Chicagoans built an impressive system of public transport during the twentieth century, providing the city's commuters with several alternatives to the automobile. However, the rapid transit network has always strongly favored the Loop, so as jobs decentralized across the metropolis this centripetal system could no longer conveniently serve commuters going elsewhere. Therefore, by 1980 the choice of means to reach work for residents in the central city was becoming highly fragmented. Extensive zones existed on the city's North, South, and West Sides in which more people took public transport to work than other means. This correlates with the geography of the public transport system. In particular areas, such as around the downtown business core, hospitals, and universities, more people walked or bicycled to work than took other means. Elsewhere, the automobile prevailed as the means of getting to work, even in districts with good bus service and access to rapid transit.

Author: Michael P. Conzen (Research assistance: Dennis McClendon)
Source: Newberry Library