CTA begins service along reinstated #X4 Cottage Grove Express bus route

Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) #X4 Cottage Grove Express route has been reinstated, giving riders a new and improved means of traveling between Chicago’s Far South Side and downtown.  

The reinstatement of the #X4 route is the latest in a series of service improvements made to strengthen bus and rail services on Chicago’s South and Far South sides. 

The return of the express bus route also complements the recently unveiled “Meeting the Moment: Transforming CTA’s Post-Pandemic Future” Action Plan, the goal of which is to align CTA’s growing transit network with new mobility patterns and ensure that public transportation is the first choice of travel for riders throughout the region. 

Service along the #X4 route will be provided on weekdays during the morning and afternoon rush period, from approximately 5:45-9:40 a.m. and from 1:35-6:00 p.m., every 12 minutes. Buses serving the #X4 route will operate between the 95th/Chicago State University Terminal on the south and Columbus/Randolph on the north.   

Of the CTA’s 128 bus routes, the #4 Cottage Grove route is among the top 10 routes for ridership. This corridor also ranks near the top for both long (more than three miles) and short (less than two miles) customer bus trips. Maintaining service levels on the #4 route along with the re-introduction of the #X4 route will help ensure that customers on the corridor are well-served for those making longer trips, as well as those making short trips. Also, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cottage Grove was one of the bus routes that maintained a higher share of 2019 ridership by providing transit options to essential workers and residents without cars on the South and West Sides of the city. 

The return of the #X4 marks the third express bus route to be re-introduced by CTA President Carter during is his tenure. In August 2015, he also re-introduced the #X9 Ashland and #X49 Western express routes, which have proven popular with customers. 

CTA’s continued investment in express bus service also enhances the city of Chicago’s efforts to bring equitable Transit Oriented Development (TOD) through the Connecting Communities ordinance along major CTA bus routes and CTA and Metra rail stations. The #X4 route will also serve two communities in Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s INVEST South/West (ISW) initiative. 

Costs associated with the operation of the #X4 route are covered by CTA’s annual operating budget.