The pilot program brings trained teams to help de-escalate passenger issues and assist riders in need, complementing Agency’s continued law enforcement surge
Earlier this month, teams of Safe Ride Specialists began riding Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) trains and monitor key stations and major bus terminals across the system to help maintain a safe, welcoming, and respectful transit environment for everyone. The Specialists are one component of the Agency’s comprehensive safety approach, which includes law enforcement, non-law enforcement and physical and environmental upgrades. Safe Ride Specialists work in addition to and in coordination with police, security and frontline staff. Specialists include teams of mental health clinicians, peer support specialists, crisis intervention specialists, and community violence intervention experts that are trained to help de-escalate passenger issues and assist riders in need.
“Safe Ride Specialists are the latest addition to our expanded safety approach that’s designed to help every rider feel welcome on public transit," said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. "The increased presence of both police officers and trained crisis intervention specialists across the system is critical to our ability to continue to reduce crime and support riders in need on CTA."
Safe Ride Specialists wear distinct, branded vests reflecting their primary role as either:
- Crisis Intervention Specialists: Support riders experiencing housing instability, mental health crises and substance abuse disorders by connecting them to treatment, housing, and social services.
- Community Violence Intervention Specialists: Engage youth and young adults to build positive relationships, de-escalate potential conflicts, and redirect energy into constructive behaviors.
The program is another layer of CTA’s comprehensive safety approach that was strengthened with the passage of the NITA Act. Earlier this year CTA partnered with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Cook County Sherriff’s Office to deploy additional officers across the system, amounting to a 75% increase in monthly system policing hours. These additional law enforcement activities, the Safe Ride Specialists and other initiatives were outlined under the CTA’s security enhancement strategy unveiled earlier this year.
CTA has also increased investment in non-law enforcement rider engagement initiatives. Safe Ride Specialists add to CTA’s existing resources for unhoused riders on the 24-hour Red and Blue lines through a partnership with Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) that recently expanded to include increased access to shelter beds.
During the one-year Safe Ride Specialist pilot, CTA will measure program effectiveness through various key performance indicators, such as incidents de-escalated without the use of law enforcement; reduction in service delays; improved safety for front line personnel and riders; and connections to needed wraparound resources. These indicators will be evaluated to determine the future of the program and help inform the regional safety initiatives being led by NITA.
"We look forward to seeing the impact that Safe Ride Specialists have," said NITA interim Executive Director Jamie Rhee. "It is important that we use a variety of approaches to help people feel safer on the system, and the results of this pilot will help us inform a long-term public safety strategy."
Teams of Specialists ride trains and monitor key stations and bus terminals in four dedicated staging areas on the Blue, Green and Red lines. Locations were determined based on incident data and feedback from riders and frontline staff.
Where to find Crisis Intervention Safe Ride Specialists riding:
- Blue Line O’Hare Branch: Logan Square to Jefferson Park
- Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Blue Line Forest Park Branch: Austin to Forest Park
- Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Green Line: Harlem/Lake to Conservatory-Central Park
- Monday-Friday, 6 p.m. – 1 a.m., Saturday 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Where to find Community Violence Intervention Safe Ride Specialists riding:
- Red Line: Lake to Roosevelt
- 7 days/week, Noon – 3:30 a.m.
Partner agencies include Healthcare Alternative Systems (HAS), Street Samaritans, Housing Forward, and Metropolitan Peace Initiatives – a division of Metropolitan Family Services. Each organization brings significant outreach experience and a network of wraparound services that riders can directly access, including shelter beds, respite locations, mental healthcare, and much more. Every Safe Ride Specialist team carries outreach materials; care & hygiene kits; and Narcan.
"HAS is excited to partner with the CTA to provide person-centered, trauma-informed services in a space that all Chicagoans rely on every day. Crisis doesn't always happen in a clinic; it happens in public and on transit systems. We are eager for our talented, compassionate staff to continue meeting people where they're at and provide them with the support they need,” said Millie Adan, Chief Executive Officer of HAS.
“Street Samaritans is proud to partner with the CTA on this critical work. Our approach has always been rooted in the people we serve and extending that work to the Blue Line reflects exactly where it's needed most. This partnership is a natural extension of our commitment to Chicago, one that now reaches into the transit system where so many of our neighbors spend their days,” said Oscar Martinez, Executive Director of Street Samaritans.
"Housing Forward looks forward to partnering with the CTA on the Safe Ride Specialist Pilot Program and bringing more than 15 years of Street Outreach experience to the Green Line. CTA trains are a natural place to engage with individuals experiencing homelessness and an opportunity to connect them to services and a pathway to stability,” said Lynda Schueler, CEO of Housing Forward.
“We are proud to partner with the Chicago Transit Authority on this innovative pilot program that brings Community Violence Intervention (CVI) and crisis prevention strategies into one of the city’s most important public spaces,” said Vaughn Bryant, Vice President and Executive Director of Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI). “We are also equally excited to create new employment pathways for Chicagoans who want to use their lived experiences and commitment to peace to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Public safety and violence prevention remain a top priority for MPI, and we believe the presence of our trained Crisis Prevention and Response Unit (CPRU) can help foster a safer, more welcoming transit environment for all riders. This pilot program is an opportunity to demonstrate the transformative impact of CVI and create a model that can one day be expanded across the city’s public transit system.”
The Safe Ride Specialist program pilot was developed collaboratively in partnership with riders and more than 30 mental health and social service experts, community organizations, and labor partners at CTA’s Transit Community Safety workshop held in August 2025.
The total cost for the pilots is $9.6 million and is supported by previously allocated funds under the CTA budget with additional funding authorized by the RTA Board in May after the passage of the NITA Act.
To learn more, visit transitchicago.org/saferide.
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