Half-Billion Rides Recorded for First Time in 16 Years
Today at the Red Line Lake subway station in the Loop, Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman thanked customers for using CTA for their transportation needs throughout the year as the agency surpassed 500 million (one half billion) rides for the year. With more than 21 days remaining until year’s end, ridership will exceed the half-billion mark for 2008.
"Through 2007, CTA ridership has increased in nine of the past 10 years, showing that public transportation has become an attractive alternative to driving for many people and that CTA is providing a significant portion of those trips," said CTA President Ron Huberman.
"Despite the recent decrease in gas prices, CTA ridership continues to grow throughout the bus and rail system and this year we are approaching historic ridership numbers signaling we are on the right track in improving our operations, upgrading our infrastructure and focusing on customer service."
Ridership has increased 5.5 percent system-wide, with an increase in bus ridership of 6.7 percent over 2007 and an increase of 3.8 percent on the rail system.
The last time the CTA recorded over a half-billion rides was 1992 – when the ridership for the entire year was 508 million rides.
CTA is on pace to record approximately 528 million rides for the year—which would mark the highest CTA ridership since 1991, when the agency recorded 540 million rides.
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