CHICAGO (WGN) — From the federal government to local groups, demand is growing for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to do more for passengers after several high-profile attacks on trains and buses under its jurisdiction.
Monday marked a hard deadline for the transit agency to hit to maintain federal funding, and according to a CTA spokesperson, the transit agency met that deadline. Originally set in a special directive by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the FTA required the CTA to create a plan outlining how it would make trains and buses safer for passengers by Dec. 15, and also develop a security enhancement plan for the FTA to review and approve. 
This all began earlier this month when the FTA warned the CTA that the transit agency could lose federal funding if it did not work to improve safety for riders after several high-profile attacks, one of which included the burning of a woman on the Blue Line.
In the directive, it also says the FTA will review and monitor CTA’s progress until the federal agency determines meetings are no longer needed between the two. This will include on-site inspections.
According to Chicago Police Department statistics, so far in 2025, ‘overall crime’ on the CTA is down over the same period as last year, but both homicides and shootings have increased by significant percentages.
Local groups like Violence Interrupters Inc. are advocating for more community partnerships to help riders feel safer.
“We plan to work with high-risk youth in the areas of conflict resolution,” Tio “Mr. Ceasefire” Hardiman said.
While a copy of the CTA has yet to be released to the public, Violence Interrupters said they would like to be a part of the solution.
“The only thing missing in the CTA safety plan is a community outreach component,” Hardiman said. “We would like to partner with CTA, the City of Chicago, to provide and perform outreach services.”