The Mansueto Institute's StopWatch tracks how bus service has changed in the city of Chicago after the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes Bus Report Cards, an interactive platform that allows riders to compare bus service, including wait time and number of routes, across different neighborhoods. The key findings include:

• In 2023, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) decreased scheduled service to match actual service, giving the appearance of improved bus service.
• At the start of 2024, the CTA increased service but these changes differed across Chicago’s community areas.

Part of the 2024 Local Data Journalism Initiative, this project is a collaboration between the University of Chicago's Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation and the Chicago Tribune. The StopWatch analyzes a unique dataset of over 100 million real time bus location collected by Chi Hack Night Ghost Bus.

Visit the data and methods or read the full report to learn more about the project.