South Michigan ridership decreased by 40.6 percent during March 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 an 87 percent drop.
Bus transit experienced a 33.8 percent decline in ridership overall during the month. Train ridership across the city during the same month saw a decrease of 51.4 percent year over year. The train station that saw the largest decrease was the Quincy/Wells station with a decrease of 75.9 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 | 87 |
| 2 | Ogilvie/Streeterville Express | 85.5 |
| 3 | Union/Streeterville Express | 83.5 |
| 4 | Clarendon/LaSalle Express | 81 |
| 5 | Water Tower Express | 78.1 |
| 6 | LaSalle | 75 |
| 7 | Sedgwick | 74.2 |
| 8 | Bronzeville/Union Station | 73.9 |
| 9 | Evanston Circulator | 73.1 |
| 10 | Stockton/Michigan Express | 69.9 |
| 11 | U. of Chicago/Kenwood | 69.7 |
| 12 | Sheridan/LaSalle Express | 67.6 |
| 13 | Hyde Park Express | 67.4 |
| 14 | Navy Pier | 62 |
| 15 | Clarendon/Michigan Express | 58.6 |
| 16 | Streeterville/Taylor | 56.3 |
| 17 | Narragansett/Ridgeland | 55.6 |
| 18 | 31st | 55.4 |
| 19 | U. of Chicago/Hyde Park | 54.9 |
| 20 | Harrison | 52.9 |
| 21 | Kedzie | 52.4 |
| 22 | Halsted/95th | 49.1 |
| 23 | Central/Ridge | 49 |
| 24 | South Shore Night Bus | 48.3 |
| 25 | Western Express | 48.2 |
| 26 | 55th/Narragansett | 47.8 |
| 27 | South Dam en | 47.4 |
| 28 | 55th/Austin | 46.7 |
| 29 | Jackson | 45.4 |
| 30 | Grand | 45 |
| 30 | Vincennes/111th | 45 |
| 32 | U. of Chicago Hospitals Express | 44 |
| 32 | Wentworth | 44 |
| 32 | East 103rd | 44 |
| 35 | Pullman/115th | 43.3 |
| 36 | State | 42.9 |
| 37 | Halsted | 42.6 |
| 37 | 31st/35th | 42.6 |
| 37 | Laramie | 42.6 |
| 40 | Blue Island/26th | 40.8 |
| 41 | South Michigan | 40.6 |
| 42 | Jeffery Jump | 40.2 |
| 43 | West 103rd | 39.3 |
| 44 | Montrose | 39.2 |
| 45 | Addison | 39.1 |
| 46 | Wallace-Racine | 38.9 |
| 46 | Michigan/119th | 38.9 |
| 48 | South Shore Express | 38.7 |
| 49 | 87th | 38.1 |
| 50 | Stony Island | 38 |
| 50 | 63rd | 38 |
| 50 | Pershing | 38 |
| 50 | Northwest Highway | 38 |
| 54 | Ashland Express | 37.1 |
| 55 | Armitage | 36.9 |
| 56 | Archer | 36.7 |
| 56 | 67th-69th-71st | 36.7 |
| 58 | South Chicago | 36.4 |
| 59 | 16th/18th | 36 |
| 60 | Garfield | 35.3 |
| 61 | Madison | 35.2 |
| 61 | South Pulaski | 35.2 |
| 61 | 111th/King Drive | 35.2 |
| 64 | Jeffery Local | 35 |
| 64 | 59th/61st | 35 |
| 64 | Archer/Harlem | 35 |
| 64 | Jeffery Manor Express | 35 |
| 64 | Chicago | 35 |
| 69 | 79th | 34 |
| 69 | Jackson Park Express | 34 |
| 69 | Division | 34 |
| 72 | North Cicero/Skokie Blvd. | 33.4 |
| 73 | Roosevelt | 33.3 |
| 74 | 74th-75th | 32.8 |
| 75 | South Kedzie | 32.3 |
| 76 | Pulaski | 31.9 |
| 77 | Kimball-Homan | 31.8 |
| 78 | 43rd | 31.5 |
| 79 | Damen | 31.2 |
| 80 | North Central | 31 |
| 80 | West 63rd | 31 |
| 80 | Peterson | 31 |
| 80 | Fullerton | 31 |
| 80 | Western | 31 |
| 85 | Milwaukee | 30.4 |
| 85 | Belmont | 30.4 |
| 87 | 95th | 30 |
| 87 | King Drive | 30 |
| 87 | North | 30 |
| 90 | Cottage Grove | 29.2 |
| 91 | Cicero | 29.1 |
| 92 | South Halsted | 28.9 |
| 93 | Central | 28.7 |
| 94 | 47th | 28.5 |
| 95 | 71st/South Shore | 28.4 |
| 96 | 51st | 27.9 |
| 96 | Sheridan | 27.9 |
| 98 | Austin | 27.4 |
| 99 | Cermak | 27.1 |
| 100 | Diversey | 26.9 |
| 100 | Lunt | 26.9 |
| 102 | Devon | 26.8 |
| 103 | California/Dodge | 25.6 |
| 104 | Inner Drive/Michigan Express | 25.2 |
| 105 | West 65th | 25.1 |
| 106 | Lincoln | 24.9 |
| 106 | North Western | 24.9 |
| 106 | Higgins | 24.9 |
| 109 | Ashland | 24.8 |
| 110 | South Cicero | 23.9 |
| 111 | Clark | 23.6 |
| 112 | Outer Drive Express | 23.5 |
| 113 | Irving Park | 23.1 |
| 114 | Foster | 23 |
| 115 | Lawrence | 21.5 |
| 116 | West Lawrence | 20.3 |
| 117 | Skokie | 18.2 |
| 118 | Broadway | 16.9 |
| 119 | Harlem | 11.6 |
| 120 | Pullman Shuttle | 10.9 |
| 121 | California | 9.7 |
