North Cook News

Ashland ridership decreased by 54.3 percent during April 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 route that saw the largest decrease in ridership was Stockton/LaSalle Express with 98.7 percent drop.

Bus transit experienced a 70.7 percent decline in ridership overall during the month. Train ridership across the city during the same month saw a decrease of 87.7 percent year over year. The train station that saw the largest decrease was the Merchandise Mart station with a decrease of 97.7 percent.

So far, the CTA has made no service cuts even with the decrease in ridership. The Metra, which provides service to many of Chicago’s suburbs has seen a 97 percent 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.

Rank	Route	Ridership decline year over year (%)
1	Stockton/LaSalle Express	98.7
2	Clarendon/LaSalle Express	97.8
3	U. of Chicago/Hyde Park	97.3
4	Union/Streeterville Express	96.4
5	Ogilvie/Streeterville Express	96.2
6	Stockton/Michigan Express	95.6
7	Water Tower Express	95.1
8	U. of Chicago Hospitals Express	95
8	Bronzeville/Union Station	95
8	Sheridan/LaSalle Express	95
11	LaSalle	94.1
12	Streeterville/Taylor	94
12	Clarendon/Michigan Express	94
14	Sedgwick	92.8
15	Hyde Park Express	92.5
15	U. of Chicago/Kenwood	92.5
17	Navy Pier	92.1
18	Evanston Circulator	91.9
19	55th/Austin	90.9
20	Inner Drive/Michigan Express	87.9
21	Central/Ridge	87.5
22	Narragansett/Ridgeland	87.2
23	Addison	86.6
24	31st	86.2
25	55th/Narragansett	84.9
26	Harrison	84.2
27	Damen	83.9
28	Montrose	83.3
29	Blue Island/26th	83
29	Grand	83
29	Armitage	83
29	North Cicero/Skokie Blvd.	83
29	Sheridan	83
34	Lunt	81.9
35	Lincoln	81.1
36	Peterson	81
37	Outer Drive Express	80.3
38	Higgins	80.2
39	North Central	79.6
40	Belmont	79.5
41	Archer	79.1
42	Wentworth	78.5
43	West Lawrence	78.4
44	Irving Park	78.3
45	Clark	78
45	16th/18th	78
45	South Shore Express	78
45	California/Dodge	78
45	Halsted	78
50	Fullerton	77.3