There's a renewed push and grassroots effort to keep cta riders safe after multiple stabbings on rail trains were reported in the last week.
The violence prevention group, Violence Interrupters, said they plan to ride the trains overnight. The group just hopped on the cta and will ride in the overnight hours in an effort to combat and deter crime. They insist it makes a difference.
Although they're aiming to help prevent the issue plaguing the rail service, one North Side alderman is calling for people not use public transit at night until CTA can prove it's safe.
On early Saturday morning, Chicago police shut down the Blue Line stop just before 2:30 a.m. after someone stabbed a man in the chest while inside a rail car at the Clark and Lake stop. That victim died from his wounds.
The next morning, another stabbing, this time on the Red Line train near 69th Street. In that incident, police said a passenger stabbed a man also in the chest after an argument.
This kind of violence on the CTA has Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) calling riders to scale back on public transit after dark.
In an online post, he said, "Due to safety concerns, Alderman Jim Gardiner suggests that residents avoid using CTA public transportation after sundown until noticeable improvements are made."
A recent analysis by our CBS News data team showed about a 6.5% decrease in the number of violent crimes on the CTA system by mid-December of 2025. However, that was still significantly higher when compared to a decade ago.
"People are afraid to ride, the press coverage is enormous, and it's just a sign we have a lot of work to do here," said transportation expert Joe Schwieterman.
In December, CTA said the number of CPD officers participating in the transportation agency's Voluntary Special Employment Program will increase from an average of 77 per day to 120, thanks to new funding in the agency's 2026 budget. The program allows Chicago police officers to sign up for patrols on the CTA on their days off.
But the additional officers were not enough for the Federal Transit Administration, which rejected CTA's updated safety plan. The FTA insisted that the CTA needed a more aggressive plan by March, or $50 million in funding could be withheld.
On Monday night, around 15 trained violence prevention specialists boarded the CTA Blue Line. They hope that by riding overnight during the same time we've seen recent attacks, they can curb the violence in the long run.
"You can't be everywhere but where you can be, be there," said Elliot Jackson with Violence Interrupters.
The Violence Interrupters have been patrolling since late December on the Red Line, usually during the day. Monday is the first of their overnight patrols.