About

Learn about Chicago Transit Authority including our ESG Program, News & Press Releases, Projects, and Team.

Learn about Chicago Transit Authority including our ESG Program, News & Press Releases, Projects, and Team.

Ridership as of 2022
243.5 Million
Debt Obligations as of 9/1/22
$4,928,230,402
FY2024 Operating Budget
$1.99 Billion

Organization

Chicago Transit Authority is an independent governmental agency created by state legislation. CTA began operating on Oct. 1, 1947, after it acquired the properties of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and the Chicago Surface Lines. On Oct. 1, 1952, CTA became the predominant operator of Chicago transit when it purchased the Chicago Motor Coach system.

Governance & Oversight

The governing arm of the CTA is the Chicago Transit Board. The Board consists of seven members, with four appointed by the Mayor of Chicago and three appointed by the Governor of Illinois. 

The Mayor's appointees are subject to the approval of the Governor and the Chicago City Council; the Governor's appointees are subject to the approval of the Mayor and the Illinois State Senate. CTA's day-to-day operations are directed by Dorval R. Carter, Jr., President.

The current Mayoral appointees are Lester L. Barclay, Alejandro Silva, Michele A. Lee and Rev. Johnny L. Miller. The current gubernatorial appointees are Rev. Dr. L. Bernard Jakes and Rosa Y. Ortiz. There is one gubernatorial vacancy.

Lester L. Barclay serves as Chairman of the Chicago Transit Board.

CTA generates revenue from both farebox collections and nonfarebox revenues, and also receives supplemental funding for operating expenses through the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).

The RTA was established in 1974 to oversee local transportation operators in the six-county Chicago metropolitan area. Illinois state law requires the three RTA service boards— CTA, Metra (the suburban rail system) and Pace (the suburban bus system) — to recover collectively at least 50 percent of operating costs from farebox and other system revenues.

Service Overview

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the nation’s second largest public transportation system, providing mass transit services within the City of Chicago and 35 surrounding suburbs. The service area of the CTA has a population of approximately 3.2 million. Historically, the CTA has carried over 81 percent of the public transit riders in the six-county northeastern Illinois region, which includes the Counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Mchenry, and Will. Transit services provided by the CTA are part of the regional public mass transportation service system in the Northeastern Illinois Transit Region provided through the independent operations of the CTA, the Commuter Rail Division ("Metra") of the Regional Transportation Authority (the "RTA"), and the Suburban Bus Division ("Pace") of the RTA (the CTA, Metra, and Pace).

Strategic Goals

Considering the mission statement and core values, the CTA created three overarching goals, which were applicable in the past and will continue to be so in the present and future.

  • Safety – CTA aims to ensure that customers and employees have a safe and secure transit system and workplace that prioritizes safety over all aspects of service delivery
  • Customer Experience – CTA places a high priority on putting the customer at the center of every decision made and action taken to ensure its services meet or exceed customer expectations
  • Workforce Development – CTA invests in its workforce to build on past successes and works toward a bright future creating job and learning opportunities with a focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

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ESG Program

Learn about our environmental, social, and governance program, and how we bring those values to life with green bonds, sustainable projects, and more.

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