During the five-plus years I’ve been riding the Chicago Transit Authority trains, I have noticed a steady drop in service quality and frequency.
I understand how routes need to be reduced during non-rush hours, but those routes should not be completely eliminated, because many people have no other way to go to work, attend school or run errands.
In addition, the number of trains running during the morning and afternoon rush hours needs to be increased. I have waited countless times for trains to pass the platform during rush hour because they are too full. The platforms are two- and three-people deep (if not more) waiting for the trains.
If the CTA wants to increase ridership and “save the world” from itself by reducing car exhaust and wear and tear on area roads, it has to do more than pay lip service to those ideas. The CTA needs to put more trains on the tracks at the times when they are needed most.
Without the riders the CTA is nothing, so it should stop subjecting them to bad business decisions and put someone in charge who knows what is most important.
