Riders on Chicago's transit are giving the CTA better marks, a series of customer satisfaction surveys reveal. According to a report from CTA, satisfaction levels have been on the upswing across 2023, with recent tweaks to service frequency, reliability, and real-time information hitting the right notes with customers, though there's still room for improvement.
With the rollout of the Meeting the Moment Action Plan in 2022, CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. emphasized that progress is being made, but that they're not taking their foot off the pedal, saying, "These surveys, which we have been doing every quarter since summer 2022, show that we’re making measurable progress in many areas," and admitting, "But clearly there is more work we need to do" in a statement echoing the transit agency's commitment to bettering the riding experience. Key factors that could tempt more to hop aboard include more frequent service, enhanced accuracy in bus arrival info, and buses that are swifter and stick closer to their schedules.
Significant strides have been reported in several areas - customers expressed higher levels of contentment with bus frequency, up 17 percentage points to 58%, and reliability of bus service, which saw a 10-point lift to 54%, in a marked departure from the dissatisfaction evidenced prior to the agency's concerted efforts. The accuracy of the bus tracker information also jumped a noteworthy 12 points, sitting at 57% satisfaction. Train arrival information reliability saw an 11-point jump to 73% satisfied patrons.
Looking ahead to 2024, the CTA plans a series of enhancements, including upgrades to their Bus and Train Trackers, and beefier service schedules on both weekdays and weekends to stave off the waiting game for riders and promote the trust in the system that commuters are clamoring for, in a continued bid to surpass pre-pandemic satisfaction scores. However, even with increased police presence and outreach efforts, safety aboard trains remains a concern with 49% satisfaction marking a modest 7-point gain, underscoring an ongoing quest to make riders feel entirely secure.
The improvement in customer confidence also intersects with the 11-point surge in satisfaction with the value of service relative to fares, echoing the positive reception of budget-friendly moves like fare reductions. In terms of numbers, CTA isn't just blowing smoke – ridership reports broke the one-million mark on over 25 days in 2023, and service reliability statistics underscore this upward trend. Moreover, a 5% drop in crime rates for the year further buttresses the agency's claim of a safer, more reliable transit network.
While these customer surveys, available in multiple languages and canvassing a range of commuter habits and preferences, are set to continue in 2024, the CTA actively publishes monthly performance metrics on its website, keeping an open line of communication with the public about its ongoing efforts to refine the commute of Chicagoans.
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