The Chicago Transit Authority lifted all capacity limits on its buses and trains in light of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s "Open Chicago" initiative and the city's entrance into Phase 5.
The agency announced lifting the restriction and the launch of a new Transit Ambassador program on Friday. Both initiatives are used as an effort to welcome back riders as more people utilize public transit moving into Phase 5, CTA said in a statement.
CTA Transit Ambassadors will be deployed in various stations across the systems beginning Friday and throughout the month of June. Ambassadors will greet riders, answer questions and hand out information regarding the measures being taken to ensure a clean and safe experience, CTA said.
"We made a number of improvements over the last year-and-a-half, and deploying friendly, knowledgeable Transit Ambassadors throughout the system is just one of the many ways we are working to help riders feel at home as they resume traveling our buses and trains,” said Dorval R. Carter, Jr., CTA president, in a statement.
"The pandemic required many of our customers to work remotely, socially distance and stay at home for more than a year," Carter said. "Now that the city is opening up, we want to warmly welcome customers back and remind them that CTA is the convenient, affordable and safe choice to get around the city."
However, there is still a federal mask mandate for public transportation and there will be free masks available on every bus and rail station to help reinforce it, CTA said.
CTA also distributed nearly 30,000 "travel healthy kits" at various locations throughout the system. Each kit contains a reusable mask, hand sanitizer and travel trip guide, CTA said.
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