METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

New CTA courtesy campaign shames inconsiderate rider behavior

The campaign, featuring a series of messages to be placed on buses and trains, reflects some of the most commonly heard complaints from riders about the behaviors of fellow public transit passengers.

May 27, 2015
New CTA courtesy campaign shames inconsiderate rider behavior

Courtesy: Chicago Transit Authority

3 min to read


Courtesy: Chicago Transit Authority

Standing by the doors and not letting others on or off. Leaving food wrappers on the seat and floor. Playing music so loud you can hear it from 20 feet away.

In an effort to promote more courteous behavior among CTA customers, the agency — using feedback from customers — is launching an informational campaign designed to prompt consideration and discussion of the best ways to be courteous and considerate to fellow riders.

The campaign [Photo Gallery of artwork], featuring a series of messages to be placed on buses and trains, reflects some of the most commonly heard complaints from riders about the behaviors of fellow public transit passengers — not only on the CTA, but on transit systems throughout the world.

Ad Loading...
Courtesy: Chicago Transit Authority

“The overwhelming majority of CTA customers are considerate of their fellow passengers,” said Graham Garfield, GM, Customer Information. “However, based on feedback we’ve received from passengers, we believe this public-service campaign will help improve the transit experience by continuing the dialogue about courtesy among our customers. We hope it will encourage customers to think more about courteous behavior on CTA trains and buses.”

Courtesy: Chicago Transit Authority


The courtesy campaign messages cover a wide range of discourteous passenger behaviors, from littering and eating on trains to not using all available doors on an arriving train. Garfield noted that while many of the behaviors have an obvious impact customer experience — for example, eating can create a mess on seats and floors, as well as unwanted odors — some have impacts that are less obvious, but no less important. For example, customers who crowd around one set of train doors while boarding instead of moving down the platform to other doors can cause delays in service. And a discarded newspaper can not only create a mess inside a bus or rail car, if can cause a minor fire at track level.

CTA used feedback from social media, calls/emails to CTA Customer Service, and observations of CTA personnel to develop the courtesy campaign subject matters. The messages will begin appearing on buses and trains this week.

Courtesy: Chicago Transit Authority

The campaign, developed in-house by CTA staff, is the latest effort by the CTA to improve customer communications and passenger comfort. Among other efforts since 2011, the CTA has expanded digital information screens with bus and train service info, launched a rail-safety reminder campaign, and created the Renew Crew program to bring long-overdue improvements to 100 rail stations.

Transit agencies across the country and throughout the world have launched courtesy campaigns, targeting many of the same behaviors as the CTA campaign. CTA last used a courtesy campaign in the early 2000s.

The CTA is the nation’s second-largest transit agency, providing about 1.6 million rides on an average weekday. Each weekday, CTA provides more than 2,200 train trips and more than 19,000 bus trips.

More information about the campaign is available at www.transitchicago.com/courtesy

More Management

Managementby StaffMarch 19, 2026

People Movement: The Latest from TARTA, STV, and More

METRO’s People Movement highlights the latest leadership changes, promotions, and personnel news across the public transit, motorcoach, and people mobility sectors.

Read More →
A BART railcar
Managementby StaffMarch 19, 2026

BART Monetizes Empty Parking With New Online Leasing Tool

BART began offering select parking lots to non-BART riders to generate new revenue to help address its FY27 $376M operating budget deficit brought on by remote work.

Read More →
MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber sits with a customer service employee and takes calls.
Managementby Elora HaynesMarch 19, 2026

Transit Agencies Nationwide Celebrate 2026 National Transit Employee Appreciation Day

Agencies across the U.S. honored transit workers on March 18, recognizing the essential roles they play in keeping communities moving daily.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Cover for METROspectives with Inez Evans Benson
ManagementMarch 18, 2026

Inez Evans-Benson on Leadership and the Future of Transportation

Drawing on decades of industry experience, Evans-Benson offered insights into the differences between the two, along with tips for better customer engagement and more.

Read More →
An RTC of Washoe County bus driving down Virginia Street.
Managementby StaffMarch 18, 2026

Keolis Lands 3 Contract Renewals

The renewals include continued operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida; the PRTC in Virginia; and RTC Washoe in Nevada.  

Read More →
A MARTA employee using the new Better Breeze fare ticket machines.
Managementby StaffMarch 17, 2026

MARTA’s New 'Better Breeze' Fare System Nears Launch

The new system introduces tap-to-pay, touchscreen kiosks, and updated Breeze cards, with both old and new systems running through May.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A wide angle view of two MTA buses with three people walking between them.
Managementby StaffMarch 16, 2026

Proposed Auto Insurance Reform Would Save New York’s MTA Millions Annually

The governor’s proposed auto insurance reforms could save the agency $48 million annually by limiting payouts in crashes where buses are not primarily at fault.

Read More →
paratransit bus
SponsoredMarch 16, 2026

Measuring the True Cost of Paratransit Fleets

What truly drives the cost of a paratransit fleet? Beyond the purchase price, seven operational factors quietly determine maintenance frequency, downtime, and long-term service reliability. This whitepaper explores how these factors shape lifecycle cost and what agencies should evaluate when selecting paratransit vehicles.

Read More →
Cover photo for METROspectives with The Bus Coalition
Busby Alex RomanMarch 13, 2026

Inside The Bus Coalition’s Push for Stronger Federal Transit Investment

In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Amanda Wanke
Managementby StaffMarch 13, 2026

Des Moines DART CEO Joins Minneapolis Metro Transit

Amanda Wanke, who has worked at DART for 10 years, including the past 2½ years as CEO, will join Metro Transit as deputy chief operating officer, operations administration.

Read More →