Someone sent along a CTA document tracking bus ridership from 2002 to 2004. One interesting highlight: ridership in the Western Avenue corridor has grown appreciably, even on weekends. The 49B is among the most productive routes in the system, and the 22,861 riders on the 49 on Saturdays (perhaps influenced by the lack of X49 service on weekends) actually surpasses the 19,748 on weekdays.

(Now, why do we still have the 49, 49A, and 49B? Rumor has it that the old cable cars could only go so far without having to turn around, so line extensions were built at the north and south ends — line extensions which persist to this day. The distinction is particularly maddening when attempting to, say, have lunch on Devon; it should be a single bus ride up Western from Wicker Park, but isn’t.)

Also instructive is the contrast between the 81 Lawrence, easily the city’s most productive route (72.9 passengers per platform hour), and the 21 Cermak or 18 16th-18th. Both serve dense, vibrant, ethnic neighborhoods, but while Lawrence is almost completely lined with retail, Cermak and 16/18 pass through large sections of marginal retail or industrial land. As a result, service on the latter two are threatened with extinction.