North Cook News

South Damen ridership increased by 11.4 percent during October 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 United Center Express route saw the largest increase in ridership with a 163.6 percent 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	United Center Express	163.6
2	69th-UPS Express	97
3	Clarendon/LaSalle Express	85.9
4	Stockton/LaSalle Express	76.5
5	Sedgwick	56.8
6	Sheridan/LaSalle Express	56.3
7	U. of Chicago/Hyde Park	43.7
8	LaSalle	39.9
9	Bronzeville/Union Station	39.5
10	31st	35.4
11	Central/Ridge	32.8
12	Lunt	32
12	Navy Pier	32
12	Harrison	32
15	West Lawrence	30.1
16	Wallace-Racine	28
16	Streeterville/Taylor	28
18	Western Express	26.6
19	Lincoln	26.2
20	Clarendon/Michigan Express	25
21	Madison	24.2
22	North Central	23.3
23	Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Expr	22.6
24	Halsted	21.4
24	Sheridan	21.4
26	Devon	20.6
27	East 103rd	20.4
28	North Western	20.3
28	51st	20.3
30	Narragansett/Ridgeland	20.2
31	Broadway	19.5
32	Damen	19.4
33	South Cicero	19.2
33	Foster	19.2
35	Jeffery Manor Express	18.2
36	Armitage	17.1
37	Chicago	16.9
37	Central	16.9
39	California	16.8
40	59th/61st	16.6
41	West 65th	16.5
42	Wentworth	16.3
42	Outer DuSable Lake Shore Expr	16.3
44	Pershing	15.9
44	Skokie	15.9
46	Western	15.7
47	State	15.5
48	Pulaski	15.3
49	Montrose	15.2
49	Higgins	15.2
51	Northwest Highway	15
51	Clark	15
51	Jackson	15
54	Blue Island/26th	14.1
55	Ashland	13.7
55	55th/Narragansett	13.7
57	Cicero	13.4
57	74th-75th	13.4
59	43rd	13.3
60	Division	13
60	Harlem	13
62	16th/18th	12.4
63	Laramie	12.3
63	Diversey	12.3
65	Fullerton	12
65	Kedzie	12
65	South Pulaski	12
68	South Damen	11.4
69	North	11.3
70	Archer/Harlem	11.1
70	West 63rd	11.1
72	Ashland Express	11
72	Jeffery Jump	11
72	87th	11
72	California/Dodge	11
76	South Michigan	10.4
76	Archer	10.4
78	Austin	9.7
78	Michigan/119th	9.7
80	South Shore Express	9.3
80	West 103rd	9.3
82	Cermak	9.2
82	67th-69th-71st	9.2
84	U. of Chicago Hospitals Express	9
84	Jackson Park Express	9
86	Peterson	8
86	North Cicero/Skokie Blvd.	8
86	Grand	8
86	Pullman/115th	8
90	Water Tower Express	6.9
91	63rd	6.7
92	King Drive	6.6
93	Jeffery Local	6.3
94	South Kedzie	4.8
95	Belmont	4.7
96	Lawrence	3.8
97	55th/Austin	3.7
98	79th	3.6
98	Irving Park	3.6
100	Stockton/Michigan Express	3.3
101	111th/King Drive	2.6
102	95th	1.6
103	47th	1.2
104	71st/South Shore	1.1
105	Garfield	0.5
106	31st/35th	0.4
107	Roosevelt	0.2
108	South Halsted	0.1