In the Press
Press Mentions
4/15/24 - Block Club Chicago: CTA’s New ‘Dynamic’ Schedule Adds Little Train Service To Struggling System
3/26/24 - Streetsblog Chicago: Commuters Take Action’s Brandon McFadden discusses “Data Science and Transit” with UChicago Transit Enthusiasts
3/25/24 - Block Club Chicago: CTA Promises To Restore Pre-Pandemic Bus Service On 29 Routes
3/21/24 - Logan's Loose Lips: https://loganslooselips.wordpress.com/2024/03/21/ive-got-82-problems-and-the-bus-may-no-longer-be-one-according-to-the-cta/
3/14/24 - Streetsblog Chicago: Transit advocates weigh in on the CTA’s Refresh & Renew program
2/28/24 - Block Club Chicago: CTA Boss Promises Return To Pre-Pandemic Service By End Of Year At Heated City Hearing
2/27/24 - NBC Chicago: Head of CTA appears before Chicago City Council
2/27/24 - Univision Chicago: Presidente de la CTA rinde cuentas ante comité del Concilio Municipal: usuarios presentaron sus quejas
2/27/24 - Streetsblog Chicago: Transit advocates showed up in force for Dorval Carters first quarterly meeting with alderpersons
2/19/24 - Chicago Magazine: The Group Raising Hell About the L
1/11/24 - Chicago Tribune: Commuter advocates: The CTA vows to double rail operator trainees this year. Its data shows that’s impossible.
1/2/24 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTAction: Free CTA service on New Year’s Eve “not quite as bad as last year,” still not great
12/29/23 - Chicago Tribune: 2023 in review: A look back at the CTA and public transportation through Tribune op-eds
12/29/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA takes steps to help ensure free New Years Eve service won’t be terrible again this year
12/28/23 - Chicago Sun Times: Misrepresenting CTA’s fiscal problems won’t help with finding a fix
12/3/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Will Chicago’s Better Streets for Buses plan result in real BRT this time?
11/30/23 - Chicago Sun Times: CTA and CDOT unveil proposal that calls for more bus-only lanes, lights that let buses go first
11/13/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Transportation advocates share potential solutions to avoid the CTA’s coming fiscal cliff
11/9/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Commuters Take Action accuses CTA of “lies” about restoring Blue Line to pre-Forest Park Rebuild service levels
10/16/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Dozens of advocates show up in the rain to call for overhauling the CTA at Cut Carter Protest
10/13/23 - NBC Chicago: Protestors demand accountability from CTA leadership over rail and bus service and reliability
10/13/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Comfort for Carter? On the eve of a Commuters Take Action protest calling for Dorval’s firing, CTA announces a couple of positive news items
10/10/23 - NBC Chicago: Amid cuts to CTA service, residents plan protest in demand of consistent schedule, new leadership
10/10/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA celebrates reopening of Forest Park Branch tracks, but service interruptions are still planned for remaining work
10/10/23 - Chicago Tribune: CTA Brown, Orange Line schedules down more than 25%, even as other cities rebuild transit levels
10/6/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: From bad to worse: Unpacking the CTA’s latest schedule changes effective October 8th
10/4/23 - Block Club Chicago: While The CTA Flounders, Its Leader Keeps Getting Pay Hikes
9/30/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: During board meeting, CTAction cites service problems, South Siders push for youth employment as part of Red Line Extension
9/25/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Phase 1 of Forest Park Branch Rehab will be mostly complete on 10/8. CTAction sees some issues with the plan.
9/21/23 - Dziennik Związkowy: CTA zachwala rekordową liczbę pasażerów. Commuters Take Action studzi entuzjazm
"CTA touts record passenger numbers. Commuters Take Action cool enthusiasm"
9/19/23 - Chicago Tribune: Commuter advocates: More cuts are likely coming to CTA service. It’s time to fire Dorval Carter Jr. instead.
9/15/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: At Chicago Mobility Collaborative meeting in Belmont Cragin, CDOT says 2023 has been a big year for walk/bike/transit
9/8/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Building speed for bus rapid transit: A conversation with Commuters Take Action’s Olivia Gahan
8/30/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Has the CTA actually been “Meeting the Moment”?
8/29/23 - WTTW: CTA Leaders Talk Service Boosts, Looming Challenges as Advocates Call For More Improvements
8/25/23 - Chicago Tribune: One year into a plan to tackle challenges, CTA touts decreased crime and more reliable service
8/25/23 - Evanston Roundtable: CTA schedule changes and reliability: Tracking Purple Line performance
8/22/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Has the Forest Park Rebuild been going smoothly or have there been snags? CTA, CTAction have different POVs.
8/16/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Blue Line service changes for Part B of the Forest Park Branch rehab – work between IMD and UIC/Halsted – start Monday
8/9/23 - Chicago Reader: CTA employees share the personal cost of working inside the nation’s second-largest transit agency
8/9/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Buckner passes 2023 Transit Omnibus Bill to improve safety, equity, and quality or service, and extend farebox recovery relief
8/7/23 - Active Transportation Alliance: CTA takes a step toward greater transparency
8/3/23 - Eater Chicago: In ‘The Bear,’ Chicago’s Public Transportation Never Goes Off the Rails
8/1/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Politicians and activists say Dorval Carter should be replaced, CTA responds
7/24/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Is the CTA giving riders enough info about how much the Forest Park Branch Rebuild will delay their commutes?
7/18/23 - Chicago Tribune: Commuter advocates: Chicago needs a CTA board that cares about holding agency leadership accountable
7/14/23 - Block Club Chicago: CTA’s Top Leaders Rarely Used Public Transit, Records Show. Now, Officials Call For President To Be Fired
6/29/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Advocates praise the CTA’s plan to upgrade its Forest Park Branch, want more details on how the ‘L’ overhaul will work
6/20/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA credits Taylor Swift, other concerts and festivals for highest weekly ridership since COVID hit
6/2/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA is wrapping up RPM Phase One, but opportunities are being missed
6/2/23 - Crain's Chicago Business: The CTA is overdue for an overhaul
5/31/23 - Chicago Tribune: What to know ahead of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows in Chicago
5/1/23 - Block Club Chicago: Does CTA Boss Dorval Carter Use Public Transit? Records Show He Swiped Pass Once In 2021
April 2023 - Loyola Mosaic: CTA Fails to Meet The Moment (pg. 16)
4/28/23 - WTTW Chicago: CTA Adding Bus and Rail Workers, Touting Service Improvements; Mayor-Elect Mum on Keeping Transit Agency Leader
4/18/23 - Block Club Chicago: Transit Activists Demand More Blue Line Trains In Video Protest — But CTA Says Service Has Improved
4/17/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Commuters Take Action uses the CTA’s Blue Line livestream to protest spotty service
4/12/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA boasts of better reliability, offers new deets on hiring, CTA Action says more is needed
4/6/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Let’s *go* Brandon! Will Johnson keep his big transportation campaign promises?
3/27/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA announced additional ORD branch trains, quietly cut scheduled service on other lines
3/22/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA ridership increased 24% last year, but better service is needed for continued growth
3/16/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: At state hearing, transit advocates call for addressing fiscal cliff, Carter is a no-show
3/15/23 - Active Transportation Alliance: Bold solutions needed from state to address serious transit problems
3/10/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: At CTA meeting, Commuters Take Action calls out “misleading” reliability claims
2/28/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Chicago Transit Justice Coalition called for better CTA working conditions at protest
2/27/23 - Chicago Tribune: Christina Marfice and Morgan Madderom: Transit riders deserve honesty from the CTA, not fudged statistics
2/15/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: January CTA scorecard says reliability improved. Advocates say more needs to be done.
2/13/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Blue Line blues: CTA quietly cut schedule again this month, but reliability issues persist
2/12/23 - Chicago Magazine: How to Save the L
2/13/23 - Chicago Tribune: Six months after changing schedules and adding security, CTA rider frustrations persist: ‘It’s not as convenient’
2/7/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: Commuters Take Action maps just how deep cuts in scheduled CTA service have been
1/31/23 - Pew Stateline: ‘Ghost Buses’ Haunt Transit Agencies and Frustrate Riders
1/20/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA’s percent of fulfilled runs got even worse last month. What should be done?
1/15/23 - The DePaulia: Not “meeting the moment”: CTA pledges security and shorter wait times in 2023
1/15/23 - Block Club Chicago: CTA Boss Blames Lousy New Year’s Eve Service On Workers Calling In Sick At ‘Extremely Higher’ Rates
1/11/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA publishes more realistic bus schedules, advocates say agency should focus on hiring
1/4/23 - WBBM Newsradio: CTA struggles with reliability issues as new year begins
1/3/23 - Streetsblog Chicago: New Year’s peeve: Why was CTA service ridiculously bad on the big night?
12/9/22 - Chicago Sun Times: City announces permanent bus lanes on Chicago Avenue; advocates worry about enforcement, frequency
12/9/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: “Pop-up” bus lanes on Chicago Ave. are now permanent, other upgrades planned citywide
12/8/22 - Active Transportation Alliance: Commuters Take Action presses CTA to improve unreliable service
12/4/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: At annual meeting, ATA honored new advocacy orgs, discussed its playbook for 2023
12/2/22 - Active Transportation Alliance: Shining a light on outstanding volunteers and advocates
11/20/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: Welcome back, Carter! For once, CTA prez doesn’t ghost his own City Council hearing
11/8/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: Updated CTA ‘L’ schedules fail to deliver on “Meeting the Moment” promises
11/3/22 - WGN9: Man stabbed on CTA Red Line train; man in custody
11/2/22 - NBC Chicago: CTA Riders Protest Poor Service, Safety Issues
11/2/22 - Block Club Chicago: CTA President Dorval Carter In The Hot Seat As Fed-Up Commuters Want Him To Resign
10/25/22 - Chicago Sun Times: City Council member wants to compel regular testimony from CTA president
10/24/22 - WTTW - Chicago Tonight (start at 6:50)
10/17/22 - Fox32: Buses, trains still ghosting commuters in Chicago
10/17/22 - ABC7: CTA schedule: Buses, trains still ghosting commuters in Chicago (syndicated from Chicago Sun Times)
10/17/22 - NBC Chicago: CTA Buses, Trains Continue to Ghost Chicago Commuters (syndicated from Chicago Sun Times)
10/16/22 - Chicago Sun Times: Buses, trains still ghosting commuters
10/11/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: Why ghost runs are an issue on the ‘L’ and apps, but not Bus Tracker and shelter signs
10/5/22 - Skyline - A Ghost Story: Chicago commuter group takes action on public transit issues (physical paper copy only)
10/3/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA celebrates 75 years of service with a day of nostalgia
9/26/22 - Chicago Reader: Black Transport Project, Commuters Take Action, and more
9/14/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: CTA prez Dorval Carter ghosts City Council hearing on ghost runs, service gaps, safety
9/14/22 - WTTW: CTA President Skips City Council Hearing Focused on Transit Agency’s Service, Safety Woes
9/14/22 - Block Club Chicago: Aldermen, Residents Rip CTA On Ghost Trains And Buses As Agency President Skips Public Hearing
9/14/22 - CBS Chicago: CTA head snubs Chicago City Council at hearing meant to address service concerns
9/14/22 - Chicago Tribune: Aldermen grill CTA over wide-ranging concerns about service, safety
9/14/22 - Block Club Chicago: Protesters Outside CTA Headquarters Ask: ‘Why Are My Trains And Buses So Late?’
9/14/22 - Block Club Chicago: CTA Trains Seeing More Delays During Weekends — And More Staff Desperately Needed To Make It Better, Employees Say
9/14/22 - CBS Chicago: CTA workers, riders calling for better conditions during protest Wednesday
9/14/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: Advocates rally CTA HQ to demand improvements: “We need to keep being loud”
9/14/22 - ABC7: 'Ghost' buses, trains prompt public transit advocates to call out CTA over inadequate services
9/14/22 - Univision Chicago: Empleados y usuarios de la CTA protestan para exigir más contratación de personal
9/12/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: Commuters Take Action plans protest this Wednesday before CTA Board Meeting
8/30/22 - ABC7: Ask CTA program to hear from riders at Chicago rail stations, bus depots
8/23/22 - Chi Hack Night: How Commuters Take Action in Chicago
8/12/22 - Spartan News Room: Chicago group raises awareness of Chicago Transit Authority’s delays
7/27/22 - WBEZ: Commuter advocates, CTA weigh in on Chicago transit issues
7/22/22 - Chicago Tribune: Frustrated by CTA service? So are these transit riders, and they’re taking matters into their own hands.
6/23/22 - Fox32: Chicago residents complain of 'ghost' trains, buses never showing up
6/23/22 - Block Club Chicago: As Complaints Of Late Trains And Missing Buses Mount, City Officials Call For Hearing On ‘Deteriorated’ CTA Service
4/25/22 - Streetsblog Chicago: Data analysis found CTA has only been running about half its scheduled Blue Line runs