Public Transportation Analysis in Chicago

I am commuter in Chicago who frequently travels using many different forms of public transportation. Many people ask me if I have a car or not and I tell them "No, too expensive!", yet sometimes I wonder if it would be worth it?

In Chicago, the options for public transportation are pretty good, but they all have their advantages and disadvantages. The 'El' or "Elevated Track", for example, is very quick, but sometimes extremely crowded and can have a lot of delays. The rates are also increasing all the time, with no real improvements (if you don't count the multiple years of construction that disrupted a good portion of my college years). I rely on the trains every day, but sometimes they just make me so mad at their inconvenience that I look out the windows at the car flying by and wonder if they have it better or worse than I do?

The other option is the bus, which is part of the Chicago Transit Authority, along with the 'El' train. This is good because I can use my Chicago Plus Card to use both the bus and the train. The bad part is that they also like to increase the rates on that card all the time and it's frustrating having to adjust my budget each time that happens. It's still much cheaper than owning a car in Chicago, but at least with a car I don't have to sit at a bus stop waiting 5-10 minutes to get moving towards my destination. That and a lot of people who ride the bus are sometimes very impatient and rude. Having to listen to them whine on the bus can be a huge headache when you're only half awake and not in the mood to listen to someone ranting about the "manners" of others.

The last option I mainly use is taxi cabs. Cabs in Chicago are everywhere. Sometimes I wonder if there are more cabs on the street than there are cars themselves. Cabs are very convenient (except on busy holiday nights) but also somewhat expensive. They don't exactly break the bank, but I'd much rather not have to spend $10 plus on a ride downtown or up north when I could have done it practically for free with my card on the train system.

Anyway, those are a few of the options available to a commuter like myself in Chicago. There are definitely other options out there like bicycles, car-sharing programs, scooters and other creative ways to get to where you need to go. However, I don't see these as very realistic given my situation. The public transportation system works well for me, but it also has a lot of downfalls. Is it worth the once in a while inconvenience? Or should I stop being a 'wuss' and go the solo route (car)?

My answer to that question is, either pay me more, or improve the public transportation system. Is either one of those likely? Pfft, I won't hold my breath.