CTA underestimated Chicago transit ridership by 19 million trips

After revising its counting methodology, the Chicago Transit Authority announced that its updated ridership totals for 2025 are roughly 19 million rides higher than previously estimated, reports Ellen Steinke in Streetsblog Chicago.

The revised methodology also reveals bigger differences in which buses get the most use: "Buses in many South and West Side neighborhoods appear significantly busier than previous public data indicated."

According to Steinke, "The changes stem largely from two things: new fareboxes and a new counting methodology using automatic passenger counters, or APCs. These infrared sensors and cameras mounted near bus doors count riders boarding and exiting vehicles regardless of whether they pay a fare and help paint a more accurate picture of ridership." Older counting methods that relied on farebox data and manual video review often undercounted usage, the agency said. 

The revised data indicate that "the routes serving some of Chicago’s most transit-dependent communities may also have been among the system’s most undercounted," which could have major implications for how the agency evaluates ridership and user needs. They also show that "underpaid" rides — "trips where riders either paid reduced fares, insufficient fares, or no fares at all" — made up 20% of bus rides and around 5% of rail rides.