Wednesday Journal: Safe Ride Specialists Pilot Program Launches on CTA Green Line

In recent years, Oak Park residents and Green Line commuters have increasingly complained of  transit-related grievances including harassment and illicit drug use on train cars and vagrancy around the vicinity of stations. There has also been a  noticeable uptick in unhoused individuals utilizing train cars for overnight and weekend shelter. 

In a bid to expand public safety and make public transit more welcoming to passengers, reduce crime and support individuals in need, the Chicago Transit Authority this fall launched a new initiative: Crisis Intervention Safe Ride Specialist Program is a pilot safety initiative created to assist with defusing passenger issues and assisting riders in need.

The program is assisted by two local agencies: Maywood-based Housing Forward and Oak Park’s Thrive Counseling Center. The agencies train and deploy volunteers to aid riders experiencing homelessness, substance abuse disorder and mental health issues. 

The CTA program is a $9 million, year-long initiative designed to complement the agency’s recent drive to improve security and police presence on trains and buses by helping passengers in need of shelter or healthcare and by providing resources for crisis and community violence intervention. The focus is on the  CTA’s Red, Blue and Green Lines.

Safe Ride Specialists are out on the Green Line on Mondays through Fridays from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and meet before and after their train shifts to prep, debrief, case conference and report on outcomes.

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