The CTA is reporting that ridership is continuing to decline, and has been for the past decade, according to analytical data collected. Last year ridership on the 'L' declined 3.7 percent, with 119 of 143 stations down in numbers. And ridership is expected to fall another 1.8 percent in 2020, with bus ridership down 1.3 percent and rail 2.3 percent.
But these declining numbers are not just in Chicago, it's nationwide. Ridership on public transportation is at its lowest level since 2006 across the country, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Although
Personally I think some of the decline can be attributed to a few things:
Safety: There are always news reports of some type of crime taking place on buses and trains, and commuters do not want to place themselves in harms way.
Share-Riding: Although there is research that says otherwise, I think Uber and Lyft and other share-riding services are more convenient for some commuters.
Population: With thousands of people leaving Chicago and moving to other locations, that would definitely have an impact on ridership.
There is some good news though, there will be no CTA service cuts or fare hikes next year.