Mayor modifies CTA policies to reduce COVID spread

Mayor Lightfoot has introduced new regulations to increase the safety of CTA passengers and employees.

Effective April 9, riders will board CTA buses through the rear door of the vehicles, where fare card readers will be relocated to accommodate them. Riders who use mobility devices or require ramps will still board at the front.

According to a press release from the Mayor’s office, “CTA will not enforce fare payment on buses that do not yet have rear-door fare card readers.”

CTA drivers will also have the authority to change the status of their routes into “drop-off only” scenarios to avoid overcrowding. When a standard 40-foot bus contains 15 or more passengers — or a 60-foot articulated bus contains more than 22 — they can proceed without picking up new passengers.

Referring to CTA personnel as “front-line employees,” the mayor also acknowledged their daily efforts to keep the city functioning, which have continued working throughout the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.

“I am heartened by the resilience of our bus and train operators who our communities rely on every day,” she said. “With these new measures, we’re further ensuring the health and safety of not only our most vulnerable residents but also our CTA employees, who are transporting our police officers, firefighters, paramedics and healthcare workers from the frontlines of this fight to their homes.”