CTA outlines data‑driven effort to upgrade inaccessible bus stops; 115 stops improved in 2025
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Summary
CTA traffic planning described a bond‑funded, data‑driven bus stop accessibility program that upgraded about 115 stops in 2025 (300+ since inception); program uses MOBEC prioritization, annual inventory and coordination with CDOT.
Wynton Shipley Mullen of CTA traffic planning summarized the agency’s stop accessibility program, which targets bus stops that lack a clear, firm surface for ramp deployment or are otherwise too narrow or uneven for accessible boarding.
"We visit every bus stop in the CTA system at least once a year," Shipley said, describing field inventories of shelters, signs and the physical condition of waiting areas. CTA classifies stops as fully accessible, unpaved (insufficient concrete or grass area) or uneven/narrow; the program uses a 5‑by‑8 minimum guideline for clear boarding space drawn from the bus facilities handbook.
Shipley described the program’s data priorities: using the city MOBEC mobility and socioeconomic index, ridership and ramp–deployment records to weigh upgrades toward high‑impact community areas (early rounds focused on Chatham and Douglas). He said the program is bond funded through the City of Chicago at about $1,000,000 per year and that in 2025 the CTA completed about 115 stop upgrades and more than 300 since the program began.
The CTA coordinates with CDOT’s arterial resurfacing and streetscape programs so stop upgrades can be bundled with roadway or redevelopment work and avoid redundant construction. Shipley noted program limits: some stops require full curb and sidewalk reconstruction or remain infeasible because of double‑height sidewalks or slopes that exceed safety limits.
Committee members asked whether stops adjacent to bike lanes or bus boarding islands receive special review; Shipley said CTA and CDOT collaborate on placement and design, and that tactile signage and braille checks are part of quality control. Members suggested additional outreach to paratransit users and travel‑trainer programs to encourage fixed‑route trips where accessible infrastructure exists; the CTA agreed this is a useful engagement channel.
Shipley said the program will prioritize shared stops with regional partner PACE in 2026 and continue updates to the bus facilities handbook to standardize stop design across jurisdictions.
