West Cook News

Cottage Grove ridership increased by 3.3% in December of 2022 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 United Center Express route saw the largest increase in ridership with a 129.6% rise.

Bus and train traffic took a serious hit during the pandemic. The Metra, which provides service to many of Chicago's suburbs, saw a 97% 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.

While ridership hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels, CTA's president Dorval R. Cart Jr. said weekday ridership has doubled since the initial shutdown and continues to increase.

Rank	Route	Ridership increase from 2021 to 2022 (%)
1	United Center Express	129.6
2	Sedgwick	62
3	Clarendon/LaSalle Express	57
4	Stockton/LaSalle Express	54.8
5	31st	51.1
6	LaSalle	32.7
7	55th/Narragansett	29.3
8	69th-UPS Express	29
9	Sheridan/LaSalle Express	27.1
10	Western Express	26.8
11	Lunt	26.6
12	East 103rd	24.8
13	Halsted	23.9
14	West Lawrence	21.4
15	Wentworth	21.3
16	Madison	21
17	Harrison	19.7
18	59th/61st	19.1
19	Central/Ridge	17.7
20	Armitage	17.2
21	Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Expr	16.1
22	Clarendon/Michigan Express	15.5
23	16th/18th	15.3
24	Streeterville/Taylor	15.2
25	Bronzeville/Union Station	15.1
25	Lincoln	15.1
27	51st	14.5
27	Chicago	14.5
29	Damen	14.1
29	Sheridan	14.1
31	King Drive	13.7
31	Ashland Express	13.7
33	Navy Pier	13
33	U. of Chicago/Hyde Park	13
33	Wallace-Racine	13
36	Pulaski	12.3
37	Broadway	12
38	Division	11.4
38	California/Dodge	11.4
40	West 63rd	10.8
40	Central	10.8
40	Narragansett/Ridgeland	10.8
40	California	10.8
44	Fullerton	10.4
45	State	10.3
46	Archer/Harlem	9.9
46	Devon	9.9
48	Pershing	9.2
48	North Western	9.2
48	Pullman Shuttle	9.2
51	Ashland	9.1
51	South Damen	9.1
53	Kedzie	8.7
54	North	8.6
55	Western	8.4
56	Skokie	8.3
57	Jackson	8.1
58	West 65th	8
58	South Kedzie	8
58	Foster	8
61	Jeffery Manor Express	7.2
62	74th-75th	6.5
63	Northwest Highway	6.4
64	Clark	6.3
65	Laramie	6.1
66	Cicero	5.9
66	Water Tower Express	5.9
68	Jeffery Local	5.6
68	South Pulaski	5.6
68	Blue Island/26th	5.6
68	Grand	5.6
68	87th	5.6
73	Jeffery Jump	5.2
74	North Central	5.1
75	Higgins	5
76	South Cicero	4.1
77	South Chicago	3.8
78	Montrose	3.5
79	Cottage Grove	3.3
79	43rd	3.3
81	67th-69th-71st	2.9
82	Diversey	2.5
82	Austin	2.5
84	West 103rd	2.3
85	Jackson Park Express	2.1
86	Outer DuSable Lake Shore Expr	1.9
87	79th	1.8
88	71st/South Shore	1.7
88	Belmont	1.7
90	South Shore Express	1.6
91	95th	1.5
92	Archer	1.4
93	South Michigan	1.3
94	Peterson	0.5