Chicago City Council committee urges CTA to crack down on smoking on trains and buses
Interim CTA President Nora Leerhsen on Wednesday faced questions from members of the Chicago City Council who are seeking to crack down on smoking on trains and buses.
Members of the City Council Transportation Committee gathered at City Hall to discuss a proposed resolution to step up enforcement of the mass transit agency's smoking ban.
Leerhsen told aldermen smoking complaints are down compared to last year, and the number of citations issued by police is up.
She also pointed to the success of weekly anti-smoking missions involving police officers boarding trains to seek out smokers.
"These missions are a part of a larger effort that's been underway to combat smoking on CTA, including prerecorded audio messages in stations and vehicles, 'no smoking' posted signage, as well as newly created digital messaging," she said.
Leerhsen pointed out the locations of those anti-smoking missions are based on where customer complaints are coming from.
Ald. Bill Conway (34th) proposed the resolution urging the CTA to step up enforcement of its smoking ban. It's separate from an executive order issued by Mayor Brandon Johnson aiming to curb smoking on the CTA by directing the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the mayor's office to work with the CTA to end smoking on public transit and improve public safety.
The mayor's order directs city departments to partner with the CTA to "explore possible areas of collaboration," including deploying the Chicago Department of Public Health Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement teams and the Department of Family and Support Services Homeless Outreach and Prevention teams to curtail smoking on trains.
In the order, the mayor also calls for exploring whether a team could be assembled, possibly including community violence interrupters and mental health professionals, to engage with people found smoking on the CTA system and offer "on-site counseling, smoking cessation resources, and long-term treatment."
Johnson's announcement of the order focused more on the health risks of smoking and the dangers of secondhand smoke than the nuisance issue of smoking specifically on 'L' trains and other CTA property.