Following recent cuts to rail service that has been acknowledged by the Chicago Transit Authority, residents planning a protest later this week are demanding a more consistent schedule, citing unreliable service that dates back to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release last week, the CTA said that service was reduced on some lines, a decision attributed to a reconstruction project on the Blue Line.
Some commuters frustrated with what they see as an consistently inconsistent system, a protest calling for new CTA leadership is scheduled to take place outside the agency's headquarters on Friday.
According to Commuters Take Action, the organization behind the planning of the protest, the recent service cuts amount to an overall 24% reduction in rail service and a 13% reduction in bus service since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The group has levied significant criticism toward CTA President Dorval Carter, who they say has not publicly admitted to cutting service in recent years.
"We get reports every day from riders who are late to work, they're missing their medical appointments," Fabio Gottlicher of Commuters Take Action told NBC Chicago.
At Friday's protest, commuters are expected to demand more frequent and consistent bus and rail service while calling for Carter's resignation.
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