The CTA is expanding service again on a busy portion of the Blue Line to accommodate a boost in riders — something that could benefit commuters stuck in traffic due to construction on the Kennedy Expressway.
The agency already had added what it calls “short-turned” trains on a substantial part of its Blue Line route. Instead of going all the way west to the end of the Blue Line in Forest Park, some westbound trains have only as far as UIC-Halsted, then reverse course, traveling the full route into the Loop, then out to O’Hare International Airport.
Those trains had been running only during morning and evening weekday rush hours.
But on Friday, the agency announced it is expanding those extra trains to run all day, including on weekends, though weekend hours may be adjusted based on ridership.
The idea is to “absorb extra ridership” on the Blue Line, as it braces for an influx of commuters who normally use the Kennedy Expressway, which is getting a three-year makeover.
That $150 million project started Monday, making for longer longer commutes from the Edens Expressway junction into downtown.
Brian Steele, vice president of communications and marketing at the CTA, said the construction project is only part of the reasoning for the extra trains.
“Part of it is in response to the Kennedy work,” Steele said. “[But] it mainly has to do with the ridership increases we’ve seen along the Blue Line O’Hare branch.”
Ridership on the CTA has increased but remains below pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, people took 47 million more rides than the year before.
The trend has continued into 2023, with St. Patrick’s Day events cited for a record 660,000 rides on March 11, according to the CTA.
Steele said the agency has “no expectations” of what impact the Kennedy project will have on ridership in the coming months due to the construction. It will keep an eye on demand and adjust schedules as needed as Kennedy commuters try out various options.
Regardless of ridership, Steele said the move was also a measure to increase service despite the agency’s hiring troubles, which CTA leaders have blamed for “ghost” trains and buses.
“Since we don’t have the ability to hire more operators to put out more trains, we are better maximizing the use of the trains we have,” Steele said.
In the Friday release, the CTA encouraged inbound riders to take advantage of park-and-ride lots at Cumberland and Rosemont. Rosemont has 750 spaces and Cumberland, more than 1,600, so both “definitely have room” for more vehicles, since they’re usually only about half-full, according to the CTA.
Two more trains have also been added to inbound Blue Line service starting at Jefferson Park during the morning rush.
