Meeting the Moment

Transforming CTA’s Post-Pandemic Future

Every day, we work to provide as much service as possible to our bus and rail customers.

However, unprecedented workforce challenges facing the entire U.S. transit industry are preventing us from providing all our scheduled service. In August, we issued “Meeting the Moment,” a comprehensive plan to address the myriad issues facing the CTA, and the first plan of its kind among U.S. transit agencies.

Here’s a look at the issues surrounding the workforce challenges, and what we are doing to address it:

A national issue

Workforce shortages have plagued many industries, but the entire transportation segment, particularly those where commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) are required – e.g.., aviation, trucking, logistics and delivery companies, construction and more – has been particularly hard hit. Two recent transit industry reports highlight the prevalence of the issue.

The first, “Transit Workforce Shortage” (October 2022) issued by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) – which represents more than 1,500 public- and private-sector organizations in North America – found that:

96% of agencies surveyed are having workforce challenges
84% of agencies reported that staffing shortages are impacting service

The second report “Bus Operators in Crisis” (July 2022), issued by The TransitCenter, which focused solely on bus operators, found that:

In 2021, the average transit operator is ten years older than the average American worker, 52.7, leading to higher attrition rates.
The staffing crisis began before COVID-19, but the unprecedented pandemic worsened the existing problem for agencies across the nation.

Here is some recent media coverage from across the U.S. about the industrywide workforce challenges:

Streetsblog MASS - The MBTA’s Bus Driver Shortage Is Getting Even Worse
San Francisco Chronicle - Here’s how S.F. is trying to fix its ‘absolutely insane’ hiring process

How we are addressing the challenge

The days of simply posting a “Now Hiring” notice are long gone. We are now competing with numerous other industries for qualified candidates to fill positions that require CDLs. We have taken numerous and extraordinary steps to remain competitive in the marketplace, including:

Expanded and aggressive recruitment, hiring and retention initiatives

Optimized schedules for more consistent service

Rail Schedule Optimization

New rail schedules, which maintained hours of service, were implemented in October to better reflect existing staffing levels. All rail lines, except the Yellow Line, saw weekday schedules optimized, while the weekend schedules for Blue, Red, Brown and Orange lines were also optimized. Within the first few weeks of these changes, improvements included:

Reduced instances of rail service intervals that were three times the scheduled service by 65.7% on the Blue Line and 41.1% on the Red Line (weekdays).
Reduced instances of rail service intervals that were two times scheduled service by 20.1% on the Blue Line and 10.8% on the Red Line (weekdays).

Bus Schedule Optimization

New, temporary schedule changes were implemented along 52 bus routes—nearly half of all bus routes—to also better align schedules with the current available workforce. These changes went into effect in early January and are intended to provide more consistent service and improve the accuracy of Bus Tracker results.

Tracking our progress

As part of its continuing commitment to transparency and to keeping customers informed on all aspects of operations, the CTA now offers an improved, expanded and interactive tool to track the agency’s performance.

CTA’s updated Performance Metrics report, updated monthly and are accessible to address constituent concerns an interactive dashboard on CTA’s website, measures multiple areas of performance, from ridership numbers to operator headcount, elevator and escalator up-time and availability of bus and rail fleet for service. The dashboard will provide a 13-month history to look at historical performance and customize information to user preferences.

View our Performance Management Dashboard

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the second largest public transit agency in the United States with more than 1,800 buses, 1,400 railcars, 9,000 front line operations staff, and a 2019 weekday ridership base of almost 1.5 million. We serve the City of Chicago and 35 surrounding suburbs and we provide more than 80 percent of regional transit rides. CTA is the backbone of Chicago’s and the regional transportation network.

Similar to many industries, public transit was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic as ridership plummeted in March 2020 and commuting patterns changed for the long-term. CTA met this moment by delivering as much service as possible to the essential workers and transit dependent riders of the region throughout the pandemic. As vaccines rolled out and people began to return to a “new normal”, CTA began facing new challenges with a hiring deficit and growing bus and rail operator attrition impacting service delivery.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. CTA, along with several industries, is feeling the continued impacts of this new normal on our workforce and service. We are also impacted by other socio-economic conditions of the region we serve. Particularly, instances of crime and unruly behavior on our system are negatively impacting rider experience.

Meeting the Moment: Transforming CTA’s Post-Pandemic Future Action Plan aims to address these issues in the near-term, while also laying the foundation for a long-term transformation of the Agency. Our long-term goal is to align our growing transit network with new mobility patterns and ensure CTA is a first choice of travel for many riders in the region.

This customer-focused action plan is grounded in five key pillars.

Deliver reliable and consistent service
Enhance safety and security for our riders
Improve the customer experience at our facilities
Upgrade our digital tools to improve rider communication
Invest in our employees

These pillars are central to the CTA rider experience, and will be reinforced by near-term strategic investments, initiatives, and tools. As the Agency rolls out this action plan, our senior leaders will be seeking input from our customers and connecting with riders across the system, and the Agency will be working hard to recruit bus and rail operators to alleviate the workforce shortage. The engagement and roll-out of this plan will also inform a long-term strategic plan to prepare the Agency for success in a post-pandemic world.

Meeting the Moment: Transforming CTA’s Post-Pandemic Future

PDF Meeting the Moment presentation slides

Latest News

CTA Highlights Progress One Year After “Meeting the Moment” Plan Launched 08/25/2023

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced that in the year since CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. unveiled the “Meeting the Moment: Transforming CTA’s Post-Pandemic Future” Action Plan, measurable progress has been made in each of the five guiding pillars outlined in the plan. Read More about CTA Highlights Progress One Year After “Meeting the Moment” Plan Launched

CTA Releases Next-Generation Performance Dashboard 07/12/2023

As part of its continuing commitment to transparency and to keeping customers informed on all aspects of operations, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today unveiled an improved, expanded and interactive tool to track the agency’s performance. Read More about CTA Releases Next-Generation Performance Dashboard

CTA Advances Hiring Momentum, Hosts Career Fair This Friday for New Bus Operators and Bus Mechanics 05/16/2023

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is seeking driven and dedicated candidates to take the first step towards establishing a new career within the diverse field of transportation by attending the upcoming CTA Career Fair this Friday morning. This event is the latest in ongoing, aggressive recruiting efforts to help strengthen the CTA workforce and provide Chicagoans with more reliable services. Read More about CTA Advances Hiring Momentum, Hosts Career Fair This Friday for New Bus Operators and Bus Mechanics

CTA Welcomes Newest Transit Operations Hires. More Than 300 Bus Operators Hired So Far in 2023 05/11/2023

New employees critical in filling staffing shortages and helping improve service Read More about CTA Welcomes Newest Transit Operations Hires. More Than 300 Bus Operators Hired So Far in 2023

CTA Latest Monthly Scorecard Shows Continued Improvements and Investments 05/10/2023

Agency continues hiring momentum and invests in employee facilities; Rail and bus service see ongoing improvements in service reliability Read More about CTA Latest Monthly Scorecard Shows Continued Improvements and Investments

CTA Continues to Expand its Monthly Scorecard Data to Include Added Workforce Metrics 04/12/2023

Service reliability for the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) rail and bus systems show continued improvement in March, with fewer long waits and improved delivery of scheduled service—according to the agency’s latest interactive “Meeting the Moment” Action Plan scorecard. Read More about CTA Continues to Expand its Monthly Scorecard Data to Include Added Workforce Metrics

CTA Crews to ‘Refresh & Renew’ 29 Stations in 2023 04/06/2023

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced that 29 rail stations will receive repairs and improvements in 2023 as part of its ongoing, cyclical station improvement program Refresh & Renew, a key initiative of the “Meeting the Moment” Action Plan. Read More about CTA Crews to ‘Refresh & Renew’ 29 Stations in 2023

Service Changes Designed to Provide Better Service Along Blue Line O’Hare Branch 03/24/2023

As part of efforts to address increasing ridership along the Blue Line O’Hare Branch and provide better service, the CTA will begin operational changes to provide more trains along the line. Read More about Service Changes Designed to Provide Better Service Along Blue Line O’Hare Branch

CTA Ridership Reaches Highest Levels Since 2020 03/22/2023

In 2022, CTA annual ridership reached 243.5 million, adding more than 47 million rides from the 2021 annual total of 196 million. Read More about CTA Ridership Reaches Highest Levels Since 2020

CTA Continues to Improve Schedules for More Reliable Service in February 03/09/2023

Fewer instances of long waits for buses and trains; next Career Fair this Friday Read More about CTA Continues to Improve Schedules for More Reliable Service in February

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