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Last year, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) posted 526.4 million rides on its rail and bus systems, a 5.4 percent increase compared with 2007’s total and the highest single-year gain in 34 years. Ridership reached its highest level since 1992.

Rail ridership rose 4.1 percent to 198.2 million rides, the most since 1968. CTA attributes the increase to slow zone elimination efforts, progress on the Brown Line capacity expansion project and service adjustments.

The authority also posted gains with on-time performance last year (the CTA didn’t release an exact figure). On the rail operations end, 83 percent of trains came within one minute of their scheduled arrival time during peak periods.

A new performance management initiative helped the agency operate more trains on time. In May 2007, CTA implemented a performance management process that relies on a data-driven management model to improve operational efficiencies. All departments are responsible for meeting targets based on key performance and financial metrics.

During the past year, CTA also has identified and tracked “behind the scenes activities that influence performance,” such as preventative maintenance, percentage of slow zones and manpower levels, the agency said.

“We hold managers accountable and track overall performance of the organization,” said CTA President Ron Huberman in a prepared statement.