Womens Safety on Public Transportation and the CTA Anti-Harassment Campaign: What We

Do and What We Could Do Better

Emily Daucher
SOCL 365
Dr. Krogh
May 7, 2016
Loyola University Chicago

Abstract
Background: The CTAs Anti-Harassment Campaign sheds light onto an important issue:
harassment in public space. It gives riders an opportunity to report harassment and connects
victims to resources. After a reboot in 2015, the campaign aims to increase reporting and stop
harassment on trains and buses. However, the campaign has been under marketed and nearly
invisible to some riders.
Thesis: The purpose of my research was to look at harassment on public transportation and the
campaign itself. My hypothesis is that the CTAs campaign, although a conversation starter, does
not do enough to help women who feel unsafe on the CTA.
Methods: Six Rogers Park women were interviewed for this research. The interviews run from
15 minutes to an hour long. All women live in Rogers Park and take public transportation
regularly. They all have seen or experienced some sort of harassment on public transportation.
All interviews were conducted in the Rogers Park area and were done with consent.
Results: The women had a wide variety of opinions on the topic, but all were able to suggest
improvements to the campaign, mainly focused on increasing advertising and finding new ways
to broadcast the campaign, for example through print ads or the incorporation of hashtags. Most
of them had not seen the campaign before, or had only once. All but one felt that the campaign
was woefully inadequate and needs expansion and outside resources to be effective. They also
suggested a variety of concerns about harassment in general and how the CTA can improve its
own infrastructure, going as far as train design, to combat harassment.
Implications: These interviews showed that women are unaware of the program, which shows
the need for more marketing and awareness. On the other hand, there are a variety of ways for
the CTA to improve the program to make it more effective and produce real change.

Table of Contents
Introduction

Literature Review

Design

Data

Methods

Background

Safety on Transit

10

Prevention Methods

13

CTA Anti-Harassment Campaign

16

General Improvements to Public Transportation

20

Conclusion

30

Bibliography

31

Appendices

I.

Introduction
Formally begun in 2009 and updated in 2015, the Anti-Harassment Campaign run by the
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Chicagos public transportation provider, aims to stop
gender-based harassment on public transportation through various advertisements on
buses and trains. The advertisements attempt to encourage reporting and identifying
harassment to make transportation safer for everyone. However, the low visibility of the
campaign and a lack of attention to other safety improvements make it difficult to be
effective. As a result, riders do not have enough exposure to the campaign to encourage a
change in behavior, and essential improvements to the infrastructure itself that could help
increase safety are lacking, which does not solve the harassment problem. This essay
demonstrates how the CTAs campaign fails to truly address all problems of harassment
by offering suggestions for the campaign itself and the public transportation system to
help make riders feel safer.

II.

Literature Review
Historically, in American cities, three groups have lacked access to and control of public
spaces: African-Americans, women, and the property-less, in contrast to propertied white
men (Mitchell 2003; Loukaitou-Sideris 2009; Levy 2013). As a result, women have long
felt unsafe or unwelcome in public spaces, including parks, streets and transit corridors.
This is despite the increasing number of women taking trains in the Victorian era and
later, and then the increase in drivers from the 1920s on (Walsh 2007). Men still use cars
more often, have drivers licenses, and have access to cars due to the historical gendered

nature of car usage and their higher incomes (Walsh 2007; Holcomb 2011). Having a
male dominated economy meant that the advent of the car was geared toward the men
who would need them to drive to work. Eventually, women would be encouraged to
drive, but not until they became more integrated in the sphere of production. Even today,
few studies analyze the impact of women and transportation in the United States as often
as in developing nations. This could be because gender gaps in developing nations are
greater than gaps in the United States, or that public transportation, walking, and biking
are more popular there than in the United States.
There are many reasons for which public transportation needs are highly gendered; some
of the most important include key differences between travel habits of men and women,
and the lack of women in the planning process. This means that womens travel habits
become largely ignored when planning new transportation (Blumenberg 2004). Their
reliance of public transportation in combination with dueling responsibilities in the home
and private sphere create unique travel patterns that men often do not replicate. These
include making multiple stops on one trip and traveling with children.
Because women still work more than men in the private sphere, by cooking and cleaning,
taking care of family, and other tasks, the need to be close to home is essential (Garrett
2014, Blumenberg 2004). However, jobs are not always where low-income women, or
even men, live, making it hard to have access to both spheres. This is known as the
spatial mismatch hypothesis. However, research from Blumenberg shows many nuances
that get lost within this binary hypothesis. Addressing issues such as commute length and
location of female dominated labor markets reveals that it is not just a matter of the citysuburb job market relationship. This hypothesis is also applied to the relationship

between where instances of violence against women occur more often (private sphere)
and less often (public sphere), despite heightened fears of violence in the public sphere
(Loukaitou-Sideris 2009). This is not to say that women are wrong to fear public spaces,
but that various social influences cause women to perceive more fear in public than at
home. These two applications of the hypothesis fail to account for important influences
that affect women and transportation.
According to data from the National Household Travel Survey, buses, where 61.7% of
commuters make under $50,000 a year, have a ridership dominated by women (55.4%),
while only 44.3% of women take trains (Garrett 2014). Women tend to have lower
incomes for a variety of reasons, and the bus is a cheaper and more flexible alternative to
rail systems. However, on both forms of public transportation, women face more
discrimination and have more problems. For example, Garrett mentions that women are
more likely to experience discrimination and feelings of discomfort on public
transportation. Because disproportionately to men they lack a private alternative, they
must use public transportation to get around. This puts them in a place where their only
option is rampant with discrimination from drivers or ticket collectors who are able to
overcharge women (although this is less of an issue in the United States) and exposes
them to more unsafe situations, like riding a bus alone at a late hour. All of these
inequalities mean women are less likely to have a safe experience on public
transportation.
Furthermore, according to Mitchell, since the end of World War II there has been an
increase in dead public spaces, or spaces that are empty, such as a barren plaza. In these
cases, the absence of other citizens can cause a sense of fear. Not knowing who may be

just out of view can leave anyone with a sense of panic, which only worsens late at night.
Specifically, some women believe that putting public transportation stops near these areas
worsens these same fears, because they not only are in these dead spaces, but they must
remain in one spot if they are to get on the bus or train, making them a possible target
(Loukaitou-Sideris 2009). Due to their limited autonomy in public spaces, women have
more difficulty with violence and inconvenient and unsafe travel patterns (Levy 2013).
Policymakers who take the right to the city, or the right of citizens of cities to inhabit
the city itself, seriously must find solutions that address this problem, specifically on
public transit. Transportation planning, historically, has not been friendly to women.
Although not necessarily feminist in their work, many female planning pioneers did not
begin as planners, such as Jane Jacobs or Rachel Carson. Even women planners, often
taught by men, do not necessarily plan for women (Holcomb 2011). By encouraging
more female participation in the planning process, specifically in regards to transportation
planning, many issues women face could be eased or resolved.
Other literature focuses on race and sexuality in relationship to harassment. Studies done
by Lombardi, et al. (2001), Purifoye (2015), and Wyatt and Riederle (1995) analyze the
harassment and other forms of negative interactions on in general and on public
transportation. Lombardi looked at violence against transgendered people, and found that
over half of their sample could report experiencing harassment and a quarter could report
a violent encounter. Harassment or violence was often linked to economic or employment
discrimination. In terms of race, Wyatt and Riederle found that white women were more
likely to report harassment in the workplace, but the two groups (white and African
American) experienced sexual harassment in different ways. Whites were more likely to

have unwanted verbal and physical advances, while African Americans were more likely
to experience unwanted verbal propositions. Outside of the workplace, poorer African
American women were far more likely to experience sexual harassment than whites.
Purifoye takes this a step further, but acknowledging that African Americans receive
many racist interactions, what Purifoye calls nice-nastiness, on public transportation.
This entails using seemingly polite interactions, like avoiding eye contact, lowering ones
voice, and distancing, to avoid interacting with African Americans. In these instances,
whites and Asians would avoid eye contact with black riders and drivers, mumble to
themselves about behaviors of black riders and drivers, and purposefully standing to
avoid sitting next to a black rider. Although this study lacks participants who are a racial,
gender, or sexual minority, literature on the topic addresses issues of race, gender, and
sexuality in regards to harassment and interactions on public transportation.
One survey done by Loukaitou-Sideris directly addresses the relationship between
women and their fears regarding public transportation. This survey, sent to 131 transit
agencies of many sizes throughout the United States, asked agencies about what they do
to help women feel safe and what they believe should be done. Interviews with women
from a variety of women focused non-profit groups addressed their own and other
womens fears of public transportation. The result of the study showed that many
agencies understand that women have different needs, but few enacted policies
attempting to meet those needs. Loukaitou-Sideris also found potential solutions through
non-profit case studies and the input from the 16 women interviewed (no demographic
information is available on these women). Various design strategies, such as good
lighting and maintenance, as well as an available and accurate schedule make women feel

safer. Additionally, women feel safer when staff and police are nearby to help in case of
an emergency. Unfortunately, many of these solutions are not put into place by transit
agencies, or measures are meant for both men and women, which ignores female specific
fears.
III.

Design
I am doing a goal-based evaluation of the CTAs Anti-Harassment campaign. The goals of
the program are to encourage reporting of sexual assaults and to make it easier to report
them. It aims to education riders on what to do in the case of harassment, either
happening to them or happening near them, and how to identify harassment. However, it
seems that the campaigns goals do not do enough to effectively combat harassment.
I am going to use interviews with Rogers Park women to see how they feel about the
campaign. Do they know it exists? What do they propose should change? What other
issues do they have with public transportation and harassment? Although it has been
recently updated, I want to know what else the CTA can do to help prevent harassment.
I will use quantitative data to analyze any available statistics on harassment and possibly
use census data for background information. I will do interviews with women in the area
to get their opinion and suggestions on the campaign. I hope to do these in person (see
Appendix A for question sheet and Appendix B for the consent form).

IV.

Data
The women I have interviewed all reside somewhere in the Rogers Park neighborhood of
Chicago. They have all chosen pseudonyms; no identifying information is used in this
paper. This sample is a convenience sample of women in Rogers Park. Because of the

amount of public transportation available in Rogers Park and its proximity to Loyola
University Chicago, I chose it as the neighborhood from which I would be recruiting
participants. All of the women who have chosen to participate are white and range in age
from 30s to 60s. They live all around the neighborhood, but mostly in the neighborhoods
southern section. All women take public transportation for a variety of reasons, including
work, leisure activities, and errands (see Appendix C for demographic information and
interview information).
V.

Methods
For these interviews, I allowed the participant to choose a location for the interview.
Three took place in three different coffee shops, and one in a participants apartment. All
were asked to choose pseudonyms to protect their identities. Each participant signed an
informed consent form before the interview that outlined my contact information, the
project itself, any potential risks, and consent to be recorded and interviewed. Participants
had to sign the form before beginning. Participants who asked for a copy were sent one
after the interview. For each interview, I recorded the conversation, which lasted
anywhere from 30 minutes to almost an hour. I asked each participant the same set of
questions, with some follow up questions. There were seventeen questions in all. The
questions included background questions, a question on transportation habits, safety, the
CTA Anti-Harassment Campaign, and a combination of their own suggestions and
opinions on suggestions from another study. All interviews were transcribed and coded.
All research took place in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. Each participant
was interviewed individually. Of them, all but one was interviewed at various coffee
shops around the area, including Starbucks, Common Cup, and Ellipsis Coffeehouse (in

Edgewater). The other was interviewed in her own apartment, as she had to watch her
children as we interviewed. Each woman was allowed to spend as much time as she
liked answering questions and discussing relevant topics. Because of this, some
interviews included conversation at the end that was relevant to the topic discussed.
Many of the women were eager to talk after all the questions had been asked.
VI.

Background
The Chicago Transit Authority is the second largest public transportation provider in the
country. In 2014, over 500 million rides were taking on the CTAs buses or trains
(Chicago Transit Authority 2014). No official demographic information exists on the
CTAs ridership, only the trips taken, stop popularity, and other system based information,
such as the dates train lines opened.
The CTAs Anti-Harassment campaign started in 2009, but was changed and updated in
October 2015. Both campaigns have used advertisements, mostly on buses, to broadcast
the anti-harassment message. These advertisements have been next to paid
advertisements above the seats and windows of buses and trains. Messages posted on the
advertisements include Its not OK, If its unwanted, its harassment, Its not
nothing, Were all watching, and Speak up. The advertisements then include
information on who to call, including 911 and the CTA hotline, other actions to take, such
as pushing the operator call button, and what information to report when calling. For the
current campaign, the posters themselves are simplistic; showing minimalist images,
some of a call button, stop sign with a hand, a no symbol, or ten different pairs of eyes.
All posters include a simple black, white, red, and blue color scheme.

The previous program had two main signs. The first one, a purple and white sign, feature
three women of three different races or ethnicities. In white lettering, the sign said: If its
unwanted, its harassment. Below this, in more opaque lettering, it said, Touching
Rude comments Leering. In the white space, it read, Speak up. If you see something,
say something with contact information following. A similar sign, in bright yellow,
showed four women and one man of varying ages and races or ethnicities, all in business
wear, crossing their arms. This sign also read, If its unwanted, its harassment, except
following this, it was written Bullying Soliciting Panhandling. This was followed by
the same Speak up and See something, say something as the other sign (see
Appendix D for signage).
The Anti-Harassment page on CTAs website provides pages of information to assist
people when reporting and identifying harassment. This page contains all the information
needed to confidently report harassment, including information unable to be fit on
signage. It begins with a frequently asked questions page. It covers what harassment is,
when to know to report it, and how to report it. The section addresses the uncertainty in
identifying harassment. Questions addressed include: What happened wasnt criminal,
should I still report it?, Perhaps it was an accident it was crowded?, and Maybe the
person was just a little too friendly?. Then, it addresses the methods and information
needed to report harassment. It clarifies what to do on a bus, what to do on a train, and
what to do at a train station. It explains how to report anonymously and after the incident
occurred. The two main reporting lines are 911 and CTA customer service, which is
staffed Monday-Friday from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M.

The next two sections outline when to intervene and the necessary information to provide
when reporting. The latter section includes images of buses and trains, with identifying
numbers circled on the image to show where bus and train numbers are located. Then
there is a brief paragraph describing what is done with the information provided to the
CTA, which they use to investigate the claim and take further action if necessary.
Finally, the CTA provides general safety and security information. A large portion of this
section is dedicated to cameras. They include PDF files of posters showing criminals
caught using security cameras and an image of one on a train. There are over 23,000
cameras located on buses, trains, and stations. The website includes three non-profit
contact information for anyone needing additional resources and PDF files of the signs
themselves.
VII.

Safety on Transit
Many CTA riders try not to ride the trains or buses too late in the day, just as people avoid
walking down the street once it is dark outside. Among participants who mentioned time
of day as a safety factor, two feel that traveling at night makes them unsafe, and two
reject that claim. Cookie, a Starbucks employee who sometimes travels to work around 4
AM, mentioned, there's some people, I would say at that time [around 4AM] there's a
higher percentage of like, people I don't care to be around. Cookie feels less safe at late
hours because of the people on the train at that time. She has had some experiences with
people who she finds threaten her safety, even if it is not direct. Gwen, a graduate student
at DePaul, seconds the sentiment. When asked when she feels unsafe, she replied, When
there are less people around. So, either very early in the morning, or very late at night.

While Cookie feels unsafe because of the type of people on the train, Gwen feels unsafe
because of the low number of people riding. The two both feel unsafe at the same times,
but for two different reasons.
Not everyone feels unsafe at off-peak hours. Two participants suggested that neither the
type of person nor the time matters on the CTA for their safety. Anne, a retired professor,
recalled a trip home from Midway Airport, on the citys Southwest side. After returning
from a trip, she and her partner decided to save money and take the Orange and Red
Lines back home. Despite some apprehension, they caught the last Orange Line train.
Much to her surprise, Anne noticed it was exhausted people mainly: travelers and
workers as opposed to criminals or drunk patrons. Annes experience attempts to dispel
the myth that only the bad guys ride the train at late hours. Instead, it is people who, like
Anne, traveled late or were traveling to and from work. She mentions that many of the
people actually slept. This experience changed Annes view on late night train rides,
along with other experiences that she had working until late.
Veronika brings up another point, likely drawn from her extensive amount of time riding
the trains and buses at off peaks hours, between 3-5 PM and 1-3 AM. She explains that
the CTA does not just have one rush hour. Instead, the CTA has its own little rhythms.
For example, if it's around 2 AM during the week, it's all the drinking crowd. This may
make people feel unsafe, as patrons who are drunk may be seen as threatening. But for
Veronika, It's like the trains get crowded again. So that doesn't feel unsafe to me. The
citys nightlife and the CTAs role as designated driver prevent the train from always
being empty late at night. While Cookie may still feel unsafe with that group, or Gwen

might feel unsafe in Annes situation, not all women abide by the belief that late night
public transportation is inherently unsafe.
Similarly, for the same women, numbers do matter. Most of the women acknowledged
feeling safer when there were more people around. Gwen remarked that I feel safe
taking public transit, generally during the rush hour. So, whether in the morning during
the rush hour or in the evening during the rush hour, when there are more people around.
Veronika and Allie, a lifelong Chicagoan, agreed. Veronika explained that, if it is a super
early morning hour during the week when the only people on the train are people asleep,
and there's maybe like, three dudes and me, sometimes I'm a little more wary than I am
during rush hour when there's 50 people on the same car. The safety in numbers logic
encourages some women to feel safer. When surrounded by many faces, it can be
comforting to know that if something happens, other people may intervene or help. It also
may be that the women, like Veronika, feel a sense of anonymity among all the other
people. As Veronika suggests, it is far more threatening for her when it is only herself and
a couple other people, especially men, than when she is part of a larger group. A sparsely
populated area, even a train car, can cause women to feel that they are a bigger target,
especially if they are the only woman. Being the sole woman in a space can make her feel
like the weakest member, and as such the easiest person for someone to attack. Even if
she is not necessarily the weakest, a man who perceives himself to be stronger could still
attempt to attack. In a crowd, space is tighter and there are many more available targets
for someone who may decide to attack or hurt someone.

However, one participant mentioned fearing more when in a crowd. Cookie, a mother and
Starbucks employee, explains that she always feel like more likely to get like, you know,
my purse stolen or something because its just a crowd. Cookie is used to taking public
transportation alone or at late hours. The anonymity that veils the other women into a
sense of security scares Cookie. The anonymity, for Cookie, is an easy way for someone
to commit a crime without anyone else noticing. The number of people makes it easy for
someone to sneak off and blend in with everyone else. Having fewer people around her
means she can better see each person and what they are doing, as opposed to seeing a
larger mass and having no idea what someone could be about to do.
For these women, there is no agreement on what makes them feel safest. For Veronika,
Allie, and Gwen, crowds provide an extra sense of security because they do not feel like a
target. For Anne, numbers do not matter, and neither do people. For Cookie, crowds serve
as protection for criminals and harassers, while the type of people she encounters on
public transportation also plays into when she feels safe, unlike the other women. Anne
and Cookie have unique views on their safety. Anne rarely feels unsafe on public
transportation, while Cookie has contrasting views of what makes her feel safer
compared to the other women. Despite these differences, for four of the women, crowds
and riders are a factor in their safety. Unfortunately, these are uncontrollable.
VIII. Prevention Methods
The women interviewed all mentioned their own harassment or violence prevention
methods when on the train. A lack of adequate prevention measures by the CTA means
women have to create their own. A major prevention method is sitting in the first car on

the train. Anne explained that, what makes me feel safer is sitting in the front car, and
knowing there are cameras there, and she even insists that that is where she sits on the
train every time. The operator of the train is in the first car, separated by a door and
windows. It is incredibly easy for the operator to handle any situations occurring in the
first car, as they can just open the door and address the situation. Those on the first car
can get the operators attention and service much more quickly than cars that are further
back. Gwen mentioned that when her friend dated a transit cop, that his suggestion is
riding the first car where the conductor is. Unlike buses, where the operator has access
to the entire vehicle, the trains are separated by cars. Therefore, in order to ensure their
safety, most of the women mentioned trying to sit in the front car to stay safe.
Others pointed out the importance of being aware of yourself and others while riding
buses and trains. For Anne, this means you don't wear fancy jewelry, you know, I would
never wear this ring. [] I don't wear gold, I just dont. Why would I try to temp fate?
Anne here expresses the unfortunate reality that sometimes wearing certain items can
seem to invite crime, in her case, this is an expensive ring. But she also mentions telling
her granddaughter about what she wears, and then follows up by saying and it shouldn't
matter what you're wearing, but it does. I know it does. But it shouldn't. Not only can
wearing jewelry invite someone to steal, but also wearing certain clothing items can seem
to invite people to harass. Cookie has to remind herself to be aware of things, especially
when in her own neighborhood: I pop in my headphones and its like, I forget sometimes
its like, well duh just cause this is your neighborhood doesn't mean you're not gonna get
robbed or you're not gonna get whatever. You're not aware of what's happening around
you you know? Her sense of security when travelling within her own neighborhood

means she often forgets that just because she knows she belongs there does not mean
someone does. Anne also acknowledges her own short comings on the train: you know,
you don't fall- well, on occasion I have fallen asleep, I will admit, but you don't. Anne
knows she has broken her own rule on being aware, but also claims that its important not
to do so. Falling asleep and listening to music can easily distract someone from their
surroundings and leave them vulnerable to others. Thus, it is a rule to be aware, even if it
means struggling to stay awake or turning off music. These distractions can make a
person a target for criminals.
On a train or bus, there always will be people on their phones, totally disengaged. Like
Cookie, many people use their phones on trains and buses to keep occupied during a
commute. However, it is easy to become totally absorbed in a phone, and having it out
makes it easy to steal. Allie mentions both the advantages and disadvantages to having a
phone out on the train or bus:
I'm surprised, more often, people, everybody on the train's got their phone. That
when there is, occasionally therell be somebody standing there trying to get
people to try and play some gambling game or asking for money, there are more
of us taking it out and taking pictures or doing something. Everybody seems to be
in their own little bubble and I never wear earbuds on the train because you need
to be a little more aware. For a long time, I didn't take my phone out. Most of the
time, it seems like everybody else does.
Having phones on the train makes it easy to report people who are breaking rules. Both
Allie and Veronika mention times when they used their phones to take a picture of

someone to warn others about their behavior or have called police with it. But at the same
time, that can happen without having the phone out and in use at all times during the
commute. Ideally, the phone could be used to report instances of harassment to the CTA
or Chicago Police Department, but only if people look up long enough to see it happen.
These are only a few of the ways the women mentioned protecting themselves on the
CTA. Veronika also explains that she carries pepper spray and a small knife to keep her
safe, and has even used them to prevent a person from hurting herself or others. All of
these methods are unwritten rules of safety that are passed around by riders. Most women
use a combination of them to protect themselves when on the CTA or in general. Some
may be obvious to city dwellers, like keeping your phone put away, but others, like riding
in the front car, might not come so intuitively.
IX.

CTA Anti-Harassment Campaign

Many people, including the women involved in this study, had not heard of the AntiHarassment campaign before. Although once they had, many of them remarked that it
does not make them feel any better about harassment or their safety than before learning
about it. Only one, participant, Sadie, mentioned feeling safer once she knew of it,
although she had not prior to the interview. When asked about their suggestions to
improve the campaign, two suggestions came up: the phone line and advertising. Every
single participant mentioned signage.
Allie and Cookie mentioned the phone line as an issue they would like to see addressed.
The phone line to report harassment listed on the advertisements for the campaign is open

from 7AM to 7PM Monday through Friday. At all other times, there is an answering
machine that callers can leave messages on, but no person is at the line. For Cookie, the
phone number did not seem like a good enough way to combat harassment. She feels that
she has seen too many things in Chicago to be like, 'oh good there's a way to report it!"
That's a good thing, you need a way to report it. Its just right there in the words were
saying, we're reporting the bad thing and not preventing it. While reporting harassment
is a good first step for her, it is only a first step. In her opinion, it would be better to find
other, more preventative ways to stop harassment to work in conjunction with a reporting
method.
Allie also found issue with the phone line, but for a different reason. She believes it
should be 24/7. Then when it is something like a high profile case where its been
effective, then people will say, Oh yeah, alright! It works! Allie sees opening up the
line as a way to encourage reporting, which in turn could become an effective way to
combat harassment. In her view, even one successful report that leads to an arrest or other
action could make riders feel safer knowing it works.
However, more often participants mentioned the lack of signage as a severe impediment
to the program. Each woman had a different way of addressing this problem. Anne
believes that the key is to change signage to better reflect the issue. She believes that
if a young woman is being harassed, she should be in the picture. And just do a
shadow of whoever is harassing you, but at least make those, make the connection
because I don't think- if I were a young woman, I certainly wouldn't make that
connection. At all.

Similarly, Anne wants different signs, with a woman. A young woman feeling threatened.
That's what I would do. Somebody that's not liking what's happening so then you can
say: this is not okay to do this to somebody. Annes emphasis on the woman being
harassed is much different than the current signage, which does not feature a woman at all,
or any person for that matter. In this suggestion, an image of a woman being harassed
would put an image to the issue of harassment that may make the issue more real to some
people.
Cookie suggests a similar approach to signage. She also believes that putting an image of
someone being harassed would help. She explains:
Ive only seen one of the anti-harassment signs and it wasn't very catchy. I
honestly don't remember what the picture was, but if like, they could put that kind
of effort that they did into like, 'be polite' then show something like, you would
grab people's attention with, you know a scene of like somebody like grabbing
somebody.
She also has another suggestion, that maybe if it could be on the buses and on the trains as
much as the no littering and no smoking is everywhere, and you know they like come over
the speaker with it on the train, like maybe it could go along with that? This is a more
common suggestion among participants. Using not only the signage but the PSAs over the
speaker could help reach riders who are not paying attention to the advertisements, and fits
with the theme of the announcements, which is advising riders to avoid certain bad
behaviors.
Gwen goes into more detail about this. She believes that something like this, which to me
would be a public service, more so than asking people if they suffer from depression or if

they're willing to be a participant at Northwestern is more important. She even suggests a

massive advertising campaign that extends beyond the train or bus. I would say they need
to have far more print material out there. At the bus stops, in the buses themselves, you
know things like that. I think that makes more sense in addition to having things online.
Gwen notes here that having a print campaign with as much information as the website
online could help reach audiences that lack access to the Internet. This would fill a gap in
the CTAs ridership that might need access to this information.

Like Anne and Cookie, Gwen also thinks the ads that do exist need to be more prevalent
and run in different ways.
I also think, why not run ads? They run ads for Metra, but you don't really see ads for
CTA. So, what would be, I would think that there would be an option for them. I
know its expensive but run it during times that you're most likely, your target
audience are more likely to see it. And you can run a short ad, it can be quick. There's
got to be a way you can manage that, that's not so outrageously expensive. But you
have to use different means: radio, television, print, all of it.
Related to her previous statement, Gwen suggests a mass campaign with multiple outlets.
When added to the print and bus station advertisements, it is easy to think that most
people are being reached. This would get the message out to a wide variety of people. As
she mentions, she believes there must be a cost effective way for the CTA to run these
ads. It could be a deal with the city or local news and radio stations, or simply by using
their own ad space, which would mean less revenue but would not necessarily cost them
any more money. They could even run ads on the sides of buses, so people not taking

public transportation could see them. To run a public service campaign, it is important to
reach everyone and not just a few that ride certain routes. Veronika and Sadie also believe
that prevalence is an issue, but Veronika does not offer more suggestions that just
increasing advertising. Sadie mentions reaching out to millennials through a hashtag. This
would be an easy addition to posters, and possible examples could be #wereallwatching,
#itsunwanteditsharassment, #reportharassment, or #antiharassment. The CTA used
hashtags in its campaign in conjunction with the Chicago Fire, the major league soccer
team in Chicago (#MenInRedLine). This way, it could gain traction among millenials and
on sites such as Twitter.
Because this is an ad based campaign, most of the suggestions to the campaign itself
revolve around marketing. All the respondents noted shortfalls in the campaign, mostly
centered around these advertising and reporting. Sadie also mentions that its a good first
step but that its going to have be more of a social change, itll have to be more of a
societal thing for there to be real change. However, the CTA could be part of the
movement towards making a societal change. With its position as one of the largest
public transit providers in the country, the CTA has the exposure and funding to make it
possible.
X.

General Improvements to Public Transportation

The Anti-Harassment campaign is only one way the CTA is trying to prevent harassment.
However, there are other areas where improvements can be made according to
participants. A wide variety of suggestions came up, from simple changes like better

lighting, to more substantial ones like train car design. The following suggestions were
the most prevalent improvements suggested by participants.
Operator presence was mentioned often by participants, in addition to the prevention
method of sitting in the front car. For Cookie and Veronika, just having the presence of an
officer is enough to make them feel safer. Cookie explains, When you're on a bus, it's
like, even though the driver is not like, a police officer, there's still like, somewhat of,
like, an authority. I think, you know, its like understood that they're there, and they're not
gonna necessarily let stuff fly. She has been on buses where the operator has pulled over
and kicked people off the bus. Veronika seconds this sentiment:
buses not as much because there's usually an operator. Usually things are
mitigated pretty well just by having an employee type person available in the
whole bus. Sometimes the bus drivers don't do a damn thing. But sometimes just
the fact that there's a CTA person, where on the train you're stuck in a tin can and
sometimes by yourself.
For Anne, just having an operator trained to act in dangerous situations is enough for her.
Gwen, however, wants there to be more operators on the trains, explaining:
I think if we can make it so that there is someone who is mid train and then a
conductor, if then we can teach our women, like stay within those trains because
you are likely to be safer because of a presence that's going to watch out for you,
that's a possible option that's not going to be overly expensive.

This is one of the more unique suggestions. Having an operator mid-train could make
response times faster, especially if they can react to the call button. Allie also had a
unique suggestion:
Drivers could make more comments like that like "okay, if there's trouble, let me
know", "you can use those radios in the car and I'll know, well stop the train and
we'll deal with it" or "you can call the CTA line" they could just as well say that as
the weather.
She also recalls a specific driver who would tell you what was at every stop. Get off
here for Fannie Mae, get off here for Walgreens, and it was so touching and
heartwarming. This presence consistently reminded riders that the operators were
present and attentive to the ride. She adds, I think they could do that. I really think they
could do that. And maybe bring back those conductors that did do that. They could ask
How did you do this? How did you decide what to say? This constant reminder, for
Allie, not only is convenient when trying to find a local landmark or know if its raining
outside, but also shows that the drivers are aware of what is going on. In both Gwen and
Allies suggestions, the CTA would have to make major changes to the operator positions
to include mid-operators and more friendly, talkative drivers. But overall, the operator
serves as an important buffer between riders and trouble, and actively makes women feel
safer on the CTA.
Another area for improvement is the call button. A couple participants noted the lack of
use of the call button by riders. The call button exists on trains and buses, but is more
often talked about in reference to the trains. Once pushed, it alerts the driver that attention
is needed. Cookie mentions the difficulty in operator awareness on trains, and how shes

never seen anybody push that button. She states later that I really don't get the
impression that like, people are like, yeah, no I should call, you know, I should push that
button! I feel like NO ONE pushes that button [laughs]. Veronika explains why it may
be that few people use the call button. She has heard people talking about not wanting to
push the button to call the operator because they think its going to stop the train, which
is a false belief. The button does not stop the train, but alerts the operator. While it may
stop the train at the next stop, it is unlikely that the train will stop altogether. Additionally,
Veronika points out a design flaw on the trains:
the call buttons on the trains, there's two of them, but they're across from each
other. So if you're in an unsafe position to call the operator from one button, its
equally unsafe from the one directly across from it. Whoever designed that was
kind of stupid. I mean seriously. It's so, a lot of the time the only way that it can
be safe to call the operators is to switch cars. and it's really obvious.
The train buttons are only located on one end of the train, making them impossible to
access on a crowded train if the victim is on the other side of the vehicle. Although the
campaign does try to address the lack of use with the call button, design flaws like this
make the promotion of the button much less useful.
Anne also mentions train design. She recalls the trains in Toronto and London, and how
the kind of cars they have, are open at each end. So you're not encased in this box that's
not very big if you think about it. I just think that would be better than anything. In this
case, the train is one long vehicle instead of cars linked together. She explains that its
much easier to go from one area to another without any issue. Because the only people
who tend to go between cars on the CTA are breaking the rules, most people do not do it,

even if they feel unsafe, which is something Veronika mentions. If the cars were designed
differently, it may be easier for people to escape harmful situations.
Police presence was a suggestion mentioned in the Loukaitou-Sideris study. Women
mentioned feeling safer with increased police presence. The women in this study mostly
agreed. Only Anne disagreed, saying that increased it would not help for African
American women, that's for sure. Cookie mentioned only ever seeing an officer at 4AM,
while Gwen mentioned a time when she
would take the Green Line to go to Oak Park on a fairly regular basis, they would
have an officer with a dog that would kind of walk the platform, sometimes they
would get on the train and get off and the next stop they'd get on, you know. So
there was some monitoring in that regard. Its limited and [she understands] that,
because, you know, each train is different.
Veronika echoed Gwens statements. However, she did not feel all that much safer,
because usually when I see them on the train theyre just going from one station to
another, they're not actually doing anything. And I dont even know what those dogs are
for. For many of the women, more police would be beneficial for their safety. Although
Anne pointed out an important issue with the relationship between police and African
Americans in Chicago, this sentiment was not stated by other women.
On a similar note, Loukaitou-Sideriss study mentioned security cameras as a good safety
instrument. Gwen likes the idea of cameras, but notes their limitations:

I understand there are a lot of cameras now that they have placed in and in the
stations as well because think what's happened is, for buses that have cameras in
them and even the trains, now crime has moved onto the platform or into the
station. Because people know they're being watched, even if its not a person
saying something there's a camera and they can track these people down. so
they're moving to areas now where there is no way to track them. So I do think
more cameras are helpful as well.
However, Veronika thinks the camera issue has been addressed with the new train cars
that came out in 2013: I mean there's what, 8 cameras on each car? I think a lot of the
criminal type people know that, I think they know their picture's being taken. She also
asks about cameras in the operator area of the train, if they have them and how they
work. If the operator does have cameras, it could help passengers. Cookie thinks that the
cameras need to be more obvious. She talks about an example where this thing
happened at Jarvis, and they released security footage, I was like wow I didn't even
know that there were cameras there I didn't even realize. She agrees with Veronika
saying, I think like, you know it's a deterrent for like shoplifting, so why wouldn't it be
like, "Look! Here it is, its the camera, were watching you. If you do this thing, guess
what? Your face is gonna be caught. For these women, the security cameras provide a
guarantee that the criminal, even if they are not caught, can be identified. Anne had some
reservations about cameras, because of her partner, who believes cameras to be a
violation of privacy, but ultimately decided that she did not care either way because the
train station is public space. Sadie believes that maybe if cameras were more prevalent

and at the stations, it could help. The cameras and police both seem to be effective
suggestions for creating safer public transportation.
The CTA has been actively introducing bus trackers to train and bus stations. At the
station, a list of buses with time of arrival can be seen. In the Loukaitou-Sideris study,
women found these to be particularly helpful, because they know how long they have to
wait. This is especially useful at night, when buses run less frequently. It also negates the
need to pull out a smartphone to check the times on an app. All of the women agreed that
the trackers can be useful, many for two reasons: safety and wellness. Cookie explains
that the trackers are good because
Its good to know because you know, most people know how long it takes to get
from their house to wherever, and if you go, okay, well you know its going to be
in 20 minutes, well youre not going to go right then and stand there by yourself
for however long, right? So that's good I think.
Anne and Gwen agree. They acknowledge safety and health benefits. Anne explains, I
use my transit tracker all the time, and that's just so I don't have to stand forever when its
freezing. Gwen thinks they help both safety and wellness, because in the wintertime
you're not going to have to be outside as long. For Veronika, she realizes that some
people do not have an app to check like she does, so she thinks that is a good idea in that
sense.
The CTA does not have to do all the work alone. Churches, non-profits, and other city
departments could work with the CTA to fight harassment. An oft mentioned group was

the Guardian Angels, a volunteer group that prevents crime on trains. Gwen noted the
absence of the Guardian Angels. She believes it to be because the Chicago Police
Department accused the of being vigilantes,
so we think that Guardian Angels took a step back. My feeling is they're part of a
community service they're providing. And you should not, if someone's willing to
help someone and make them feel secure, I'm not saying this is a, the Guardian
Angels from what I understand were not taking law into their own hands.
She explains that if community leaders are not going to be involved, although she thinks
they should, then groups like the Guardian Angels should be able to stay.
The Guardian Angels are not totally obsolete, as Veronika notes. She saw them recently,
but feels that you don't hear about them until something happens the last few years.
When something happens theyll flock to that area, theyll campaign and put up flyers
with CTA pictures or something like that. They did that recently at one of the Red Line
stops. Even if it is not the Guardian Angels, having bodies around helps. This is similar
to the womens opinions on operators. More so than security cameras, women felt that
having people around who would be willing to help makes them feel safe. Unlike security
cameras, a person there can react. Security cameras are less helpful until after the fact.
Anne and Veronika mention ways women can learn to protect themselves, and feels that it
would be helpful if a non-profit or church group could help teach this. Anne does not care
where they are taught,

if that's what people want to do is go to church, then that's where it should be. If
there are non-profits that are working with women, then I think they should be
training them, I think schools should be doing it, because I think assertiveness
training is the best solution because it teaches you to pick up that phone and not,
and recognize what's harassment.
Veronika agrees, believing women should take steps to protect themselves:
Situational awareness, I think its huge and a lot of people haven't heard that
phrase, they don't really know what it means, so I dont even know if that's
something that could be added to the campaign as far as signage kind of stuff that
would be directing it at potential victims. Pay attention to your surroundings. And
even if you're not paying attention, figure out how to seem like you look like you
are.
She and Anne talk about how women taking steps to protect themselves matters just as
much as relying on other groups or people. This way, women can be confident knowing
they are well prepared, even if there are no conductors or police around. Veronika has
used her pepper spray and knife more than once to defend herself and others. Although it
is unfortunate that women feel they have to protect themselves, it is better than being
vulnerable.
Since the Loukaitou-Sideris study took place, a new form of transportation has emerged:
ride sharing. Similar to renting a car or taking a taxi, companies like Uber and Lyft use
their apps to connect people looking for rides with drivers. These drivers own their

vehicles, and just like a cab, pick up, charge a fare, and drop off. Some women use Uber
or Lyft in lieu of public transportation at night or when they need to be somewhere fast.
Others may take it to other public transportation stops. In Rogers Park, many of the
stations are close together, both bus and train, so it is easy to get close to a destination.
However, this is not true in the entire city. On the South and West sides, the stops,
especially train stops, are far more spread out. Cookie lives near both a train and bus stop,
each about a block from her apartment. She sometimes takes Uber to work and would
take Uber to a further public transportation stop, like the Metra (citys regional train).
Sadie agrees. She explains that if I didnt feel safe, I would either just take Uber to
wherever I was going or take Uber to a better stop. Some women can avoid late night
train rides and safety concerns if they can afford to pay for Uber or Lyft.
Anne and Gwen, however, do not use ride sharing. Anne solely takes public
transportation or cabs, because both are unionized. Gwen is part of I-go, which is part of
Enterprise, to get around when she needs a car. Gwen does not use Uber or Lyft because
of a lack of regulation. For some women, ride sharing allows them to feel safer, even if
they do not take it all the way to their destination. However, it does not seem to make
women feel safer more than taking a cab or, like Gwen, a carshare that does not include a
driver. It does seem to be an option, if women can afford it, to avoid unsafe areas or
public transportation stops.
The general suggestions to public transportation highlight the need for improvements to
the CTA. These women provide many potential solutions to combat harassment, from
increased personnel to design changes to structural improvements. Only in combination

with these improvements, mentioned here and in Loukaitou-Sideriss study, can real
change happen. These suggestions show that the campaign itself is not enough to stave
off harassment. There are bigger changes that need to be made.
XI.

Conclusion
Although this sample fails to account for the opinions of minorities and LGBT
individuals, it is a step in finding what improvements can be made to increase safety on
public transportation. It is necessary to find out more information on how LGBT
individuals feel safer as well as women of color. However, the CTAs campaign starts an
important conversation about harassment on public transportation. However, what it fails
to do is actually make women feel safer on public transportation. Increasing the presence
of the campaign, as well as having more outside resources could help women feel safer.
Also, crowding, lighting, and operator presence all make a difference in how women feel
when on the CTA. The CTA needs to look beyond its current program to see how it could
increase awareness. The CTA should also consider improvements to its trains and buses
and personnel that would benefit womens safety as much as or more than the campaign.
Creating a safer CTA for women means women may be more inclined to take it,
increasing revenue and ridership. Further expansions to the program could create a whole
new conversation on harassment in public spaces, and the CTA could be the leader of it.

XII.

Bibliography

Blumenberg, Evelyn. 2004. En-gendering Effective Planning. Journal of the American

Planning Association. 70(3): 269-281.
Chicago Transit Authority. 2015. Anti-Harassment Campaign. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
(http://www.transitchicago.com/speakup/).
Chicago Transit Authority. 2014. Annual Ridership Report Calendar Year 2014. Retrieved
May 7, 2016. (http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/ridership_reports/2014-Annual__FINAL.pdf)
Holcomb, Briavel. 2011. "Urban Planning, Women in." Pp. 1505-1507 in The Multimedia
Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World. Vol 1, edited by Strange, Mary Zeiss, Carol
K. Oyster, Jane E. Sloan. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Garrett, Mark. 2014. Encyclopedia of Transportation, Social Science and Policy. Vol. 1, Transit
Demographics, Travel Patterns of Women, and Womens Issues/Gender Issues. Los
Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Levy, Caren. 2013. Travel choice reframed: deep distribution and gender in urban transport.
Environment & Urbanization 25(1): 47-63.
Emilia L. Lombardi PhD , Riki Anne Wilchins , Dana Priesing Esq. & Diana Malouf. 2002.
Gender Violence. Journal of Homosexuality 42(1): 89-101
Loukaitou-Sideris, Anastasia. 2009. How to Ease Womens Fear of Transportation
Environments: Case Studies and Best Practices. California Department of
Transportation: Sacramento, CA: U.S. Department of Transportation.
Purifoye, Gwendolyn. 2015. Nice-Nastiness and Other Raced Social Interactions
on Public Transport Systems. City & Community 14(3): 286-310.
Mitchell, Don. 2003. The Right to the City: Social Justice and the Fight for Public Space. New
York: The Guilford Press.
Walsh, Margaret. 2007. Gender in the History of Transportation Services: A Historiographical
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Wyatt, Gail E. and Monika Riederle. 1995. The Prevalence and Context of Sexual Harassment
Among African American and White American Women. Journal of Interpersonal
Violence 10(3): 309-321.

XIII. Appendices
Appendix A: Questions
Questions:
Background questions
How long have you lived in Rogers Park? Chicago?
Do you have any young children, and if so, do they take public transportation with you?
Transit habits
In regards to transit usage, what is a typical week like for you? Where do you take it?
When? For what reason do you take it?
Safety
When do you feel safe taking public transit?
When do you feel unsafe?
(If interviewee has children that take public transportation) When do you feel safe
bringing your children with you on public transportation? During specific times of day, in
certain areas?
Have you ever seen women harassed on public transportation or at stops?
Have you seen other violence or crime against women on public transit?
Anti-Harassment campaign
Have you seen signs or other advertising regarding the CTAs anti-harassment campaign?
If not- have them read a quick summary from the CTA, show example of a sign
Do you think this campaign adequately addresses issues of harassment? Why or why not?
Does it make you feel safer? Either the presence of the campaign or knowledge about it.
Do you think the campaign raises enough awareness?
What would you personally add to the campaign, either information, resources, etc.
Suggestions
In your opinion, what could be done to better increase safety on public transit? For
example, do you think police presence should be increased? Or should security cameras
be more prevalent?
The CTA just added bus tracker displays to some rail stations, allowing riders to see when
their bus is arriving. Will this help increase safety? What other improvements can be
made to stops, such as better lighting or cleanliness?
What can non-profits or churches do to help safety issues? For example, would having an
escort service increase safety? What about a support group?
Finally, what is your opinion on ride sharing, such as Uber or Lyft? Would you take an
Uber or Lyft to the train or bus, or even instead of the train or bus? Why?
Consent Form

Appendix B: Consent Form

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
Project Title: Womens Safety on Public Transportation and the CTA Anti-Harassment
Campaign: What We Do and What We Could Do Better
Researcher(s): Emily Daucher
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Marilyn Krogh
Introduction:
You are being asked to take part in a research study being conducted by Emily Daucher for a
sociology senior thesis under the supervision of Dr. Marilyn Krogh in the Department of
Sociology at Loyola University of Chicago.
You are being asked to participate because you are a woman in Rogers Park who takes public
transportation and has opinions on the safety of it. Because the project focuses on the CTAs antiharassment campaign, a crime of which women are disproportionately affected, your status as a
woman will provide important information to the study. Additionally, the focus on the CTA and
Loyolas location in Rogers Park makes your location relevant to this study.
Please read this form carefully and ask any questions you may have before deciding whether to
participate in the study.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study is to look at the CTAs anti-harassment campaign, often found as
signage on buses or trains, and to ask women in Rogers Park their opinions on it. Additionally,
the study will address general fears of public transportation and womens safety. The purpose is
to see if what women believe to be problems or solutions align with the goals and method of the
campaign.
Procedures:
If you agree to be in the study, you will be asked to:
Answer questions regarding public transportation safety, harassment, and the anti-harassment
campaign. The interview can be anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, and a sample of the
questions include: Do you feel safe in Rogers Park? Chicago?, Are you aware of the
CTAs anti-harassment campaign?, and What improvements would you like to see on the
CTA, in an ideal world?
Risks/Benefits:
The questions cover topics that can be sensitive, such as violence and harassment.
There are no direct benefits to you from participation, but the results of this study may benefit
women in Chicago as a whole who are afraid of taking public transportation, and what can be
done to alleviate the fears.

Confidentiality:
Any information gathered will be reported in the study, however the participant will choose a
pseudonym to protect their identity.
These interviews will be recorded on my iPhone and then stored on my personal computer.
Following the completion of the study, these interviews will be deleted permanently.
Should you choose not to be recorded, I will handwrite the notes and store them in my
apartment. Following completion of the study, these interviews will be deleted permanently.
____________________________________________ __________________
Participants Signature
Date
____________________________________________ ___________________
Researchers Signature
Date
Voluntary Participation:
Participation in this study is voluntary. If you do not want to be in this study, you do not have to
participate. Even if you decide to participate, you are free not to answer any question or to
withdraw from participation at any time without penalty.
Contacts and Questions:
If you have questions about this research project or interview, feel free to contact Emily Daucher
at (815) 721-9405 or [email protected] or the faculty sponsor Dr. Marilyn Krogh at (773) 5083471 or [email protected].
If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the Loyola
University Office of Research Services at (773) 508-2689.
Statement of Consent:
Your signature below indicates that you have read the information provided above, have had an
opportunity to ask questions, and agree to participate in this research study. You will be given a
copy of this form to keep for your records.
____________________________________________ __________________
Participants Signature
Date
____________________________________________ ___________________
Researchers Signature
Date

Appendix C: Demographics and Interview Information

Table 1: Demographic information of participants

Name

Race/ethnicity

Age

Location in
Rogers Park

Years in
Rogers
Park

Modes of
Transportation
Taken

Anne

White

60s

South

34

Bus, Train

Cookie

White

40s

North

Bus, Train

Gwen

White

30s

Central

Bus, Train

Veronika

White

40s

South

Bus, Train

Allie

White

60s

South

35

Bus, Train

Sadie

White

20s

South

Bus, Train

Table 2: Participants and interview location and day

Name

Interview location

Interview day

Anne

Ellipsis Coffeehouse

March 13, 2016

Cookie

Participants apartment

March 16, 2016

Gwen

Common Cup

March 19, 2016

Veronika

Starbucks

March 24, 2016

Allie

Starbucks

April 8, 2016

Sadie

Starbucks

April 22, 2016

Appendix D: CTA Anti-Harassment Campaign Signage

2009 Signage:

Figure 1: 2009 Sign

Figure 2: 2009 Sign

2015 Signage:

Figure
Figure
5:
3: 2015
4: 2015
sign
sign
"We're
"Speak
"It's Not
All
Up"Watching"
OK"

Figure 6: 2015 sign "It's not Nothing"