History

Horse car service began

Apr. 25, 1859

Cable car service began

Jan. 28, 1882

First electric streetcars

Oct. 2, 1890

First rail line

June 6, 1892

Loop Elevated opened

Oct. 12, 1897

First motor bus service

Mar. 25, 1917

Trolley bus service began

Apr. 17, 1930

State Street Subway opened

Oct. 17, 1943

CTA became operating entity

Oct. 1, 1947

Dearborn Subway opened

Feb. 25, 1951

Last streetcar ran

June 21, 1958

Skokie Swift service began

Apr. 20, 1964

Expressway median operation:

  - Congress (Eisenhower)

June 22, 1958

  - Dan Ryan

Sept. 28, 1969

  - Kennedy

Feb. 1, 1970

Rail service to O'Hare

Sept. 3, 1984

Rail service to Midway

Oct. 31, 1993

Rail line names switched to colors

Feb. 21, 1993

Fare Cards introduced

August 18, 1997

Pink Line service began

June 25, 2006

Ventra fare system completed