Central/Ridge ridership decreased by 87.5 percent during April compared to the previous year, according to the Chicago Transportation Authority. The CTA calculates ridership by counting the customers who board a transit vehicle (bus or rail). The route that saw the largest decrease in ridership was Stockton/LaSalle Express with 98.7 percent drop.
Bus transit experienced a 70.7 percent decline in ridership overall during the month. Train ridership across the city during the same month saw a decrease of 87.7 percent year over year. The train station that saw the largest decrease was the Merchandise Mart station with a decrease of 97.7 percent.
So far, the CTA has made no service cuts even with the decrease in ridership. The Metra, which provides service to many of Chicago’s suburbs has seen a 97 percent decrease in ridership according to the Active Transportation Alliance. According to the Federal Transit Authority, Chicago’s public transportation sector received $1.43 billion in bailout funds from the CARES act to combat the decrease in ridership.
| Rank | Route | Ridership decline year over year (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stockton/LaSalle Express | 98.7 |
| 2 | Clarendon/LaSalle Express | 97.8 |
| 3 | U. of Chicago/Hyde Park | 97.3 |
| 4 | Union/Streeterville Express | 96.4 |
| 5 | Ogilvie/Streeterville Express | 96.2 |
| 6 | Stockton/Michigan Express | 95.6 |
| 7 | Water Tower Express | 95.1 |
| 8 | U. of Chicago Hospitals Express | 95 |
| 8 | Bronzeville/Union Station | 95 |
| 8 | Sheridan/LaSalle Express | 95 |
| 11 | LaSalle | 94.1 |
| 12 | Streeterville/Taylor | 94 |
| 12 | Clarendon/Michigan Express | 94 |
| 14 | Sedgwick | 92.8 |
| 15 | Hyde Park Express | 92.5 |
| 15 | U. of Chicago/Kenwood | 92.5 |
| 17 | Navy Pier | 92.1 |
| 18 | Evanston Circulator | 91.9 |
| 19 | 55th/Austin | 90.9 |
| 20 | Inner Drive/Michigan Express | 87.9 |
| 21 | Central/Ridge | 87.5 |
| 22 | Narragansett/Ridgeland | 87.2 |
| 23 | Addison | 86.6 |
| 24 | 31st | 86.2 |
| 25 | 55th/Narragansett | 84.9 |
| 26 | Harrison | 84.2 |
| 27 | Damen | 83.9 |
| 28 | Montrose | 83.3 |
| 29 | Blue Island/26th | 83 |
| 29 | Grand | 83 |
| 29 | Armitage | 83 |
| 29 | North Cicero/Skokie Blvd. | 83 |
| 29 | Sheridan | 83 |
| 34 | Lunt | 81.9 |
| 35 | Lincoln | 81.1 |
| 36 | Peterson | 81 |
| 37 | Outer Drive Express | 80.3 |
| 38 | Higgins | 80.2 |
| 39 | North Central | 79.6 |
| 40 | Belmont | 79.5 |
| 41 | Archer | 79.1 |
| 42 | Wentworth | 78.5 |
| 43 | West Lawrence | 78.4 |
| 44 | Irving Park | 78.3 |
| 45 | Clark | 78 |
| 45 | 16th/18th | 78 |
| 45 | South Shore Express | 78 |
| 45 | California/Dodge | 78 |
| 45 | Halsted | 78 |
| 50 | Fullerton | 77.3 |
