31st ridership decreased by 78.2 percent during January 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 a 96.1 percent drop.
Bus transit experienced a 63.6 percent decline in ridership overall during the month. Train ridership across the city during the same month saw a decrease of 79.1 percent year over year. The train station that saw the largest decrease was the Merchandise Mart station with a decrease of 91.7 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 | 96.1 |
| 2 | Ogilvie/Streeterville Express | 94.6 |
| 3 | Clarendon/LaSalle Express | 94.5 |
| 4 | Union/Streeterville Express | 94 |
| 5 | Water Tower Express | 93 |
| 6 | LaSalle | 91.9 |
| 7 | Sedgwick | 91.5 |
| 8 | Evanston Circulator | 90.9 |
| 9 | Sheridan/LaSalle Express | 89.7 |
| 10 | Bronzeville/Union Station | 89.6 |
| 11 | Stockton/Michigan Express | 89.3 |
| 12 | Hyde Park Express | 89.1 |
| 13 | U. of Chicago/Kenwood | 87.8 |
| 14 | Navy Pier | 84.9 |
| 15 | Clarendon/Michigan Express | 83.5 |
| 15 | Streeterville/Taylor | 83.5 |
| 17 | U. of Chicago/Hyde Park | 80.6 |
| 18 | Narragansett/Ridgeland | 79.2 |
| 19 | Central/Ridge | 79.1 |
| 20 | Harrison | 79 |
| 21 | 31st | 78.2 |
| 22 | U. of Chicago Hospitals Express | 77.7 |
| 23 | 55th/Austin | 77.5 |
| 24 | Wentworth | 76.1 |
| 25 | Grand | 75.3 |
| 26 | Western Express | 75 |
| 27 | Addison | 74.1 |
| 28 | South Dam en | 72.8 |
| 29 | Halsted | 72.3 |
| 30 | 55th/Narragansett | 71.2 |
| 31 | Blue Island/26th | 71.1 |
| 32 | Damen | 71 |
| 32 | Kedzie | 71 |
| 32 | Armitage | 71 |
| 35 | Jackson | 70.3 |
| 36 | Ashland Express | 70.1 |
| 37 | Montrose | 69 |
| 37 | Halsted/95th | 69 |
| 39 | East 103rd | 68.2 |
| 39 | Inner Drive/Michigan Express | 68.2 |
| 41 | 31st/35th | 67.9 |
| 42 | State | 67.7 |
| 43 | Vincennes/111th | 67.6 |
| 44 | Archer | 67.5 |
| 45 | Chicago | 66.7 |
| 46 | Jeffery Jump | 66.6 |
| 47 | Milwaukee | 66.5 |
| 47 | Sheridan | 66.5 |
| 49 | South Pulaski | 66.4 |
| 49 | North Cicero/Skokie Blvd. | 66.4 |
| 51 | South Shore Express | 66.3 |
| 51 | Laramie | 66.3 |
| 53 | Lunt | 65.6 |
| 54 | Jackson Park Express | 65.2 |
| 55 | 16th/18th | 65.1 |
| 56 | Belmont | 64.9 |
| 57 | South Shore Night Bus | 64.7 |
| 58 | Wallace-Racine | 64.5 |
| 59 | Clark | 64.3 |
| 59 | Pershing | 64.3 |
| 59 | Fullerton | 64.3 |
| 62 | Peterson | 64.2 |
| 63 | Jeffery Manor Express | 64.1 |
| 64 | Division | 64 |
| 64 | Madison | 64 |
| 64 | 59th/61st | 64 |
| 64 | Northwest Highway | 64 |
| 64 | California/Dodge | 64 |
| 69 | Garfield | 63.2 |
| 70 | King Drive | 62.7 |
| 71 | Kimball-Homan | 62.6 |
| 72 | Pullman/115th | 62.4 |
| 73 | Diversey | 61.9 |
| 74 | Stony Island | 61.5 |
| 74 | South Chicago | 61.5 |
| 76 | Outer Drive Express | 61.4 |
| 77 | Archer/Harlem | 61 |
| 77 | West 63rd | 61 |
| 77 | North | 61 |
| 77 | South Kedzie | 61 |
| 77 | 51st | 61 |
| 77 | Higgins | 61 |
| 83 | Irving Park | 60.3 |
| 83 | North Central | 60.3 |
| 85 | Lincoln | 60 |
| 85 | West 103rd | 60 |
| 87 | Roosevelt | 59.3 |
| 87 | 87th | 59.3 |
| 87 | Foster | 59.3 |
| 90 | Western | 59 |
| 90 | Jeffery Local | 59 |
| 90 | 67th-69th-71st | 59 |
| 93 | 63rd | 58.3 |
| 94 | 74th-75th | 57.7 |
| 94 | Austin | 57.7 |
| 96 | South Michigan | 57.6 |
| 96 | North Western | 57.6 |
| 98 | West Lawrence | 57.5 |
| 99 | Cermak | 57.2 |
| 100 | 111th/King Drive | 57.1 |
| 101 | Devon | 56.8 |
| 102 | Skokie | 56.6 |
| 103 | Pulaski | 56.4 |
| 104 | 43rd | 56.3 |
| 104 | Michigan/119th | 56.3 |
| 106 | Broadway | 55.8 |
| 107 | Cottage Grove | 55.1 |
| 107 | 79th | 55.1 |
| 109 | Lawrence | 54.9 |
| 110 | Central | 54.5 |
| 111 | 47th | 54 |
| 111 | 95th | 54 |
| 113 | Ashland | 53.3 |
| 114 | Cicero | 53.1 |
| 115 | South Halsted | 52.3 |
| 116 | California | 51.4 |
| 117 | South Cicero | 51.2 |
| 118 | West 65th | 51.1 |
| 119 | 71st/South Shore | 49.9 |
| 120 | Harlem | 49.1 |
| 121 | Pullman Shuttle | 34.3 |
| 122 | Avon Express | 12.7 |
