integrated fares. Respondent ranked their top three choices, 3 points given to 1st rank, 2 points 2nd, 1 point 3rd, and 0 points for unranked.

What’s Next

The Spring 2025 survey is currently in the field. Results will be added to the Chicago Region Transit Dashboard, where the public can track trends in rider satisfaction, safety, and wellbeing over time.

RTA will continue using survey data to inform decision-making and measure progress on the issues riders care about most. If you’re a transit rider and want to help shape the future of transit in our region, consider joining our survey panel by contacting: surveyresearch@rtachicago.org.

Additionally, RTA conducts a large scale in-depth regional customer satisfaction survey (CSS) every three years. The latest effort was completed in early 2025 and we look forward to publishing the results from the CSS later this summer.

If you have not already, join the thousands of residents who have spoken up at savetransitnow.org to ask Illinois legislators to fund transit before it's too late.