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4 More Bus Routes Will Be Added to CTA’s ‘10 Minutes or Sooner’ Initiative
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Four more bus routes will be added to the Chicago Transit Authority’s “frequent network” starting next week, amounting to a total of 20 bus routes this year aiming to provide service every “10 minutes or sooner.”
The four buses being added to the network starting Sunday, Dec. 21, are:
- #9 Ashland: 10% more service weekdays
- #12 Roosevelt: 15% more service Saturdays, 25% more service Sundays/holidays
- #72 North: 10% more service weekdays and Saturdays, 25% more service Sundays/holidays
- #81 Lawrence: 10% more service Saturdays, 25% more service Sundays/holidays
The frequent bus service network consists of 20 key bus routes throughout the agency’s service area that are scheduled to have service every 10 minutes or less from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekends, according to the agency.
The CTA launched the frequent network in March, starting with eight bus routes and adding more routes throughout the year.
Other bus routes on the network are:
- #4 Cottage Grove: 20% more service Sundays. Overnight service extended south from 63rd to 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line station.
- #J14 Jeffery Jump: 20% more service on weekdays, 35% more service on weekends; hours of service increased on weekdays and Sundays.
- #20 Madison: 10% more service weekdays and Saturdays, 25% more service Sundays.
- #34 South Michigan: Weekday service will run every 6-10 minutes instead of every 8-16 minutes.
- #47 47th: Service doubled between Kedzie and Midway stations on the Orange Line.
- #49 Western: 10% more service weekdays and Saturdays, 25% more service Sundays.
- #53 Pulaski: 25% more service weekdays and Sundays/holidays, 10% more service Saturdays. Extended south from 31st/Pulaski to 76th/Ford City Mall. Overnight service extended south from Pulaski/Harrison to Pulaski Orange Line station.
- #54 Cicero: 30% more service on Sundays.
- #55 Garfield: 20% more service weekdays, 30% more service Saturdays and Sundays/holidays.
- #60 Blue Island/26th: 45% more service on weekends.
- #63 63rd: 40% more service between Midway station on the Orange Line and Kedzie/63rd.
- #66 Chicago: 10% more service weekdays. Overnight service extended west from Pulaski to Austin.
- #77 Belmont: 10% more service Saturdays, 20% more service Sundays/holidays.
- #79 79th: 50% more service between Western Ave and Ford City on weekdays, 20% more service between Western Ave and Ford City on Saturdays.
- #82 Kimball/Homan: 15% more service weekdays; 45% more service Saturdays and 60% more service Sundays/holidays. Extended west from Central Park/31st to 31st/Pulaski.
- #95 95th: 20% more service weekdays, more than 30% more service weekends.
“This improvement in frequency is a transformative investment in our bus service and brings 10-minute or better service within a short walk of 2.3 million residents in our area all day, every day,” CTA acting President Nora Leerhsen said in a March news release when the initiative was announced. “This is just one example of how strong transit funding availability allows us to provide the level of service our customers want to see.”
Last month, the CTA board approved a 2026 budget with no service cuts, fare increases or layoffs, averting a feared doomsday scenario after the Illinois General Assembly came through with badly needed money to fill a transit budget gap.
Nick Blumberg contributed to this report.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
