South Cook News

Western Express ridership increased by 29.4% in November 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 Soldier Field Express route saw the largest increase in ridership with a 115.1% 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	Soldier Field Express	115.1
2	Clarendon/LaSalle Express	74.7
3	Stockton/LaSalle Express	70.4
4	Sedgwick	58.8
5	Lunt	45.9
6	Sheridan/LaSalle Express	42.8
7	31st	38.8
8	Harrison	34.8
9	Bronzeville/Union Station	34.7
9	LaSalle	34.7
11	Lincoln	31
12	Western Express	29.4
13	West Lawrence	26
13	Streeterville/Taylor	26
15	Navy Pier	23.9
16	Central/Ridge	23.6
17	Clarendon/Michigan Express	21.8
18	Narragansett/Ridgeland	21.6
19	51st	21.2
20	Halsted	20.4
21	East 103rd	20.2
22	Wallace-Racine	19.8
23	55th/Narragansett	19.5
24	Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Expr	18.4
25	Madison	18.3
25	Sheridan	18.3
27	59th/61st	18.1
28	North Western	17.4
28	Devon	17.4
30	West 65th	17.2
31	Wentworth	17
31	Armitage	17
33	Broadway	16.4
33	North Central	16.4
35	State	16
35	Jeffery Local	16
35	Skokie	16
38	Kedzie	15.3
39	Ashland Express	15.2
39	Foster	15.2
41	Central	14.8
42	Chicago	14.6
42	Division	14.6
44	California	14.3
45	West 63rd	14
45	California/Dodge	14
45	Pershing	14
45	Damen	14
45	Northwest Highway	14
45	43rd	14
51	Pulaski	13.4
52	74th-75th	13.1
53	Western	13
53	South Pulaski	13
55	South Damen	12.3
56	Outer DuSable Lake Shore Expr	12.1
57	Ashland	11.9
58	Archer/Harlem	11.7
58	69th-UPS Express	11.7
60	Cicero	11.5
60	South Cicero	11.5
62	Clark	11.1
63	Higgins	11
63	Jackson	11
63	55th/Austin	11
63	Laramie	11
63	Jeffery Manor Express	11
68	Jackson Park Express	10.3
69	North	10.2
70	Jeffery Jump	10
70	Fullerton	10
72	U. of Chicago Hospitals Express	9.3
73	South Kedzie	9.1
74	67th-69th-71st	9
74	Montrose	9
76	Cermak	8.2
77	Austin	7.8
77	U. of Chicago/Hyde Park	7.8
79	Blue Island/26th	7.6
79	87th	7.6
81	Michigan/119th	7.5
82	Diversey	7.3
83	Archer	6.7
84	111th/King Drive	6.6
84	Water Tower Express	6.6
86	Harlem	6
86	South Shore Express	6
88	King Drive	5.3
88	63rd	5.3
90	Roosevelt	5.2
91	Grand	5.1
92	Pullman/115th	4.9
93	West 103rd	4.6
94	South Michigan	4.4
94	79th	4.4
96	Belmont	2.8
97	31st/35th	2.7
97	Lawrence	2.7
99	North Cicero/Skokie Blvd.	2.4
100	Peterson	2.2
101	Irving Park	2.1
101	95th	2.1
103	16th/18th	2
103	Cottage Grove	2
103	Garfield	2
106	South Halsted	1.2
107	47th	0.3
107	Pullman Shuttle	0.3