Chicago Transit Authority
This article is about the mass transit system. Please see The Chicago Transit Authority for the album and Chicago for the band. |
Chicago Transit Authority |
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as
CTA, is the
rapid transit system of
Chicago,
Illinois and is the second largest in the
United States. The Chicago Transit Authority offers several types of
public transportation including bus routes throughout the city,
community areas within its limits and suburban destinations. The Chicago Transit Authority also operates the
Chicago Elevated train system, which also serves as a
subway in certain areas.
This city agency was established on
October 1,
1947 under the leadership of
Mayor of Chicago Martin H. Kennelly. Currently, it is part of the
Regional Transportation Authority. One of the Chicago Transit Authority's predecessors was the Chicago Rapid Transit Company founded by Chicago public transportation pioneer
Samuel Insull. Another was the
Chicago Surface Lines streetcar system.
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The Chicago Transit Authority has over 2,000 buses in its fleet. |
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Chicago Transit Authority trains serve as both elevated rapid transit, and as subway trains in parts of the city. |
The Chicago Transit Authority covers Chicago city limits and forty surrounding suburbs. It operates twenty-four hours each day and on an average weekday, 1.6 million passengers access its buses and trains. The Chicago Transit Authority has approximately 2,000 buses that operate over 152 routes traveling along 2,273 route miles. Buses provide about one million passenger trips a day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops. The Chicago Transit Authority's 1,190 train cars operate over seven routes and 222 miles of track. Its trains provide about 500,000 customer trips each day and serve 144 stations in Chicago. The Chicago Transit Authority employs more than 11,000 people to operate the entire system.
The CTA allows riders to board a bus or train and pay with cash, coins, transit cards, or Chicago Cards.
Paying with cash
As of January 1st, 2006, only buses will allow riders to pay with cash and/or coins. The cash fare is $2.00, and cash transfers are no longer available. Previously, some rail station turnstiles accepted cash but this feature has been removed in an effort to speed up boarding.
Paying with transit cards
Transit cards are sold at all rail stations and at the CTA's headquarters. There are two types of transit cards: stored-value and unlimited rides. Unlimited ride cards can be purchased at the CTA headquarters and from vending machines at select CTA Stations (O'Hare on the Blue Line, Midway on the Orange Line, and Chicago on the Red Line), as well as from a variety of retail outlets throughout the Chicago area, such as currency exchanges. They are available for one day ($5), two days ($9), five days, seven days ($20), and thirty days ($75). There are also reduced fare cards available for senior citizens, people with disabilities, Chicago Public School students, and students of certain area universities as well. There are plans to install fare card and transit card vending machines at downtown
Metra train stations (Union Station, the Ogilvie Transportation Center, and the LaSalle St. Station) in early 2006.
Paying with Chicago Cards
Main article: Chicago Card
The
Chicago Card (along with the
Chicago Card Plus) is a contactless smart card, powered by
RFID, used by riders of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to electronically pay for bus and train fares.Fares paid with the Chicago Card are less expensive than they are for other riders; $1.75 for a one-way fare, and $0.25 for transfer to up to two other rides within two hours of initial fare.
Recent fare changes
As of January 1, 2006, the CTA significantly altered its fare table. Prior to this change, all fares paid for either by cash, magnetic-striped card, or Chicago Card were $1.75 one-way and $0.25 for a transfer good for two additional rides within two hours.
Cash fares on buses were increased to $2.00 for each ride, with no transfers available for cash customers and cash no longer being accepted by L turnstiles. Customers paying with the magnetic-striped Transit Card now pay $1.75 on buses, $2.00 on the L, and $0.25 for transfers. Riders paying with the Chicago Card continue to pay their fares at the old rate of $1.75 one-way and $0.25 for transfers.
To clarify, the transfer is charged to the card when paying for the second ride; the deduction is not automatic.
See
the CTA's guide for easy to digest information.
Bicycles are allowed on the CTA at all times except during rush hour (weekdays, 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM) and on various holidays in which rider traffic is especially heavy (the 3rd of July for Independence Day Fireworks, Venetian Night). Riders are encouraged to place their bikes in the one section of each train carriage where there is extra room for wheel chairs. The seats found in this space can be raised to allow more space. Drivers have the discretion to deny access to anyone with a bike if they decide that conditions are too crowded. All CTA buses are now equipped with bike racks in front which can accommodate two bicycles. On buses, if there is insufficient space in the racks, riders will have to wait for another bus or make other transportation arrangements: no bikes are ever allowed inside the buses. Every Pace bus has a bike rack that can accommodate two bikes. Non-rush Metra trains can accommodate 6-9 bikes inside of the train, depending on which line it is.
CTA buses were known as the "green limousine" or the "big green" — buses were one or more shades of green from the CTA's establishment through the end of the 1980s. With the delivery of the
TMC RTS buses in
1991, a more patriotic color scheme was adopted, and the green scheme was fully phased out by
1996. A notable color scheme was the "
Bicentennial" of about 1974 to 1976.
CTA bought very few buses between the mid-1970s and the end of the 1980s. During this time, purchases were only made in 1979 (20
MAN/
AM General articulated buses), 1982-83 (200
Flyer D901 buses and 125 additional MAN articulateds), and 1985 (362 MAN Americana standard length buses). Another aspect of this period was that with the exception of the 1983 MAN order, none of those buses had air conditioning, a budget saving move by the CTA. The 1972-76 fleet of
New Looks, 1870 total, which were originally air conditioned (although there were problems with the air-conditioning systems, resulting in their eventually being disabled and sliding windows installed in the buses), comprised the majority vehicles in service into the early 1990's.
The heavy rail orders of the CTA include the last railroad stock built by the
Budd Company and one of the few examples of rail cars built by
Boeing-Vertol. The next order is from
Bombardier.
The CTA generates revenue from farebox collections and also receives supplemental funding for operating expenses from the Regional Transportation Authority.
;CTA Budget
1999:Operating Budget $795.9 million:Capital Budget $235.0 million
;CTA Budget
2000:Operating Budget $841 million:Capital Budget $409 million
;CTA Budget
2001:Operating Budget $869 million:Capital Budget $477 million
;CTA Budget
2002:Operating Budget $915 million:Capital Budget $495 million
;CTA Budget
2003:Operating Budget $925 million:Capital Budget $539 million
;CTA Budget
2004 :Operating Budget $935 million :Capital Budget $757 million
CTA Budget 2005 :Operating Budget $996 million :Capital Budget $688 million
CTA Budget 2006 :Operating Budget $1.037 billion :Capital Budget $371 million
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Chicago 'L'*
List of Chicago Elevated stations*
Mass transit in Chicago*
Transit fares*
Chicago Transit Authority - official site, including a trip planner, and system maps.
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Keep Chicagoland Moving - official CTA site to encourage support for mass transit funding.
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Ask Carole - the blog of CTA Chairman Carole Brown.
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Chicago "L".org - the Internet's largest resource for information on Chicago's rapid transit system.
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ChicagoBus.org - a site covering CTA bus operations.
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Bill Vandervoort's Chicago Transit and Railfan CTA page - unofficial enthusiast's site.
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Yahoo! Groups CHICAGOTRANSIT - a Chicago Transit mailing list discussing CTA and its sister agencies.
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Midwest Unrest - a site by a group that tried to organize a fare strike to get the CTA to delay cuts in December 2004.
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Chicago Card reloading locations*
Official Chicago Card website
