A new ad campaign launched by the Chicago Transit Authority is seeking to discourage riders from venturing onto train tracks, with more than 1,100 reports of trespassing already filed this year.
The new campaign will feature signage posted on digital screens and at rail stations within the CTA’s system, as well as on cards within train cars, according to a press release.
According to CTA officials, venturing onto train tracks is considered trespassing, and can result in citations.
“We hope this campaign will be an important reminder to our customers, and we believe it will help further promote safe behavior on our rail system,” CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said in a statement.
The electrified third rail on CTA train lines can carry 600 volts of electricity, which is often fatal if touched, according to press materials.
Oncoming trains can also pose a threat, especially to those individuals who attempt to walk between train stations.
When trespassers are observed walking between stations or committing acts of vandalism, such as graffiti, CTA workers are forced to stop service until the individual is either removed or leaves CTA property. Nearly 100 hours of train delays have already been reported this year because of such incidents, Carter said.
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Most trespassing on CTA property actually occurs when individuals drop items from platforms onto tracks and then jump down to retrieve the items.
CTA personnel are trying to discourage riders from getting items themselves, and instead requesting help from workers to get those items.
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The new public awareness campaigns will focus on such situations, as well as individuals who stand too close to the edges of platforms, placing them at risk of falling to the tracks below.
More information can be found on the CTA’s website.
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