How to report issues and get help on the CTA
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Inside a Brown Line train. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
The Chicago Tribune published a story in November about a woman who witnessed a fight on the Red Line and quietly reported it using the CTA chatbot on her phone.
- Another passenger pressed the train's call button, antagonizing one of the people fighting.
Why it matters: According to CTA officials, neither of the passengers reacted appropriately, highlighting confusion over how to report issues while riding public transit.
State of play: A recent Tribune analysis suggests violent crime in the first half of 2024 (5.1 incidents per million rides) matched 2023 rates but had doubled since 2019.
What happening: We recently reached out to CTA spokesperson Maddie Kilgannon to learn the best ways to seek help:
CTA chatbot: Introduced last year on the CTA's website, this feature can be used to contact the CTA about "cleanliness, maintenance, ADA accommodations, safety & security, disruptive behavior, service disruptions and finding the next train/bus."
- If you use the chatbot to report smoking and include the line and car number, CTA officials can relay that info to the train operator.
- Yes, but: Don't use it for emergencies. "Customers should always call 911 if someone's safety is at risk," Kilgannon says.
Call button: This red-rimmed button on train cars contacts the train operator and can be used to tell them about a broken door or someone smoking on the train — if you want to be public about your complaint.
- The operator can call a maintenance person or check the door personally and make an announcement reminding riders that smoking is prohibited.
Private security guards: Often accompanied by dogs at select stops, these guards can help if you are fleeing someone bothering you on the train, but CTA officials say they are mainly stationed there as deterrents.
- "They are not law enforcement," Kilgannon says.
911 operator: Anytime you witness an emergency or a situation where you or other passengers are in imminent danger.
Common sense: If you encounter violence and/or smoke and bad smells, your first best option is to leave the train car as soon as it is safe and then report it to 911, a security guard or on the chatbot later.