The CTA says it's increasing service and improving bus and "L" facilities as part of a drive to get people back on board.
But new information from the agency that oversees public transit suggests there's still plenty of room on trains and buses.
The philosophy at the CTA in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to borrow from that classic line in the movie "Field Of Dreams:" if you build it, (they) will come.
That is, hire more people and improve service, and riders will return.
The RTA's Maulik Vaishnav told board members last week that at least on the staffing side, it's mission accomplished: "The number of CTA bus operator headcount is about 300 positions higher than 2019 levels, and the rail operators have reached 871, shy of just one percent of pre-pandemic staffing levels."
But the ridership piece is still lagging. Vaishnav says bus ridership is about 78% of pre-pandemic levels, while "L" train ridership is below 60%. He says he expects that to change, as people begin to see better service.
RTA board members are reviewing this information as the agency waits for action from Springfield on legislation that would help Chicago's public transit operators avoid a fiscal cliff that coincides with the end of federal COVID-19 relief money. Without an infusion of cash, the RTA says agencies could be force to cut service as much as 40%.