Transit recovery in North America remains sluggish, with ridership hovering around the 60-70% mark compared to pre-pandemic levels. However, many transit agencies are experiencing that riders are back in the system, but ridership is not back as travel behavior has changed. The riders are not traveling in the same way. At the same time, public transport operators require to plan the transition to zero-emission buses. Thus, it is becoming increasingly important for agencies to follow a data-driven approach to improve transit riders' experience. One notable example is the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), a prominent mass transit operator in Chicago, responsible for a fleet of 1,900 buses and approximately 1,200 rail cars that transport around 800,000 passengers daily. The CTA is actively pursuing various innovative initiatives aimed at attracting riders back into the system.

Maulik Vaishnav is a transportation policy and transit leader with 15 years of experience in government and consulting. He is currently Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)’s Vice President of Innovation and leads the agency’s ‘Meeting the Moment’ action plan, customer experience and marketing strategy, and a PMO team. During his 11-year tenure at CTA, he has worked in or overseen analytics, strategic planning, budget, revenue, business development, and fare policy teams. He also served as a transportation policy advisor at the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office from 2019 to 2022 where he helped advance a strategic plan for transportation, a forward-thinking ground transportation tax surcharge on downtown ride-hail trips, temporary pandemic bus lanes, a climate action plan, and a vision for trails and open spaces.