The Chicago Transit Board has awarded four professional services agreements supporting the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) new Safe Ride Specialist program pilot. The program is set to add non-law enforcement rider engagement resources that are dedicated to promoting safe travel for every rider.

“Our new Safe Ride Specialists program builds on the foundation of CTA's public safety efforts, bringing trained, compassionate outreach professionals into the system to meet riders where they are," said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. "This program will help every rider feel welcome, connect vulnerable riders to the support they need and complement our recent investments to increase law enforcement resources."

The CTA notes that the Safe Ride Specialist program pilot was developed collaboratively in partnership with riders and more than 30 mental health and social service experts, community organizations and labor partners at CTA’s Transit Community Safety workshop held in August 2025.

Safe Ride Specialists will serve two core roles:

• Crisis intervention specialists: Support riders experiencing mental health crises and substance abuse disorders by connecting them to treatment, housing and social services.
• Community violence intervention specialists: Engage youth and young adults to build positive relationships, de-escalate potential conflicts and redirect energy into constructive behaviors.

Safe Ride Specialists are being placed in an effort to maintain a visible presence on CTA’s system by proactively riding transit in teams across targeted stations, trains and buses to address behaviors against the rider code of conduct and provide a reassuring presence for riders. The agency says that Safe Ride Specialists will wear branded uniforms and are trained in trauma-informed care, crisis de-escalation, conflict resolution and anti-bias principles. Every Safe Ride Specialist team will carry outreach materials, Nacran and care and hygiene kits. Additionally, each organization brings significant outreach experience and a network of wraparound services that riders can directly access, including shelter beds, respite locations, mental healthcare and more.

Safe Ride Specialists will start being visible on the system beginning in September. Partner agencies include Healthcare Alternative Systems (HAS), Street Samaritans, Housing Forward and Metropolitan Peace Initiatives—a division of Metropolitan Family Services. Partners will focus on the Blue, Red and Green Lines, with particular staging locations and access points determined through rider and employee feedback, as well as access to areas of respite for rider engagement and the availability of wraparound resources.

"HAS is excited to partner with the CTA to provide person-centered, trauma-informed services in a space that all Chicagoans rely on every day,” said HAS CEO Millie Adan. “Crisis doesn't always happen in a clinic; it happens in public and on transit systems. We are eager for our talented, compassionate staff to continue meeting people where they're at and provide them with the support they need.”

While the pilot zones are targeted to areas of highest need as identified by riders, front-line personnel and security resources, the agency says that riders and personnel across the entire system will experience the benefits of these pilots.

The Safe Ride Specialists will add to CTA’s existing resources for unhoused riders on the 24-hour Red and Blue lines through a partnership with Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS). The Chicago Transit Board also approved two new expanded agreements with DFSS for additional outreach for people experiencing homelessness, including introducing new dedicated shelter beds to better support those seeking refuge on the transit system.

“Street Samaritans is proud to partner with the CTA on this critical work. Our approach has always been rooted in the people we serve and extending that work to the Blue Line reflects exactly where it's needed most. This partnership is a natural extension of our commitment to Chicago, one that now reaches into the transit system where so many of our neighbors spend their days,” said Chicago Street Samaritans Executive Director Oscar Martinez.

Additionally, the program is another layer of CTA’s safety approach that was strengthened with the passage of the Northen Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act last fall. Earlier this year, CTA partnered with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Cook County Sherriff’s Office to deploy additional officers across the system. The new law also establishes a regional transit ambassador program led by NITA, in partnership with CTA, Metra and Pace Suburban Bus to assist riders and connect with law enforcement, social services and community resources, as needed.

The CTA notes that the total cost for the pilots is $9.6 million and will be supported by previously allocated funds under its budget with additional funding authorized by the Regional Transportation Authority Board in May after the passage of the NITA Act.

During the one-year pilot, the CTA notes it will measure program effectiveness through various key performance indicators, such as:

• Incidents de-escalated without the use of law enforcement.
• Reduction in service delays.
• Improved safety for front line personnel and riders.
• Connection to wraparound resources.
• Vulnerable rider outcomes beyond the initial engagement.

These indicators will be evaluated to determine the future of the program and help inform the regional safety initiatives being led by NITA.