A Chicago Transit Authority policy that prohibits continuous rides after paying only one fare is leaving the homeless out in the cold.
A Chicago Transit Authority policy that prohibits continuous rides after paying only one fare is leaving the homeless out in the cold.
Homeless riders said that since last month, CTA security guards have been enforcing the policy and threatening them with jail if they refuse to get off once the train or bus reaches the end of the line.
“It was 2 a.m. one night when a guard woke me up with his K-9 dog and told me to get off the train,” said Lester, 56, who is homeless. “I refused because I wanted to go the other way and tried explaining I fell asleep so I missed my stop. He didn’t believe me and said if I didn’t leave he would sick his dog on me and then call the police.”
From January through the end of November, 229 people were taken to homeless shelters from the CTA through a program with the Department of Human Services, said Katelyn Thrall, a spokeswoman for the transit agency.
And while CTA officials deny they are doing “sweeps” to rid the trains and buses of homeless riders, it said the policy was designed for a specific purpose. The transit agency operates trains and buses 24 hours a day, seven days week.
“We want to crack down on riders cheating the agency out of fares, not hurt riders,” Thrall said.
The CTA policy states, “Continuous riding (reverse riding) is considered a theft of CTA service and should be immediately reported to the Control Center. Passengers are required to pay an additional fare whenever they reach the end of a route and want to continue their travel. Customers with 30-day, 7-day or visitor/Fun passes must also re-insert their fare card into the fare card machine if continuing their travel or reversing their ride.”
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, a non-profit agency dedicated to issues affecting the homeless, estimates that there are 73,000 homeless people in the city annually.
And many of the homeless seek refuge on the trains and buses for various reasons.
There are some who cannot get a bed at a shelter, and when that happens, Charlene Harris, 32, said that’s when she rides the Green Line train all night–with her 8-year-old son.
“I am not on the train all night, but if I cannot get a bed for my son, I am not going to have him sleep outside,” she said. “We will start off walking around a shopping mall until it closes. This way we have access to a bathroom. Then we may go walk around a hotel for a few hours. And finally around midnight or so, we’ll end up riding the train until it’s time for him to go to school.”
Signs have been posted at train platforms and bus terminals to make riders aware of the policy, which has been in effect since 2003.
CTA President Ron Huberman said the signs were posted for all riders, not just the homeless.
“The signs were posted as a reminder to all CTA customers that everyone must exit the bus or train at the end of the line,” he said. “All individuals who pay fares are afforded the same rights on public transit.”
Julie Dworkin, director of policy for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, said the rule does more harm than good.
“I think it’s heartless for the CTA to put someone off the train or bus after they have paid their fare,” she said. “They are not losing money by allowing riders–homeless or not–to ride all night because they have paid their fare. This CTA policy shows a lack of caring and compassion.”
Dworkin added that riding the train and bus is also safer than sleeping on the street.
And the homeless agree.
“Sometimes it takes two days for me to get one full fare, and now the CTA expects me to have a pocket full of quarters to ride the train all night,” said Daniel, a 37-year-old homeless man who admits he often rides the Red Line train all night to keep from sleeping outside. “I do not like the shelters because I do not like people telling me what to do. I ride the train because I can sleep, read and eat in peace without someone begging me for my stuff.”
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