CTA board approved deal with IDOT to fix Blue Line slow zones, and an increase in bus lane enforcement cameras, and they discussed the decrease in transit crime

Wednesday’s July CTA board meeting was the first regularly scheduled meeting since Mayor Brandon Johnson announced his picks on Tuesday for the four new Chicagoland transit boards mandated by the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act. But none of the current CTA directors acknowledged the impending change.

Yesterday the board approved several agreements and contracts. Most notably, they signed off on a design services agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation for long-discussed improvements to Blue Line’s Forest Park Branch. They also exercised an option to buy 48 Automated Bus Lane Enforcement bus-mounted traffic cameras. Acting President Nora Leerhsen reported a continued decline in crime rates. And she and the board expressed condolences to family and friends of CTA employee Kevin Barlow, who was fatally shot during a carjacking on the night of June 29 outside the 98th Street rail maintenance facility.

Board member Roberto Requejo, one of the two mayoral appointees who wasn’t renominated, was absent. So was member Neema Jha, a gubernatorial appointee. Board member Pastor Michael Eaddy, an influential West Side clergy member and a mayoral appointee whom Johnson re-nominated, attended remotely due to a family emergency. 

Infrastructure projects

As someone who covered the West Side for Austin Weekly News for many years, I know all too well just how the Blue Line’s West Side slow zones are. In her report to the board, Leerhsen acknowledged many riders take the Green Line instead simply because, even if doing so means you need to walk farther or catch a bus, that’s still often faster than taking the Blue Line.

Just two weekends ago, I rode the Forest Park Branch to an event at BUILD Chicago, 5100 W. Harrison St. Austin. That’s not far from the Blue Line’s Cicero Station. But I was reminded why, if I’m traveling to anywhere in that part of Austin, I usually take Green Line/bus combination instead. 

The CTA’s intergovernmental agreement with IDOT won’t address the issues right away. Bill Mooney, the CTA’s chief infrastructure officer, told the board that around $28.2 million in federal funds will be used to do engineering design for track replacement. He said IDOT is currently in the process of applying for federal funds to cover the majority of the costs of actually replacing the tracks, 

In her report, Leerhsen said that other improvements will include improving drainage and making the stations fully ADA-compliant. 

CTA Spokesperson Maddie Kilgannon said the agency doesn’t have a timeline for when engineering will be completed. 

Neither Leerhsen nor the board mentioned that the NITA Act mandates restoring the Blue Line’s Central Station and reopening Cicero Station’s western entrance on Lavergne Avenue. The legislation originally required the CTA to do both by the start of 2029, but the trailer bill that was passed at the end of May shifted the deadline to the start of 2031.

Safety updates

Leerhsen started her regular board report with a short tribute to Barlow, describing him as a long-time employee who meant a lot to his friends and family. “We’re thinking and praying for his family, his loved ones and his co-workers,” she said.

She then praised CTA employees for keeping the system running during extreme heat, extreme rain and the busy Chicago Pride and Independence Day weekends. 

As usual, Leerhsen prefaced her crime update by saying that “one single crime is too many” and the CTA will not rest until the numbers are down to zero, but she still felt it was important to highlight the progress that has been made. She said that, according to Chicago Police Department data, this June major crime was down 45 percent compared to June 2025. Violent crime saw a 58 percent drop compared to last year, On the Red Line, crime was down 47 percent, and violent crime was down 70 percent. She said it’s likely more off-duty officers, as well as the introduction of crisis intervention workers, helped push the numbers down.

Leerhsen said the Forest Park Branch “is the place where we lost riders because of the slow zones.” So she is glad to see some movement on getting speeding up Blue Line service. 

The board approved the option contract for the bus lane enforcement cameras without any discussion, voting to approve all major expenditures in a single motion. But Leerhsen described the bus camera purchase as just as important as addressing slow zones. 

She stated that the contract is expected to increase the number of bus-mounted cams from six to 52. “Even with the six cameras we have in place right now, we’re already seeing the impact,” she said, adding that they resulted in “nearly 2,200 warmings and citations.” Leerhsen said the cameras will be deployed on bus routes 8/Halsted, 20/Madison, 36/Broadway and 66/Chicago by fall. 

The bus camera purchase is funded through a portion of the new transit funding all four transit agencies are expected to get thanks to the 0.25 percent RTA Sales Tax increase that agency’s board approved at the start of June. In May, the RTA board of Directors approved the budget amendments for how to spend some of the extra revenue, which included $1 million for bus cames. 

Board members’ remarks

In their comments after Leerhsen’s report, board members offered condolences to Barlow’s loved ones. Board Chair Lester Barclay echoed Leerhsen’s comments, saying that he appreciated the progress on reducing crime in the system, while also adding that “one crime on the CTA is one crime too many.”

“Our goal is to be the safest mass transit system in America,” Barclay said. “Our riders and our employees deserve to feel safe, and they should never feel unsafe.”

If you appreciate Streetsblog Chicago’s livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our work. Thank you!