Crime on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has declined for six straight months following an intensified security campaign aimed at curbing a surge in violent incidents, officials reported Wednesday. During a CTA board meeting, interim CEO Nora Leerhsen highlighted a 30% reduction in all reported transit-related crimes throughout 2025 compared with the previous year.
The most notable improvements occurred on the Red Line, where Chicago police and the Cook County sheriff’s office increased patrols after a potential funding cut threat from the Donald Trump administration. Crime on this line dropped by 47%, with violent crime falling by 76% through June compared to the same period last year. Leerhsen described the progress as significant, emphasizing the importance of the transit system for the city’s overall vitality and noting that safety perceptions are influenced by each incident.
While Leerhsen shared these declines, she did not address that aggravated batteries and assaults have now fallen below levels recorded at the same time in 2025. This trend may mark an end to a five-year rise in violent attacks on the CTA, which closed out 2025 with 469 violent incidents—the highest total in 25 years.
According to Leerhsen, monthly crime has trended downward since January, with nine of the past 11 months showing reductions. Oversight for crime prevention on the CTA will transition to Joe Bird, the system’s new chief of security and former commander of the Chicago Police Department’s Public Transportation Section.
The city’s public transit has been undergoing significant changes since the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act took effect on June 1. The legislation renewed funding for the CTA, Metra, and Pace by injecting an additional $1 billion annually, preventing drastic service reductions. It also replaced the Regional Transportation Authority’s oversight with a more empowered Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) board, charged with fare-setting and coordinating planning across agencies. The NITA board must be fully seated by September 1, with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s influence diminished due to a loss of majority appointments on the CTA board. Johnson recently announced his nominations for the NITA boards, largely retaining his prior selections for the CTA and RTA, pending City Council approval.
Separately, the CTA’s board approved expanding its automated bus lane camera enforcement program on Wednesday. The number of cameras will increase from six to 52 buses, enhancing efforts to deter violations on key routes including the No. 20 Madison, No. 36 Broadway, No. 66 Chicago, and No. 8 Halsted lines. Since its launch in October, the program has issued nearly 22,000 warnings and tickets, according to Leerhsen.