Beginning Sunday, February 7, service will run less frequently on 119 bus routes and seven of CTA’s eight rail lines, and hours of service will be reduced on 41 bus routes. These routes either will start service later, end service earlier or both. In addition, nine express bus routes that have corresponding local service will be eliminated.
Although the reductions were designed to minimize the impact on rush hour service, riders should expect to experience longer wait times, particularly in off peak hours, and more crowded buses and trains. Under current operation there are already numerous rail and bus routes that are at capacity during rush periods. When service is reduced on February 7, crowding on these routes will increase so, in addition to longer wait times, riders who travel on the agency’s highest volume routes may have to wait for multiple buses or trains before boarding. The CTA is advising riders to allow for additional travel time.
As a general guideline, riders can expect an additional two to five minutes between buses during weekday rush periods. Rail customers can expect an additional one to two minutes for a train during rush hour, and generally two to five minutes longer during off-peak hours. Although that may not seem significant, both buses and trains will fill up faster as a result of the service decrease, particularly during peak service hours, and riders may be forced to wait for multiple vehicles to pass before being able to board.
During off peak service hours, generally riders can expect an additional two to eight minutes between buses – during very late evening hours, there may be an additional 10 to 15 minutes between buses.
Customers are strongly encouraged to check the CTA web site transitchicago.com for specific information regarding their routes.
All rail routes and all bus routes will be maintained except for nine express routes that have a matching local route. Owl service on both bus and rail remain unchanged, preserving service for those third-shift workers who have few options other than public transit.
