Waiting half an hour for a fully packed train during rush hour is frustrating but as it turns out, the Chicago Transit Authority is still one of the best public transport systems in the world—according to locals.
In a survey conducted by Time Out, the CTA came in 17th place among all public transport systems from around the globe. More than 20,000 riders in over 50 cities were asked the simple question: “Is it easy to get around your city by public transport?” Here in Chicago, 82 percent of locals had positive things to say about our rail-and-bus network.
Spanning eight train lines and 129 bus routes, the CTA connects all parts of Chicago’s North, West and South Sides, and helps folks easily get to our many beautiful parks and amazing attractions. It’s one of only three North American systems to make the list, coming in behind New York at No. 15 and Montreal at No. 16.
Taking the top spot on the rankings is Berlin, with 97 percent of commuters giving the transport network a thumbs up. It’s followed by Prague and Tokyo, which also reported more than 90 percent satisfaction. All in all, at least four out of five locals had mostly good experiences with public transportation.
So the next time you’re annoyed by a ghost bus that hasn’t come, just know—Chicago actually has it pretty good. Check out the full rankings below.
- Berlin
- Prague
- Tokyo
- Copenhagen
- Stockholm
- Singapore
- Hong Kong
- Taipei
- Shanghai
- Amsterdam
- London
- Madrid
- Edinburgh
- Paris
- New York
- Montreal
- Chicago
- Beijing
- Mumbai