Saying More About Safety on the CTA

On April 27, 2026 the hosts of Say More on WBEZ summarized some ideas I shared upon their request. If you want to fast-forward to my message, move the red dotted playhead to the 43 minute mark:

https://www.wbez.org/say-more-with-mary-dixon-patrick-smith/2026/04/27/what-would-make-you-feel-safer-on-the-cta 

The Better Streets Chicago spokesperson never worked at the CTA front line. So naturally, my point of view as a front-line worker has no relevance. 

Yet this begs a hypothetical question: Why are CTA workers not central to decisions made about our working conditions?

I will let you come up with answers in the comment section. 

Although the host Patrick, did a decent summary, I wanted to share exactly what I sent him:

Safety at the CTA begins with the working conditions. An example: One Person Train Operation is a failure (the Conductor craft was killed through concessionary bargaining by former Local 308 president Jerry Williams in 1999). 

We cannot safely prepare the train for service, troubleshoot defects, assist passengers and attend to disturbances while maintaining realistic on-time performance. The sheer mental and physical stress from One Person Train Operation, combined with the fact we have no paid sick leave and are punished when we get sick has made train operation the most despised job at the CTA. 

The low morale accelerates turnover. That results in poor rider experience. 

Although the growing police presence provides a measure of greater security on CTA trains that many of us appreciate, CTA riders and workers need a sustainable, long-term solution to the chronically unreliable and unsafe service: 

Cutting train car length in half during non-rush hour periods, implementation of Conductors and providing paid sick leave as per Chicago's municipal code 6-130 for the CTA workers will do more to reduce vagrancy, increase on-time performance and improve the quality of life and morale for CTA workers. 

These are things that a CTA security/police force cannot provide—and would make the CTA even safer for everyone. 

Obviously, I am very skeptical about the NITA "Ambassador" scheme. I hope it works. However, from my experience, putting more CTA employees in the boiling cauldron of a mismanaged transit agency will only lead to more employees getting burned. 

Frankly, unless the "Ambassadors" are operating personnel, they will only get in the way and cause more delays. 

Until the mismanagement, and the congruent reality of working conditions are addressed, nothing really will change for the better. Moreover, until we as a society start to make truly affordable housing, education and healthcare for all, the CTA trains will continue to be a shelter, group home and jail.