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“SBC versus smoking on the CTA” part five: Posting pizza-themed PSAs against puffing on the ‘L’ at every Blue stop provided a slice of Windy City life
It's time for the fifth installment of our series "Streetsblog Chicago versus smoking on the CTA." This is an effort to find holistic solutions (not simply more policing) to the aggravating problem of smoking and vaping inside railcars. Take a look at part one for an intro to my perspective on the issue. It's common knowledge that smoking on the 'L' is a major hazard for people with disabilities, seniors, and young kids. It's also unhealthy and annoying for the rest of us, and it causes people to instead choose modes like driving and ride-hail, contributing to crashes, pollution, and congestion.
March 21, 2026
CTA: “9% increase in Blue, Yellow service started on 4/20.” Commuters Take Action: “That’s a pipe dream.”
By now you know the drill. The CTA announces that it's significantly increasing scheduled bus and/or train service in an effort to restore or surpass 2019 pre-COVID service levels. Streetsblog later asks the transit data whizzes at the grassroots transit advocacy group Commuters Take Action (CTAction) for their POV on the claim.
April 26, 2025
No more Blue Line blues? Advocates weigh in on CTA’s promise of increased service on Forest Park and O’Hare branches this spring
Last Monday, St. Patrick's Day, it appeared there may be a bit of good luck for Chicagoland straphangers.
March 20, 2025
CTA board meeting focuses on improving bus service equity, and public safety in the wake of the Blue Line murders
Two major themes dominated September meeting of the CTA's transit board, held on Wednesday, September 11.
September 12, 2024
What’s the fastest way from O’Hare to the DNC: CTA or Metra? The race is on!
SBC's Igor Studenkov and John Greenfield competed against each other on the Blue Line and the temporary O'Hare shuttle train.
August 21, 2024
How the DNC is affecting transit, walking, and biking
The Democratic National Convention has brought temporary O'Hare shuttle train service to Metra's NCS line, including on weekends, but it's also creating obstructions for people walking and biking.
August 15, 2024
Phase 1 of Forest Park Branch Rehab will be mostly complete on 10/8. CTAction sees some issues with the plan.
The transit advocacy group has questions about post-project train frequency, ADA access during a coming weekend shutdown, and missing Train Tracker coverage.
September 25, 2023
Blue Line service changes for Part B of the Forest Park Branch rehab – work between IMD and UIC/Halsted – start Monday
But Citizens Take Action says they still want more transparency about how the associated schedule changes are affecting commuters
August 16, 2023
Is the CTA giving riders enough info about how much the Forest Park Branch Rebuild will delay their commutes?
Thanks to Streetsblog's Steven Vance for editing help with this piece.
July 24, 2023
Advocates praise the CTA’s plan to upgrade its Forest Park Branch, want more details on how the ‘L’ overhaul will work
The advocates say the agency should provide more info on the schedules of the bus shuttles that will replace trains during track closures, and want to know how the upcoming work will affect service on the rest of the Blue Line.
June 29, 2023
