CTA: Safety First. Well, Not First, But It's Up There

A new report from the RTA says the CTA isn't doing enough emergency response drills, there's "debris" everywhere, operators aren't following safety protocols, tracks are severely deteriorated, and certain signal mechanisms have fallen into "disrepair." The CTA says they're on it, mostly.

In essence, CTA trains are safe enough to ride, but many upgrades are necessary and should not be postponed, the RTA concluded in evaluating 14 key areas.

The RTA will do a follow-up inspection later this summer, and CTA reps say that they'll be ready. In tangentially related news, I saw a guy dressed as Jesus on the Blue Line last night—he was carrying a huge cross and everything. I would have guessed something Pride related, but he was getting on the Blue Line in the Loop at 9pm, so.... Anyway, it ruled. [Trib, photo by cubsnumber10]