Supporting our employees

Our employees have played a vital role during this health crisis, and as such we place the highest priority on keeping them healthy and safe. 

Every decision we've made regarding our work environment during this time has been in consultation with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and in lockstep with guidance from health experts, as well as best practices from the transit industry.

As we continue to address this ongoing situation, the health of our workers will remain our No. 1 priority. We stand fully behind the hardworking men and women of CTA, who continue to perform with professionalism and care, and we join all Chicagoans in appreciation of their efforts.

On-site vaccination program

To make it easier for our personnel to get vaccinated, in late February 2021, we began a phased program offering free, on-site vaccinations to all our employees, beginning with our frontline workers, like bus and rail operators and station personnel.

Our on-site vaccine program offered scheduled events at various CTA work locations across the city for added convenience. Although the on-site program has since concluded, we continue to strongly encourage all employees to be vaccinated, for the health and safety of both fellow employees and customers. Our employees have the option to obtain a vaccine through their own healthcare provider or at a participating pharmacy/drugstore. 

We are proud to have been one of the first transit agencies across the nation and among the largest local employers to provide on-site vaccinations for its workers.

Employee protections

Since the beginning of the pandemic, all employees have been equipped with proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and we will continue to make these supplies available for as long as necessary. In line with guidance provided by CDPH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we have issued masks, protective eyewear, gloves and hand sanitizer, and also distributed extensive information to all work locations about COVID-19 and the best practices recommended by health experts. 

Social distancing

We continue to promote social distancing on trains and buses, with signs on every vehicle and on digital screens throughout the rail system, as well on social media.  We’ve also been promoting social distancing at all work facilities, making adjustments to common areas to provide an environment where proper social distancing can occur, and placing posters to remind everyone how important it is to stay separated.

Limiting close contact

As an added layer of protection for our operators and their health, we temporarily roped off the seats closest to the operator cab area on buses and on trains. While most of our employees experience only casual contact as part of their duties, this extra measure helps encourage social distancing and better protects our operators and customers from the spread of coronavirus.

Rail operators, for instance, control trains from an entirely enclosed cab at the front of the train, and rail station attendants are conducting their work out of enclosed kiosks. Bus operators are only assigned vehicles equipped with driver shields, which create a barrier between them and customers boarding through the front doors.

A letter we sent to elected officials and community members early on in the pandemic regarding the extensive steps taken to protect our workers.   (.pdf)