CITY HALL — Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an govt order Tuesday aimed toward ending smoking on trains and buses — and reiterated a pledge to work with state lawmakers to fund transit techniques as they stare down an virtually $800 million fiscal cliff.
The order comes a month after Downtown Ald. Invoice Conway (thirty fourth) launched his personal decision to Metropolis Council to stress the CTA to discourage riders who smoke on public transit.
Smoking on trains and buses has change into a widespread downside lately, particularly as pandemic restrictions lifted. Police issued extra smoking on CTA property citations in 2023 than any yr since 2019, Block Membership beforehand reported.
Johnson’s govt order directs town’s public well being and household and assist providers departments to deploy psychological well being staff, similar to Disaster Help Response and Engagement groups, to trains and platforms to offer extra outreach to people who find themselves unhoused or experiencing psychological well being episodes.
It additionally asks these businesses to discover the feasibility of forming “Transit Well being Response Groups” that might “interact people who smoke and provide on-site counseling, smoking cessation sources and long-term remedy,” based on a press launch.
Johnson mentioned town plans to launch public consciousness campaigns to discourage smoking on trains, and that his administration is “exploring each possibility” to curb people who smoke — which might probably embrace banning repeat offenders from the system completely.
“On the subject of smoking on trains, I’ve a easy message: It’s got to cease,” Johnson mentioned throughout a press convention Tuesday. “We’re not going to tolerate this. Although now we have a methods to go, the dedication is to make sure that now we have an actual smoke-free transportation system.”
The CTA and metropolis’s Division of Household and Assist Providers has additionally administered different homeless outreach efforts on the transit system lately.
The CTA’s “Guidelines of Conduct” state that violations like smoking or vaping can result in penalties starting from a $300-plus superb to 30-plus hours of group service to “suspended driving privileges.”
The company held an “data session” final month for an “Innovation Studio” soliciting riders to submit proposals aimed toward “mitigating the impression” of second-hand smoke. It recognized air ionizers, ventilators and improved air filters as some “potential options” that might be piloted on a couple of trains and buses.
An replace on the plan is due in August, based on the company’s web site.
“Over the previous few years, CTA has skilled a big improve within the variety of individuals smoking on autos,” CTA’s web site reads. “The company continues to work intently with native legislation enforcement and safety personnel to confront the problem in real-time by strategic anti-smoking missions wherein violators are issued citations, plus ongoing amplification of each visible and audio reminders that smoking is prohibited.”
Johnson’s govt order got here collectively individually from Conway’s decision, which requires the CTA to work extra intently with legislation enforcement to raised implement present guidelines to give up smoking scofflaws and “present extra transparency” about situations of smoking public transit.
A spokesperson mentioned the Downtown alderman was not consulted forward of Johnson’s announcement on Tuesday. In a tweet, Conway solid doubt that the mayor’s method would achieve success in combatting the general public well being nuisance.
“It’s nice to listen to Mayor Johnson lastly needs to deal with smoking on the CTA with … social staff, a PR marketing campaign, & group conferences?” Conway mentioned within the social media publish. “With out data-driven enforcement of present legal guidelines (like I referred to as for final month), this public well being challenge will proceed to impression riders.”
The anti-smoking initiatives come because the Regional Transportation Authority faces a $770 million greenback fiscal cliff subsequent yr that might lower area-wide transit service by 40 % and eradicate CTA bus and practice strains, specialists have warned.
State lawmakers did not cross a invoice this yr that might reform the regional transit system and supply funding to transit company budgets. The invoice handed by the state Senate however stalled within the state’s Home of Representatives earlier than a June 1 deadline.
It might now be revisited through the legislature’s fall veto session, or probably a particular standalone session — though that doesn’t appear seemingly, state Rep. Kam Buckner mentioned final week.
Johnson on Tuesday mentioned his administration is working with state lawmakers to “totally fund” Chicago transit and that negotiations had been ongoing, though he supplied few specifics.
“There must be an equitable distribution of sources coming from the state of Illinois to ensure that now we have an accessible, reasonably priced, dependable transportation system,” he mentioned. “We’re speaking with members of the Home of Representatives, the sponsors, methods wherein the governance construction is totally reformed, but additionally guaranteeing that now we have income packages that enable for us to have the ability to optimize our public transportation system.”
The Johnson administration plans to ask legislators to search out extra funding for anti-smoking initiatives on public transit, the mayor mentioned.
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