Community Violence Intervention Specialists Pilot Program

How can CTA effectively engage with groups of youth and young adults (typically ages 10-29) to promote a safer, more welcoming transit environment and discourage violent and disruptive incidents that occur on the system typically during the late afternoons and overnight hours as young community members gather on CTA vehicles and at facilities?

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is confronting complex safety concerns tied to groups of youth and young adults who congregate at key transfer hubs such Roosevelt and Jackson stations during late-afternoon (after school) and overnight hours. These individuals gather in rail cars and station areas, often riding back and forth between transfer points, engaging in behavior such as holding train doors open, playing music loudly, jumping turnstiles, and at times verbally confronting passengers or operators. While many of these incidents may start as boundary-testing, their frequency and unpredictability create a strong perception among riders and employees that the environment is unsafe and unwelcoming.

Given the open-ended nature of the behavior and the age of the individuals involved, this makes the problem sensitive and uniquely challenging to manage through standard security models. This dynamic poses a serious challenge for CTA’s existing security approach, which includes security guards, K-9 units, and Chicago Police Department (CPD) officer patrols that most often respond only after a situation has escalated.

The CTA conducted its first-ever Transit Community Safety Workshop in August 2025, where internal and external partners discussed the issues facing the system.  Participants highlighted alternative models that operate alongside, but distinct from, law enforcement, that may be well suited to de-escalate complex, rapidly evolving situations. Partners reinforced that successful engagement relies on familiarity and trust: well-trained approachable Specialists who reflect the diversity of CTA’s ridership and focus on proactive sustained relationship-based prevention efforts across the pilot zones.
 

Problem

Given this context, CTA is seeking to pilot a proactive, human-centered, and appropriately trained team specifically designed for these youth-engagement hotspots. The goal will be to engage groups of young people early, build positive relationships, de-escalate potential conflicts and redirect energy into more constructive behaviors and relationships with partner organizations. This will be achieved through a “credible messenger” model that leverages peer community insiders, youth mentors, transit-savvy outreach workers, and trauma-informed staff. These “Community Violence Intervention Specialist” teams would operate alongside, but distinct from, law enforcement, security guards, or K-9 units.

This pilot approach would supplement CTA’s existing efforts and support strategic prevention, reinforcing the safety and comfort of other riders and employees and improving the daily journey for thousands of riders who may currently avoid certain lines or stations because they regularly witness groups of youth and young adults taking over.

Information session

Attendee list (PDF)

Potential Pilot Zones

For the purpose of this pilot, CTA would like to focus on one or more of these pilot zones. Coverage may include early mornings, afternoons and late evenings shifts within designated pilot zones.

Proposed pilot program solutions should include

• A comprehensive approach describing how the proposed Specialist teams will engage and de-escalate incidents involving at-risk youth and groups congregating at CTA hotspots, and redirect youth into more constructive behaviors.
• A deployment strategy based on the selected pilot zones, peak hours (after school and late evenings), and coordination plans with existing CTA security assets, policing districts, and existing community-based violence prevention networks.
• A detailed training framework for Specialists including violence intervention tactics, trauma-informed care, de-escalation, and peer mediation.
• A communications and visibility plan that ensures Specialists are easily identifiable yet non-threatening, with clear messaging about their public safety and “violence intervention” role.
• Partnership integration methods describing how warm handoffs and referrals will occur with partner organizations for continued engagement and service such as CPS’s Safe Passage, READI Chicago, CP4P, Haymarket Center, and Thresholds.

Proposal responders must include

• A statement of qualifications demonstrating at least 2–3 years of relevant experience working with at-risk youth, violence prevention, or community outreach.
• A staffing plan outlining Specialist team composition, supervision structure, certification or training credentials in violence intervention and/or trauma-informed care, and reference to demonstrated past successful staffing efforts.
• Demonstrated compliance record with background checks and safety clearances for all staff to be assigned to youth-facing or high-risk areas.
• A detailed budget for up to 12-month pilot, including staffing, training, communication tools and technology (e.g., cell phones, tablets, translation apps), uniforms/PPE, operations, and evaluation. The cost of transportation (for staff and for clients to referral sites) should be included in the Contractor’s fully-loaded price proposal.
• Plans for gathering data on contacts, de-escalations and any other interventions proposed by the model; and plans and proposals to evaluate key performance indicators and outcome measures, which may include reduction in incidents and improved perceptions of safety among riders and employees.
• Detail existing and prior partnerships/commitments and/or evidence (MOUs, letters of commitment etc.) of partnership from collaborating agencies involved in warm handoffs, after school youth programs, case management, or referral coordination.
• Operational coordination plan demonstrating how responders propose to communicate with CTA, policing districts, and other safety units during “hot nights” or peak incidents.

Proposal Process

Innovation proposals will be evaluated in two phases. During Phase 1, proposals will be evaluated by an internal review committee for responsiveness, feasibility, and timeline. Innovators whose proposals pass the Phase 1 evaluation will be selected to move to Phase 2. During Phase 2 evaluation, Innovators will be given the opportunity to present their innovation proposal, which will be evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts from CTA. From these presentations, CTA will select one or more winning innovation proposals to proceed to pilot. Applications for the Community Violence Intervention Safe Ride Specialist Pilot Program are closed.

Key Dates

• January 9, 2026, from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. CT: Problem Statement Information Session
• January 20, 2026: Questions Due (CTA will provide responses by February 2, 2026)
• February 17, 2026: Applications Due
• Week of March 16 – 20, 2026: Phase 2 Presentations from selected applicants for Crisis Intervention
• Week of March 30 – April 3, 2026: Phase 2 Presentations from selected applicants for Community Violence Intervention

Q&A

Innovation Studio Safe Ride Specialists Q&A

Transit Community Safety Report