Record Numbers of Riders Took to Rail in Chicago in 2015

"The Chicago Transit Authority has announced a record number of rail passengers during 2015, at more than 241 million riders," reports Marwa Eltagouri. "But while rail ridership broke the 2014 record with 3.5 million more rides, bus ridership fell by about 1.6 million, to about 272.5 million rides."

The article blames a blizzard in February 2015 and ongoing construction projects in Downtown Chicago for the drop in ridership. Both bus and rail totaled for an increase in ridership over 2014, however.

The ridership numbers come at a critical moment for the transit agency. It credits increased ridership to $5 billion in planned and completed improvements since 2011, but it also has ongoing budget challenges. "The CTA passed a 2016 budget counting on $300 million in state funding, about $130 million more than Gov. Bruce Rauner has indicated he would provide," according to Eltagouri.