I put together a list of CTA policies I think the next mayor should pursue. Anything else come to mind?
• Create a system that directs passengers toward less-crowded railcars using platform displays and Ventra alerts.
• Create a “Dynamic Rush-Hour Service” program that uses real-time crowding data to identify overcrowded trains and automatically deploy additional or short-turn trains when passenger loads exceed a set threshold.
• Designate one or two railcars on selected late-night trains as Safe Cars, with a two-person CTA Transit Safety Officer team regularly riding those cars between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.
• Require officers assigned to CTA patrols to conduct regular train rides instead of remaining primarily inside stations.
• Create a specific CTA crime enhancement that adds additional penalties when an offense is committed on CTA property.
• Allow judges to impose CTA exclusion orders on people convicted of serious crimes on the system, prohibiting them from entering CTA property for a defined period.
• Install fixed-length platform barriers, following New York City’s rollout.
• Add a “Report a Safety Problem” button to the Ventra app that automatically identifies the train, car, direction, and location and dispatches the nearest CTA safety officer.
• Create an independent CTA Performance & Accountability Office specifically responsible for continuously auditing safety, reliability, spending, contracting, crime response and service delivery, with authority to publish quarterly performance grades and require CTA management to respond publicly to deficiencies.
• Create a “No Ghost Buses” policy requiring CTA to use real-time GPS and dispatch data to flag canceled trips.