Chicago Transit Authority Archives

The Chicago Transit Authority Archives collects and preserves material that documents the history of the agency and its predecessor companies. 

The newly created CTA Archives houses materials that describes the history and creation of the Chicago Transit Authority in the context of the parallel development of the Chicagoland area. The archive collects and maintains records from the Chicago Transit Authority and its predecessor companies that capture various policy, structure, and culture changes throughout the agency’s history. The Chicago Transit Authority Archives recognizes the previous and continuing role of the Chicago Transit Authority in dividing the city of Chicago along lines of race, class, and socioeconomic status. Establishing the archives at the Chicago Transit Authority will expand the capacity of the agency to use its historical record to acknowledge the historical inequities of the Chicago Transit Authority and address their current manifestations at the agency. Materials in the archive may be categorized as one of more of the following:

• Official Records
• Materials with a compelling relationship to the agency
• Materials that otherwise document the work of the Chicago Transit Authority in its various capacities