FTA Threatens $50 Million Over CTA Safety Plan as Transit Assaults Reach 24-Year High

Overview

• Chicago police recorded 469 aggravated assaults and batteries on the CTA in 2025, up from 441 in 2024, the highest level in at least 24 years and the fourth straight annual record.
• City data show aggravated assaults and batteries on the transit system are up about 33% so far in 2026 compared with the same period last year.
• The Federal Transit Administration judged the CTA’s December security measures insufficient and warned it will withhold up to $50 million in grants without an acceptable plan by the deadline.
• The CTA expanded patrols with more police and canine units and increased its volunteer overtime detail by more than 55% to at least 120 officers on an average day.
• The CTA attributes recent declines in some categories to those steps, citing an 8.5% drop in overall crime, a 10% decline on rail, and a 23% decrease in violent bus crime, while experts note transit violent crime remains statistically low.