A 1992 study by the American Public Transportation Association, Americans in Transit, found that in a city the size of Chicago, 6% of mass transit passengers would have some form of disability. The transit authority has responded by trying to add elevators as it upgrades stations, putting accessible buses into service, offering discounts on fixed route bus and rail lines, and contracting with private firms in an effort to provide curb-to-curb service for certified ADA Paratransit approved riders.

Paratransit is expensive. According to the CTA, "Paratransit ridership comprises 0.3% of CTA total ridership while Paratransit expenses constitute 4.6% of the operating budget.... Since 1987, Paratransit costs have increased 57% from $26.1 million in annual expenditures to $41.0 million in annual expenses forecasted for 2003." The CTA expects the number of Paratransit trips to grow in 2004 to 1.9 million trips, "an increase of 21% over FY 2003 budget." From President's Report on CTA's Fares and Proposal for the FY2004 Budget, published by the Chicago Transit Authority.