[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6605556,"mediaKeyId","2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab","parentId",2985726,"title","CTA outlines homeless outreach program, shelter placements and accelerated moving events; committee asks for crisis-response coordination","audioSeconds",868,"startMs",3100000,"endMs",3968000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab&start=3100&end=3968","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab/thumbnail_3100000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6605556/Illinois/CTA-outlines-homeless-outreach-program-shelter-placements-and-accelerated-moving-events-committee-asks-for-crisis-response-coordination","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605556-d392e669b4421f3c5ab07074e59432bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770855632&Signature=PsLZIl9L81mEYI7Mwgym-8D69T5k9bEMOB5vH-zBZEjxDXwl8YpVyoGBbFXGPPtcpCh0xTj9N~S5QNLDwI87~vkAM~O0mTKBsCvy1F0HE4~5Evy9GoeezRXlMO~OSCcMEqj4RW5TS-3iRjONbEYG9o3WwC6T-cvTIC35KckHAo~MbQQPecY9ypCtOTcdRT~~FpfwV5194YHKGtwQYgy7itqaq8I37JjhNWt6xk~QgfeTwbtfXnjqmTq2PMgNCLUyRO1GIKqplSw~EVJl9CGrvVHf2FwBurzAiFA6fkM1C1bjuPOtK~K-Ks7ebIqYV2cpu--M~R0hJ5KJx3VIkuBsiA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chicago Transit Authority Board","date","2025-04-14T21:02:01.323Z","article","Veronica Galanese, CTA chief operating officer, presented the agency’s homeless outreach work under an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS). The IGA funds outreach on the Red and Blue lines and complements other city-funded outreach. Galanese told the committee the IGA provides $2,000,000 for outreach: two providers operate under the agreement — Thresholds (Red Line) and Haymarket (Blue Line O’Hare branch) — and additional outreach is funded by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) through its Night Ministry partnership at terminal stations.

Galanese gave the committee a multi-year tally of outreach activity. CTA and its outreach partners reported 17,586 total encounters across both lines since the IGA began (staff clarified that this count may include multiple encounters with the same individual). Outcomes through the end of 2024 included 265 shelter placements through dedicated referral pathways, 104 clients connected to more stable or permanent housing, and 39 households housed through two CTA-specific Accelerated Moving Events (AMEs). CTA staff said AME events are one‑day housing intake events that let multiple households complete steps of the housing process; two CTA‑specific AMEs were cited: July 19, 2023 (Harold Washington Library — 19 people housed out of 24 attendees) and April 23, 2024 (Chicago Cultural Center — 20 of 20 attendees housed).

Galanese described additional program details: five CTA‑dedicated shelter beds have been in use nightly since September 2023, and CTA and DFSS are working to expand shelter space. CTA staff described a new Shelter Placement and Resource Center (SPARC) at 2241 South Halsted, a 24/7 intake location operated by Franciscan Outreach and New Life Centers that can accommodate up to 200 people awaiting shelter placement and that provides interim services and overflow shelter as capacity allows.

Committee members welcomed the outreach results but pressed CTA staff on points of accessibility and crisis response. Members asked whether outreach statistics disaggregate disability status and whether the shelter and housing pipeline contained accessible units for people with mobility or other impairments. Several committee members also urged CTA to pursue crisis‑intervention or non‑police crisis teams that could respond when staff or riders encounter people in visible crisis on trains, especially outside daytime outreach hours.

Galanese said CTA is exploring options to coordinate crisis teams with DFSS and other partners; staff agreed to ask DFSS whether the Point-in-Time counts and resulting HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) entries contain disability markers that can be reported to the committee. The committee asked CTA to return with follow-up on accessible shelter capacity and the feasibility and timeline for non‑law‑enforcement crisis-response pilots.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chicago Transit Authority ADA Advisory Committee Meeting - April 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","CTA staff told the ADA advisory committee that a $2 million intergovernmental agreement with the Department of Family and Support Services funds outreach on the Red and Blue lines; outreach partners have reported 17,586 encounters and 265 shelter placements through dedicated referral pathways as of the end of 2024.","taxTitle","Chicago Transit Authority Board, C, Boards and Commissions, Executive, Illinois","taxId",30803,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605550,"City pilot and CTA bus cameras to enforce bus lanes and bike lanes; committee voices ADA pickup-zone concerns",293,3173000,3466000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab&start=3173&end=3466","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab/thumbnail_3173000.jpg","/articles/6605550/Illinois/City-pilot-and-CTA-bus-cameras-to-enforce-bus-lanes-and-bike-lanes-committee-voices-ADA-pickup-zone-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605550-f46e4f382a0b9a6d03c86b0c48d38734/orig.mp4?Expires=1770855632&Signature=YGZqRjcrP4A7IJDOU4q58nBzpTyCrq-waBjPQghEf-PpFYoWpy63FK5otUceHWfEDSw~Voes3x5Pxb9lCPqqcFc5K3wEDQObc~X1fE7WIhCXe0xddYa4fnFpEq5WvJqWmsc3egUHPriKCTPdv1tzPohFShkl1Z~GEKMoTYVkMXnPrxWCWqZPtNdtPBfTHXRbPv-ZqwotsDeuoS~Hd5FSe1DhX4YLeTi~-OzlMzsJOOihusIJwIqvw3WoL3uyGxmdovAs90kEJ5oMnGG5kz7YYN-05s4Rqt~a548P9RN4uJuaQwdLysVlCd3WnclxjsOFS0kYkKg5hRzJESzzAhVdQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Cherwinski, CTA director of service planning and traffic engineering, briefed the committee on the Smart Streets pilot — a City of Chicago program passed by City Council that permits automated camera enforcement of bus lanes, bus stops and protected bike lanes within a defined downtown pilot area.

Cherwinski explained the pilot area is roughly bounded by North Avenue, Ashland, Roosevelt and the lakefront and said CDOT has already deployed Department of Finance vehicles to gather enforcement evidence. City staff reported that between the pilot’s warning period and the early enforcement window (December–February), CDOT captured 6,286 violations; the Department of Finance issued 5,504 warnings, 596 bus‑lane tickets and 186 bike‑lane tickets during the period Cherwinski cited.

CTA has executed a contract with vendor Hayden AI for an automated bus‑mounted enforcement system with an initial pilot on six CTA buses and an option to expand to 100 buses. The Hayden AI system uses two windshield cameras plus an onboard processor to identify potential violations, collect photographic evidence and an automated license‑plate read, and then upload an evidence package to a vendor server for additional review. If the evidence meets requirements, the data transfers to the Department of Finance for ticket issuance; CTA will follow a calibration and testing period once cameras are mounted. Cherwinski said cameras should be installed on CTA buses by mid‑June, with at least two months of calibration and testing and the first CTA‑captured warnings and tickets occurring in the third quarter of 2025.

Committee members raised concerns about the pilot’s impact on people with disabilities and pickup zones. Members reported that protected bike lanes and newly designated bus lanes have removed curbside pickup areas in some blocks, pushing pickup activity into the roadway and making access difficult for people using canes, walkers or mobility vans. One committee member cited Wabash Street near the 800 block as an example where ADA‑friendly curb access and ramp locations are insufficient for riders who must traverse a painted or protected lane to reach a vehicle.

Cherwinski and CDOT staff said coordination on curb ramps, designated ADA loading areas and block‑by‑block treatments is part of broader city planning; Cherwinski said CDOT is experimenting with end‑of‑block ADA parking and other measures to preserve accessible pickup locations. The pilot runs for two years from the date of the first issued ticket; CDOT and the Department of Finance must report to City Council 120 days before the pilot’s end so council can consider next steps.","CTA staff and City partners told the ADA advisory committee that a downtown Smart Streets pilot will allow camera‑based enforcement of bus lanes, bus stops and bike lanes; CDOT reported early enforcement captured thousands of violations and CTA signed a contract with Hayden AI to pilot bus‑mounted cameras.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605560,"CTA security reports anti-smoking missions and Action K9 engagements; committee raises public-health and equity questions",517,2255000,2772000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab&start=2255&end=2772","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab/thumbnail_2255000.jpg","/articles/6605560/Illinois/CTA-security-reports-anti-smoking-missions-and-Action-K9-engagements-committee-raises-public-health-and-equity-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605560-30131360b569f89800c5ddcd15cad787/orig.mp4?Expires=1770855632&Signature=GN7Dy9fAsz-2J~RE1AVeBAT2VbD62AqAdqUKnZweG3yeXC8Kh7TCXLuKqwuvyBFBMJ~iqRu1iTC4KTZPEd5UnIGKvIBjISfyBE~NIm6e1dth1Aq2X0qfplm7w4dItDoM6-bvQD04p2oGda63oVeTWf-f6UpdQ9a0w8~wVPuUTPNtC-tZaVAp6wCFVAiN6~9tl6ALvbnsVf~BmUKLv8UicGo2LXyZo-VeuvQ4tHIhKX0vEJbBlcVMDBoberP124Ao3GCkumHLWUi94SMltfUunQOtb-K21tYqF5ZWU2v1w8m-nP95BgVJNbrGX9mchaIF6SGKnJgr9KXjWFpuhHJX4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eddie Winters, CTA general manager of security, briefed the ADA advisory committee on the agency’s anti-smoking and code-of-conduct missions, Action K9 team deployments and bus missions.

Winters told the committee that specialized anti-smoking missions have been conducted on multiple lines and that enforcement is a joint effort among CTA operations, private security contractors, and the Chicago Police Department. During the mission period Winters cited to the committee, CTA reported 27 citations for smoking, 16 for open containers, 7 for car-to-car movement and 14 other citations; the security update also listed 11 arrests (10 for outstanding warrants). Staff said 79 smoking complaints logged in the CTA chatbot had been acted upon during missions and that Action K9 teams had conducted scores of engagements on the Red Line: Winters cited more than 1,200 engagements on the Red Line in 2025 with the most frequent categories being one-seat violations (694), smoking (68), group activity (65), medical assistance (51), and vandalism (48).

Committee members probed resources and priorities. Several members argued smoking should be treated differently from other code-of-conduct violations because of the public-health risks of smoke exposure in enclosed rail cars and stations. Members asked how smoking-focused missions were prioritized against other enforcement tasks and whether CTA could do more real‑time outreach when incidents are reported through the chatbot.

Veronica Galanese, CTA chief operating officer, described the agency’s combination of chatbot reporting, operator announcements and staffed Action K9 missions as the current approach and said CTA is looking to expand real-time engagement tools. Committee members suggested interim technical fixes — such as adding QR codes to digital signs so a rider could access audio alerts or sign-posted audio recordings — and asked whether staff were prioritizing non-law-enforcement responses for people who are homeless or experiencing crisis.

Winters and Galanese told the committee the security staff do not themselves issue tickets and that citation issuance is handled through appropriate municipal channels when violations meet the threshold for formal citations. The committee did not vote on security policy during the presentation; members asked CTA to return with additional detail about real‑time complaint handling and the agency’s prioritization framework for health-related code violations.","CTA General Manager of Security Eddie Winters reported on targeted anti-smoking missions, Action K9 deployments and bus-specific missions. Staff gave counts of citations and interactions; committee members asked that smoking be prioritized as a public‑health issue and suggested audio/QR options for signage.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605566,"CTA construction update: Racine, Bryn Mawr and Austin projects progress; agency outlines station accessibility funding and digital signage pilot",648,947000,1595000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab&start=947&end=1595","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab/thumbnail_947000.jpg","/articles/6605566/Illinois/CTA-construction-update-Racine-Bryn-Mawr-and-Austin-projects-progress-agency-outlines-station-accessibility-funding-and-digital-signage-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605566-f0f43a305cd384732512331b4b97deed/orig.mp4?Expires=1770855632&Signature=PYPSYcOZYL8bogSLU05xYtFJIPdfnW-yatry5CsDqMUkzFqT3yTtLCPmcEiCrlf2SxWXbPRQEYSeUmAqkVPEDOPvVO8vAsu6kwPRW7We18e2nU~VYsZUXJzu4LpoI-zY8dxwbZC2K-m7fjQBX-lXXPcqFR~RiIhv6-Niirx8ZNAiamBz79vo6TXxCmtjrgH4X5svTFVMmxnvailRGdhOlRbCpdZa~vBoqev5aGxDPbRiZZHDzhNJzY4V2qjNvpkjTAAS55ffqVgZSk4cUFauIlJqUEjGFKhm14AOCm6lTgiwx3h4VV3Wg62nIJXp1GNSBRNHgj8IsjsmuHF9tp0ltA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bill Mooney, chief infrastructure officer at the Chicago Transit Authority, told the ADA advisory committee the agency is advancing a suite of All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) projects, including multiple stations now in construction and another set actively in design.

Mooney said the program’s construction-phase projects include work on the Red and Blue Lines and the Green Line; he listed stations currently in construction or recently moving into the construction phase and described visible progress at Racine station, where new precast concrete siding, an expanded elevated station house, and elevator hoist and hoist-way installations are underway. Photographs shown to the committee depicted a new station house, a grand stairwell connecting the elevator to the platform, mechanical rooms and finishes, and the elevator hoist space that will support a counterweight system.

The Austin Green Line accessibility project has begun advanced utility relocation work and formal groundbreaking took place March 31, Mooney said. The committee was shown images of excavation, utility relocation and the ceremonial event. Mooney said the Austin work is among multiple ASAP packages advancing this year, and indicated many stations are progressing toward openings later this summer when construction milestones permit.

Mooney also described a digital signage pilot tied to the Red-Purple Modernization (RPM) project that will bring live station-level service alerts and elevator outage information into stations through networked displays. He noted the initial pilot boards will not include text-to-audio capability but that the agency is working on future iterations that could add audio; committee members suggested QR codes as an interim way to provide audio access via a rider’s phone.

Irma Gomez Ferro, CTA’s ADA compliance manager, provided funding details in the facilitator’s report: CTA’s Austin reconstruction project budget was presented as $25.6 million, funded in part by the federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Illinois’ Rebuild Illinois capital program. Irma told the committee STP contributed $20.3 million and Rebuild Illinois $5.3 million to that project. She also said CTA had funding secured for the stations identified in phase one of the ASAP plan and about half of the stations in phase two, and that the agency had secured roughly $37 million for elevator replacements and modernization efforts.

Committee members asked whether accessible sidewalks, curb ramps and coordination with Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Cook County would accompany station work; Mooney said coordination with CDOT and other partners is part of construction planning and cited Oak Park/Chicago border work on the Austin project as an example where curb and corner realignment will be part of the station approach.

Mooney said community preview opportunities were likely mid- to late-May (timeline subject to weather and final scheduling) and that the digital signage pilot would provide the agency a real-time feed of service updates into stations to reduce reliance on manual procedures such as handwritten whiteboards.

The committee did not vote on project approvals during the presentation; the report was informational and staff committed to follow up on accessibility details such as audio access for pilot signage and coordination of adjacent sidewalks and curb ramps.","CTA chief infrastructure officer Bill Mooney updated the ADA advisory committee on multiple All Stations Accessibility Program projects in construction and design, including Racine, Bryn Mawr and Austin, elevator rehabs, a $25.6 million Austin budget breakdown, and a pilot for digital, real-time station signage tied to CTA web services.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605571,"Uptown residents tell CTA ADA committee missing bus stop forces long walks for seniors and people with disabilities",250,611000,861000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab&start=611&end=861","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2985726-2bc258657c6245c1ded61921efb117ab/thumbnail_611000.jpg","/articles/6605571/Illinois/Uptown-residents-tell-CTA-ADA-committee-missing-bus-stop-forces-long-walks-for-seniors-and-people-with-disabilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605571-6ed80dafe072a1605f826c12d4e5ee55/orig.mp4?Expires=1770855632&Signature=fVSvjYKYj9cDhvp~2irkUCi33fJRu5BlZ-ZMsJ3q3dedyM0Vht8GOjjX4OzmsfIC6CPQqZZeiYaoB0rfDJWjLtvcEtkjSGS-CD0MxSOLZ3GuwHt-wOH0bPY1OdTJ5RH4xhMSMV5fSRYmNPjXrsRSb2tEjSNwukMSAOwKTGAI9i6KUdqiltREdbzz21qDWR5GI~qAF8kCnZDKyQ6J8~02l~wtnr0mtpeh4o5gF911Xrsv-oOtGqKlVkmYB6fS9nlo4bgUNER9pecnTTOvCgsKd3KDWhFhnUhxlaywvBDyKu2WFeH~g~dHYcyZWGYrHmiWXsPBE1WDPyYPhyDyV9l6XA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Petros, a resident of an Uptown apartment building, told the Chicago Transit Authority ADA Advisory Committee that CTA removed the southbound Route 36 bus stop at Montrose and Broadway about six years ago and that the change has forced many residents — including a large number of seniors and people who rely on canes or walkers — to walk roughly 1,000 feet to reach their homes instead of the roughly 200 feet they had before.

The residents formed a committee in October and gathered more than 100 signatures and endorsements from 17 local businesses supporting restoration of the stop. Petros said he submitted those petitions to his alderman’s office and, after informing the alder’s office that he planned to speak to the committee, received notice that CTA had agreed to “look into” the request but that he had seen no further progress.

The issue matters to Uptown tenants with mobility limitations because the difference between a 200-foot and 1,000-foot walk can be the difference between an accessible trip and a trip that a person must avoid. Petros told the committee the group wanted CTA to review whether operational decisions are inadvertently reducing access for ADA-covered riders in Uptown and elsewhere.

Irma Gomez Ferro, ADA compliance manager at CTA, told the committee staff has Petros’s contact information and would take a look at the specific stop. “So we will take a look into this, bus stop relocation is within the department planning information…so it’s within my apartment,” Irma said on the record, repeating the route and location given by Petros: southbound Route 36 at Montrose and Broadway. Irma said CTA would follow up with him.

Committee members asked a few clarifying questions about the route and the location while offering support for CTA examining operational processes to avoid unintended access impacts. The public comment portion ended after the committee confirmed staff would investigate and follow up.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the item; CTA staff said they would review the petition and investigate the bus-stop relocation within CTA planning processes and get back to Petros and the committee.","A resident delegation told the Chicago Transit Authority ADA advisory committee that a southbound Route 36 stop at Montrose and Broadway removed six years ago forces many Uptown seniors and people with disabilities to walk about 1,000 feet to reach their building. CTA staff said they would investigate and follow up with the speaker.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CTA outlines homeless outreach program, shelter placements and accelerated moving events; committee asks for crisis-response coordination

City pilot and CTA bus cameras to enforce bus lanes and bike lanes; committee voices ADA pickup-zone concerns

CTA security reports anti-smoking missions and Action K9 engagements; committee raises public-health and equity questions

CTA construction update: Racine, Bryn Mawr and Austin projects progress; agency outlines station accessibility funding and digital signage pilot

Uptown residents tell CTA ADA committee missing bus stop forces long walks for seniors and people with disabilities