What rights do I have as a person with a disability when using public transportation?

As a person with a disability, you have special legal rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when using public transportation. Bus drivers must call out stops, curb the bus, and deploy the bus lift upon request. Also, train and rail personnel must assist you upon request.

Pedestrians with disabilities

Pedestrian with a disability means a person with a disability who may require the use of a mobility device, service animal, or white cane to travel on:

• Streets,
• Sidewalks,
• Highways,
• Walkways, or
• Walking, running, or bicycle paths.

How can I contact the CTA, Pace, Metra or RTA to file a [no-lexicon]complaint[/no-lexicon], file a compliment or ask a question?

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)

To contact the CTA via telephone to file a complaint, compliment, or ask a question, call (888) YOUR-CTA ((888) 968-7282)) or dial “*-1” from any CTA station pay phone. Press "5" for Elevator Status information or TTY: (888) CTA-TTY1 ((888) 282-8891)).

You can also email [email protected] or click here to visit the CTA's website.

Also, you can speak with the CTA's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Department by calling (312) 681-2608.

Pace Buses

You can contact Pace Passenger Services by:

• Calling (847) 364-PACE (7223) or TTY: (708) 339-4062,
• Visiting their website, or
• Emailing them at [email protected].

To file a Pace complaint or compliment, you can call (800) 606-1282 / Option 2 for direct assistance.

You can also contact them by sending a letter to Pace at the following address:

Pace Suburban Bus Service
Customer Relations
405 Taft Drive 
South Holland, IL 60473 
 

Metra

To contact Metra Passenger Services, call (312) 322-6777 or TTY: (312) 322-6774, or visit their website. You can also contact them by sending a letter to the following address:

Metra Passenger Services
547 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60661

Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)

To contact RTA’s ADA Paratransit certification, call (312) 663-4357 or (312) 913-3122 (TTY), or visit their website.

What information should I have when I file a complaint (or a compliment)?

When you file a complaint or compliment, ask for a written response. Provide the following information:

• Your complete name, address, telephone number, and email address,
• A detailed description of the incident,
• The time and date of the event,
• The bus, train, route and/or run numbers (very important),
• Badge numbers and physical descriptions of any transit personnel involved (very important),
• The direction that the train or bus was traveling (Northbound, Eastbound, towards the Loop, etc.), and
• Other details, such as location, how long you waited, names and phone numbers of witnesses, the attitudes of the transit personnel involved, etc.

Please remember that a complaint or compliment cannot be acted upon if there is not enough information. For example, the CTA may have five bus drivers who look alike and drive the same route. CTA will not be able to follow up on your complaint without either a bus or badge number. Carrying a notepad with you is a good way to keep track of details for your complaint.

What is the Access Living v. CTA class action [no-lexicon]Settlement Agreement[/no-lexicon]?

In 2000, Equip for Equality, an Illinois based non-profit organization that serves as a legal advocate for people with disabilities, filed a lawsuit against the CTA. The lawsuit claimed that CTA had failed to provide equal access to transportation for people with disabilities.

The lawsuit resulted in a class-action settlement. As part of the settlement, CTA had to make a lot of changes. For more information, visit Equip for Equality's website.

Where can I go for more information?

For more information, click here to visit Equip for Equality's website. 

If your incident involves CTA buses or trains, please consider providing information about your incident to Equip for Equality. After you have contacted the CTA, please write up your incident and send it to Equip for Equality via mail to:

Equip for Equality
20 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60602

You can also call or fax your documentation to:

312-341-0022 (Voice)
800-537-2632 (Voice)
800-610-2779 (TTY)
312-541-7544 (Main fax)
312-541-1413 (Alternate fax)