The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago "L" and CTA bus service. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 309,197,200, or about 1,049,000 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2025.[2]
L trains used to allow passengers to put arms out of window
The CTA was formed through the Metropolitan Transportation Act and started operations on October 1, 1947, upon the purchase and combination of the transportation assets of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and the Chicago Surface Lines streetcar system. In 1952, CTA purchased the assets of the Chicago Motor Coach Company, which was under the control of Yellow Cab Company founder John D. Hertz, resulting in a fully unified system.[5] By 1960, the CTA replaced all of its streetcars with buses.[6] The CTA system for decades also included a large number of trolley bus routes, and in the 1950s had one of the largest such networks in the country, but trolley bus service was phased out between the late 1960s and 1973.[7]
The Chicago "L" is the rapid transit system serving the city. It is the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States. As of January 2025, the "L" has a fleet of 1,560 train cars serving over eight routes and 226 miles (364km) of track. Its trains provide an average of 471,547 customer trips each weekday[8] and serve 146 stations in Chicago and seven suburbs.[4]
The CTA is the primary operator of buses in the Chicago area. As of January 2025, it has approximately 2,000 buses that operate over 127 routes traveling along 1,516 miles (2,440km). Buses provide about 638,212 passenger trips each weekday[8] and serve more than 10,000 posted bus stops.[4]
Ridership
In 2024, the CTA served 309million trips across all of its routes.[9]
Annual passenger boardings on CTA buses and trains from 1988 to 2018[10]
Fares
The CTA accepts payment with a Ventra smart card, a Ventra disposable ticket, contactless credit or debit card, and mobile payment. Unlimited ride Ventra cards/tickets are only valid for one passenger. CTA buses also accept cash. Up to three children under 7 can ride free with a fare-paying rider.
The CTA has many free and discounted fare options, for elementary, middle, and high school students, college and university students, people with disabilities, senior citizens, and military service members.
Cash
Only buses allow riders to pay directly with cash at a farebox. Exact fare is required, since no change is given. Since January 7, 2018, the bus full fare is $2.50, the senior/disabled fare is $1.25, and the student fare is $.75. No cash transfers are available. Previously, some rail station turnstiles accepted cash, but this feature has been removed in an effort to speed up boarding. Cash at rail stations is only accepted at Ventra Vending Machines to purchase Ventra cards and tickets.
Transit Cards
The CTA no longer sells Transit Cards. All remaining Transit Cards must have been used by July 1, 2014.[11] In its place CTA has adopted the Ventra Card system. The Ventra Card can be purchased online, Ventra Vending Machines at CTA rail stations, and at authorized retailers like Walgreens, CVS Pharmacies, and check cashing locations.
Ventra is an electronic fare payment system for the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace that replaced the Chicago Card and the Transit Card automated fare collection system. Ventra (purportedly Latin for "windy," though the actual Latin word is ventosa)[12] launched in August 2013, with a full system transition slated for July 1, 2014.[13][14] The Ventra payment system includes several options of payment, including a contactless smart card powered by RFID, a single day or use ticket powered by RFID, any personal bank-issued credit card or debit card that has an RFID chip, and a compatible mobile phone. This includes Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay.[15] Ventra is operated by Cubic Transportation Systems.[16]
Riders using Ventra pay $2.25 for bus, $2.50 for rail (except Blue Line O'Hare station, $5). Disabled & seniors who are 65 or older pay $1.10 for bus, $1.25 for rail. Elementary and high school students 7–20 years old: Valid 5:30a.m. to 8:30p.m. on school days pay $.75 during school hours and pay $1.10 during weekends and holidays. The two transfers, within two hours, from the start of a trip is free. After that, it is considered a new trip and the user is charged another fare.
Contactless payments
Ventra readers on buses and rail station turnstiles can accept contactless payments directly from mobile devices. Riders can pay a PAYG fare ($2.50) by touching mobile phones with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay—or any contactless bankcard with the contactless wave symbol.[17]
Governance
The CTA is governed by a seven-member board representing Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Four members are appointed by the mayor of Chicago, while the other three are appointed by the governor of Illinois.[18] The board is advised by the ADA Advisory Committee and Citizens Advisory Board, which are composed of Chicago-area residents chosen by the board.[19][20] Day-to-day operations are handled by Acting President Nora Leerhsen.[3]
As mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 for all transit operators in the U.S., all CTA buses are accessible, with a ramp on every bus available for use upon request by anyone who has trouble with steps, even temporarily. The majority of train stations CTA operates have elevators or ramps to provide access for customers with disabilities. All trains are accessible, either through fully level boarding or a ramp to bridge the 3-4in height gap.
Today,[when?] CTA's fleet of buses is mostly dominated by New Flyer's D40LF, which replaced buses that were built in 1991 and 1995. In 2014, CTA ordered 400 new buses from Nova. The number increased to 425 after it exercised an option. The CTA exercised another option for an additional twenty-five buses, from Nova Bus. Nova Bus delivered an additional 600 new buses which replaced the remainder of the older Nova buses that were delivered between 2000 and 2002, in addition to starting the retirement of New Flyer D40LF buses delivered between 2006 and 2009.[citation needed]
In 2014, the CTA received their first electric buses from New Flyer, making the CTA the first major U.S. transit agency to use the new wave of electric buses as part of a regular service.[21]
The 5000-series was built by Bombardier from 2009 to 2015. Ten (10) prototypes of the 5000-series were received in 2009, and entered passenger testing in April 2010, with 396 more ordered once tests were completed.[27] On July 20, 2011, CTA announced the order of 300 more rail cars, bringing the total ordered to 706 at a cost of about US$1 billion.[28] The more recent 7000-series is being built by CRRC Sifang America, with delivery of production cars beginning in 2022.[29]
After the September 11 attacks, CTA announced its "If you See Something, Say Something" campaign.[30] CTA has also installed a security camera network,[31] and a system to send real time images from cameras in buses directly to emergency responders.[32]
CTA has also been actively prosecuting vandals, announcing on several occasions that felony convictions were obtained against persons who spray painted authority vehicles.[33]
Technology
The CTA installed GPS Bus Tracker systems on all buses starting with the 20 (Madison St) bus in 2006,[34] before expanding it to other routes in 2008.[35] The original claim justifying the addition of this technology was that it would reduce the issue of bunching buses. The system also allows riders to be able to determine the location of buses online.
A report prepared by the CTA claims that there was a decrease in bus bunching from 3.9% to 2.3% from 2007 to 2009, but the report neither demonstrated a direct connection between Bus Tracker and this reduction in bunching, nor did it show whether this was a temporary or permanent phenomenon.[36]
CTA has also made its Bus Tracker and other developer tools available,[37] and is making Bus Tracker arrival data available through text messaging.[38] One of the first applications of the Bus Tracker Developer Tools involved the installation of monitors showing the information in several businesses in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood.[39] Using the developer API published by CTA, some augmented CTA bus tracking applications have been developed for mobile phones,[40] and CTA has its own Transit App, CTA also has a bus tracker (Beta starting January 2011), and it can also be accessed through a computer, smart phone, text messaging, or any smart device.[41]
During the months of November and December, the CTA decorates several "L" rail cars in seasonal decorations and lights, which run alongside an open-air flatcar transformed into Santa's sleigh as the CTA Holiday Train.
Heritage fleet
The CTA maintains a small fleet of former rolling stock and buses for use during special events and for private charters.[42] These include 4000-series rail cars, 6000-series rail cars, 2400-series rail cars, and buses built by GMC and Flxible.[43]
Pride Train
Since 2017, the CTA has run a specially-wrapped train during Pride Month, making it the first transit agency in the United States to do so.[44]
Public art
The CTA is home to a collection of art – including mosaics, sculptures and paintings. More than 50 pieces of art are exhibited at over 40 CTA stations.[45]
According to the CTA, the original pieces of artwork contribute to each station's identity and enhance travel for customers.[citation needed] Many of the pieces are a result of the Arts in Transit Program, which is funded by the Federal Transit Administration and coordinated locally through the City of Chicago's Office of Tourism and Culture. A number of other pieces were created through the CTA's Adopt-A-Station program and through partnerships with organizations such as the Chicago Public Art Group.[46]
Arts in Transit
In 2004, the CTA and the City of Chicago Public Art Program installed nine permanent works of art at eight renovated rail stations on what is now known as the Pink Line. The CTA has since created an ongoing program to showcase permanent works of art in conjunction with the City of Chicago Public Art Program. The Arts in Transit Program is funded by the Federal Transit Administration, and created opportunities to develop original artwork for station reconstruction projects along the CTA Red and Brown Lines. Artists were selected for each of the stations included in the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project and select renovated Red Line stations.
With the completion of the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project in December 2009, original artwork was installed in each of the 18 renovated stations along the CTA's Brown Line. By combining the visibility and accessibility of the city's mass transit system with the creativity of Chicago's art resources, this program resulted in a successful public display of professional works of art designed with input from nearby communities. This program provided high-profile locations for public art and server as a gateway to communities served by the CTA stations. Media under consideration included, but were not limited to, mosaics, art glass, ornamental fencing, mixed-media artwork, and freestanding sculpture and furniture.
The CTA and the City of Chicago Public Art Program, administered by the Office of Tourism and Culture, encouraged and facilitated collaborations between artists, government agencies, the community and other partners. The City of Chicago Public Art Program accepted qualifications from local and national professional artists or artist teams capable of creating permanent public works of art for the CTA Arts in Transit Program for the renovated stations.[citation needed]
2023 MCA installation
In 2023, as part of an exhibition titled "Forecast Form: Art during the Caribbean Diaspora, 1990s-Today" by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the CTA temporarily installed 20 copies of Felix Gonzalez-Torres' Untitled (1995) at "L" stops across Chicago.[47]
TV show
The Chicago Transit Authority produced a monthly television show, Connections, from May 2003 until March 2011. The show, hosted by Braydens Connections, was broadcast on City of Chicago Public-access televisioncable TV channels 23 & 49, as well as on Comcast's CN100 in the Chicago metropolitan area, including areas of Michigan and Indiana.
Connections featured news and information about the CTA and services it provides. Individual segments from Connections are available on CTA's YouTube channel.[48]
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