Eleven additional bus routes will be served as the CTA continues to slowly return to pre-pandemic service levels

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) customers can look forward to more scheduled buses throughout the region starting Sunday, August 25 – the latest step in the agency’s effort to provide more frequent and better bus service. Nearly a dozen additional bus routes will be served as the CTA continues to hire more bus drivers – the result of the agency’s aggressive recruiting and hiring efforts.

“With this latest change, we have improved service on 59 bus routes this year and returned our bus system to 98% of pre-pandemic planned service levels,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “The CTA is committed to continuing to work to make our bus service more frequent and reliable, building on our significant successes in recruiting and hiring, and we remain on track to fully restore pre-pandemic planned bus service by the end of 2024.”

The bus schedule changes are implemented as part of the agency’s quarterly planning process, whereby bus employees can “pick” their work assignments at specific times throughout the year. The planning process is anchored in the collective agreement with the union that represents bus employees.

The service will be expanded on weekdays on the following routes:

• #21 Cermak
• #22 Clark
• #24 Wentworth
• #53A South Pulaski
• #62 Archer
• #77 Belmont
• #87 87.
• #94 California
• #146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express
• #152 Addison*
• #156 LaSalle

*The No. 152 Addison will also have extended Saturday service.

The CTA reported an increase in ridership on routes that received additional service during the year. Ridership on routes that received additional service in March increased 21% in June and July compared to the previous year. On routes that received additional service in June, ridership increased 18% in June and July compared to the previous year.

On routes where no service adjustments were made this year, passenger numbers increased by 12% over the same period last year.

This fall, the CTA also plans to improve its scheduled service by hiring new drivers who have successfully completed their training. Rail service will be expanded on all routes during both peak and off-peak hours.