CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An analysis of CTA ridership shows the impact of the pandemic and indicates that core ridership is among minority populations with lower incomes.
CTA stations on the South and West sides saw more riders last year than stations in more affluent neighborhoods, according to research done by the Urban Institute.
Black and Latino essential workers who may typically have lower-income continued using public transit at higher levels than those in white neighborhoods working remotely or not working.
Some Blue and Green Line stations on the West Side saw the lowest decreases about half the riders in 2020 compared to 2019.
While stations serving more white downtown office workers saw drops of more than 70%.
The takeaway, study author Yonah Freemark told the Chicago Tribune, “Rail systems are not just for wealthy white people.”
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