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The Rundown Podcast - PM Show Tile

Stay in the loop with the Windy City’s biggest news.

The Rundown Podcast - PM Show Tile

Stay in the loop with the Windy City’s biggest news.

CTA riders and a transit reporter talk about their experience mid-commute

Stay in the loop with the Windy City’s biggest news.

   

What’s going on at the CTA? Sluggish ridership is a main reason that Chicago area transit agencies including the CTA are facing a $730 million budget shortfall, according to a recent WBEZ analysis of transit data.

So why aren’t riders riding? And what do they think of the CTA these days?

We hear from a few riders mid-commute at a pair of downtown CTA train stations, some of whom complained about reliability, safety, and cleanliness, as well as others who think things are fine. Then we hear from Sarah Freishtat, a business reporter covering transportation for the Chicago Tribune, who explains what CTA leadership has done so far and what else they have planned to counteract their troubles.

More From This Show
We can’t let National Transportation Week pass without revisiting our conversation with Lee Crooks. He’s basically a local celebrity, with a highly-recognizable voice. He’s been announcing stops on the CTA for 25 years. “It does become something of a legacy,” Crooks said. In this episode, he talks to host Erin Allen about trains, legacy and Midwest accents. And yes, we have him do the voice. This episode was originally published on Oct. 18, 2023.
Daniel Knowles lives in Chicago, where he rides his bike almost everywhere and the transit system almost everywhere else. Originally from the United Kingdom, Knowles has traveled the world as a reporter, so he’s seen how people across the globe get around town. His main takeaway: We need to lower our reliance on cars. “Thanks to the car, our cities are uglier and more dangerous,” Knowles writes in his book, “Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse, and What to Do About It.” “Car manufacturers want us to believe driving is freedom, but in fact we are trapping ourselves in an enormous prison made up of moving metal cells.” From automobiles’ well-publicized drawbacks — car-related deaths and climate impact — to housing insecurity and racial inequities, Knowles says driving may be taking more from us than it gives. In this episode, we sit down with Knowles to discuss the history of the car, the large and small ways they impact us, and the options we have for a reprieve. This episode was originally published on June 12, 2023.