"People were generous because they had it. People are still generous but they don't have it," said Legros, adding that he has been playing in CTA subways since 1995. "It's better than nothing."

The CTA and the city have separate rules regarding street performers. Musicians who play on Michigan Avenue, for example, are required to buy a $100 license from the city, according to the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Web site.

CTA performers, meanwhile, pay only $10 a year for their license but face more restrictions about where they can play. Musicians are allowed at only four subway locations: Washington/State, Jackson/State, Washington/Dearborn and Jackson/Dearborn, according to the CTA.

The Washington/State stop on the Red Line has been closed since October 2006 for renovation for the Block 37 CTA superstation--a project on hold indefinitely--leaving Legros and other street performers with three venues. Legros said he typically works in shifts of two to three hours and rotates between spots with other performers.

While downtown residents and workers complained about street performers at a recent City Council meeting, according to news reports, the CTA is seeing far fewer complaints about the musicians on its platforms. In 2008, CTA Customer Service recorded seven people mentioning the word "performer" in their communication with the CTA. Five of these mentions were compliments or people asking for details on how to obtain a permit, according to the CTA.

This year, customer service has three mentions on record, two of them complaints, the CTA said.

No matter the circumstance--the economy or a city crackdown on performers--Legros said he intends to continue to perform because he enjoys interacting with riders.

"I'll do it as long as I'm physically capable," Legros said. "They can't stop the music."