Chicago Transit Authority quits X, says it "no longer provides the value it once did"

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has announced it is discontinuing its presence on X, formerly known as Twitter. The decision was confirmed by the agency on Friday, stating that their main accounts, @cta and @ctaAlert, are no longer active on the site.

On January 1, the alerts account posted the following automated message:

The CTA explained that after careful consideration, they found that X “no longer provides the value it once did for us to effectively reach and communicate with our riders.” This move follows a growing list of organizations and public figures leaving the platform. Notably, acclaimed author Stephen King quit X citing a toxic environment, and German soccer club St. Pauli also exited under similar reasons.

The agency did, however, mention that while their general information and service alerts accounts are no longer on X, the @CTARPM account remains active to provide project updates. Riders are encouraged to use alternative methods such as text or email subscriptions for real-time service information. This shift aligns with other celebrities and companies leaving X, frustrated by recent changes on the platform.

Elon Musk’s management of X has been under scrutiny, with many attributing the mass departures to increased misinformation and a decline in platform quality. Allan Lichtman, known for his election predictions, blames Musk for inaccurate predictions due to rampant misinformation on X.

The CTA’s departure adds to the ongoing trend of organizations seeking more reliable and less chaotic platforms. Following the election win, Swifties have been switching from X to Bluesky, and some users are likely exploring alternatives as X Premium+ prices have recently increased.

It’s clear that Elon Musk’s platform is under a lot of pressure to keep its dwindling user base. A couple of days ago, Musk announced that an algorithm update to “promote more informational/entertaining content” is coming. This is likely one of many changes in the pipeline to bring some normalcy back to the platform following the surge in political posts flooding everyone’s feed. Whether these changes help retain users remains to be seen.