CTA Smoking Crackdown Advocated by Mayor Brandon Johnson Following Aldermen's Demand in Chicago
In a significant move aimed at enhancing public safety and ridership on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Mayor Brandon Johnson has unveiled a robust anti-smoking initiative. The comprehensive plan, formalized through an executive order signed in July 2025, targets smoking on CTA trains and buses.
The key measures of this initiative include collaborating closely with various city departments, such as the Chicago Police Department, Department of Family and Support Services, Chicago Department of Public Health, and the Mayor’s Office, to eliminate smoking on public transit.
Mayor Johnson has also pledged to deploy specialized social work and outreach teams, including CDPH’s Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) teams and DFSS’s Homeless Outreach and Prevention (HOP) teams, to help curtail smoking onboard CTA vehicles.
Moreover, the proposal includes the exploration of creating Transit Health Response Teams (THRT), comprising Community Violence Interrupters and mental health professionals, to engage smokers directly, offering on-site counseling, smoking cessation resources, and long-term treatment options.
To increase awareness and accountability, public awareness campaigns will be launched to educate riders about the smoking bans on transit. The mayor has also emphasized increasing social worker presence on transit, rather than relying primarily on police enforcement. However, he did not rule out stepping up police action if necessary.
Regarding the financial cost of these efforts, Mayor Johnson has not specified a concrete budget or provided detailed financial estimates. An ongoing assessment of potential resource needs is underway, and City Hall lobbyists will push for additional safety funding at the state level in Springfield.
Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, expressed his satisfaction that Johnson is taking the smoking issue on the CTA seriously. However, Conway, who had introduced a resolution calling for the CTA to "snuff out smoking" last month, shared doubts about the effectiveness of Johnson’s plans and advocated for data-driven law enforcement efforts.
Notably, Conway and Johnson have not yet collaborated on the crackdown effort. Despite this, Conway expressed his happiness that Johnson is addressing the issue, believing that making the CTA safer is crucial for increasing ridership, which saw an 11% increase last year after a pandemic nosedive.
Mayor Johnson's initiative comes after the city issued over 6,300 smoking tickets on the CTA in 2023, and Johnson mentioned the importance of making the CTA safer for visitors, as well as for the city's most vulnerable population and those who rely on public transportation.
[1] Source: Chicago Sun-Times [2] Source: Chicago Tribune [4] Source: WGN Radio
- In line with his commitment to public health and wellness, Mayor Johnson has proposed forming Transit Health Response Teams (THRT), consisting of Community Violence Interrupters and mental health professionals, to directly engage smokers on CTA buses, provide on-site counseling, smoking cessation resources, and long-term treatment options.
- Recognizing the importance of general news and politics, Mayor Johnson has not ruled out stepping up police action if necessary to enforce the smoking ban on CTA buses and trains, while emphasizing the deployment of social workers for increased presence on transit as a primary strategy for addressing the issue, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, and WGN Radio.
