08/13/99
The Chicago Transit Authority announced that ridership continues to increase on its bus and rail network. In the first six months of 1999, the CTA has gained 7.5 million rides more than in the same period last year.
Ridership on the CTA rail and bus network increased by 3.6% over June 1998. For the month of June 1999, 36.9 million rides were taken on the CTA system compared to 35.7 million rides taken in June 1998.
More and more customers are using the CTA's new electronic passes which offer flexibility at affordable prices. Through the end of June 1999, overall pass and permit ridership increased sytemwide 79.9%, from 29.5 million rides in 1998 to 53.0 million rides in 1999. The greatest increase was in the use of CTA's new 7-Day Pass, which accounted for 7.6% of May 1999's fares. The second largest number of pass uses came from the full-fare 30-Day pass, which accounted for 4.7% of the month's fares.
Rail ridership in June 1999 increased by nearly one million rides or 8.4%.For the same month last year, rail ridership stood at 11.4 million rides, while June 1999 ridership on the CTA rail system reached 12.4 million rides.
Bus ridership in June 1999 increased by just over 300,000 or 1.4% from the ridership in June 1998. Bus customers took 24.5 million rides in June 1999 compared to 24.1 million rides in June of 1998.
CTA Board Chairman Valerie B. Jarrett said, "I'm encouraged to see our ridership continue to climb month after month this year. Together with our commitment to provide quality affordable transit services that link people, jobs and communities, and offer our customers innovative and flexible fare structures, we hope to keep this momentum going and see more customers on our system."
"Travelling on the CTA provides so many benefits. I'm pleased to see that our customers are responding positively to the efforts our employees are putting toward making Chicago's public transit system, one that is on-time, clean, safe and friendly for everyone," said CTA President Frank Kruesi.
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