Chicago Transit Authority

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the nation's second largest public transportation system and covers the City of Chicago and 35 surrounding suburbs. On an average weekday, approximately 1.6 million rides are taken on the CTA.

The CTA is an independent governmental agency created by state legislation. We began operating on October 1, 1947, after acquiring the properties of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and the Chicago Surface Lines. On October 1, 1952, CTA became the sole operator of Chicago transit when it purchased the Chicago Motor Coach system.

 

Our mission

“We deliver quality, affordable transit services that link people, jobs and communities.”

Our values

We will accomplish our mission with a diverse workforce that is:

  • Courteous - We will create a pleasant environment for ourselves and our customers.
  • Innovative - We will seek out and encourage employees who initiate change, improvement, learning and advancement of our goals.
  • Motivated - We will meet each task with spirit, enthusiasm and a sense of pride to be second to none.
  • Professional - We will provide transit service with the highest standards of quality and safety for our customers and ourselves.
  • Reliable - We will be dependable for our customers and fellow employees, and will maintain the highest standards of trust.
  • Results-Oriented - We will focus on getting the job done and will derive personal satisfaction from the service we provide.

Our commitments

We will accomplish our mission by:

  • Setting clear goals, standards and priorities.
  • Communicating openly with customers and employees.
  • Helping all of our employees develop to their fullest potential through enhanced training and education.
  • Being accountable to fellow employees and customers.
  • Supporting employees so that they can serve customers.
  • Engaging employees in decisions that affect them and their work and creating a stronger sense of ownership among our employees.