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It’s Monday, and summer is approaching. Plan your season with our handy guide to all the festivals, outdoor concerts and neighborhood events happening soon. Plus, more stories
from WTTW News.
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(AlbertPego / iStock)
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The Chicago Transit Authority’s reliance on bus and train operator overtime dropped in 2024, a sign the agency’s hiring efforts have eased a once-massive staffing shortfall.
Data obtained by WTTW News shows the overall number of bus and train operators who worked for the CTA last year neared its pre-pandemic peak of employees. According to an analysis of operator data since 2015, the largest group of employees in each year worked an average of 30 to 40 hours per week.
Overall, about 17% of operators worked an average of 40 or more hours a week in 2024, down from 19.3% in 2023. While the share of employees working 40 to 50 hours a week was essentially unchanged from 2023 to 2024, the number of operators working 50 hours a week or more dropped to 91 in 2024, well below the peak of 165 in 2022.
More context:
Data shows the CTA employed several hundred more bus operators in 2024, with hiring having been a key focus for the transit agency in recent years. As staffing has improved and the reliance on overtime has begun to wane, the agency’s hefty payouts to certain operators has also dropped. Still, with operators earning time and a half for overtime, many people who run buses and trains were still paid well above the yearly salary for their position last year.
CTA operator base salaries range from $64,147 to $85,508, with employees eligible for a range of upgrades and bonuses in addition to the extra OT pay. Data shows 769 operators earned more than $100,000 last year. Of those, 32 earned $150,000 or more, with three bus drivers topping $200,000.
The CTA’s use of overtime comes with health and safety concerns for workers in demanding jobs like bus and rail operators, and worries from employee advocates about burnout. Experts say long hours and short turnaround time can cause sleep deprivation and fatigue.
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Chicago police officers surround an SUV driven by Dexter Reed moments before shots are fired on March 21, 2024. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability)
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The Chicago police officers who pulled over Dexter Reed and killed him in a barrage of gunfire after he fired at officers violated the constitutional rights of at least two other drivers on Chicago’s West Side less than three weeks before the fatal shooting and should be suspended, the agency tasked with investigating police misconduct and Supt. Larry Snelling agreed, records show.
Some backstory:
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, also known as COPA, has not yet completed its probe into the March 21, 2024, traffic stop of Reed or the shooting that killed him, records show. Four officers fired 96 shots in 41 seconds at Reed, hitting him 13 times, shortly after Reed shot and wounded a fifth officer, according to a preliminary investigation by COPA.
The tactical team that stopped Reed improperly stopped and searched Chicagoans during two separate traffic stops. It is the first determination that officers assigned to tactical teams in the Harrison (11th) Police District on the West Side, one of the most violent in the city, violated dozens of department rules during multiple traffic stops.
More context:
Snelling concurred with COPA’s conclusions and found those violations merited suspensions ranging from three days to 25 days for each officer that participated in the stop. COPA had recommended suspensions of no more than 30 days for each officer who participated in each of the two stops.
Snelling made his disciplinary decisions in both probes on March 5. It is unclear whether the officers have served those suspensions, since they can appeal Snelling’s determination.
In all, Snelling and COPA agreed that five officers collectively committed 47 violations of departmental rules designed to protect the rights of Chicagoans during two traffic stops and should be suspended for a total of 91 days.
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Chicago Pride Fest, 2024. (Steven Koch / Northalsted)
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Many great perks come with living in Chicago, but one of the best is how much this city has to offer during the summer. Any weekend, you can explore a different place or peruse a neighborhood street festival, all while catching some live music, seeing attractions and eating street food from beloved local eateries. Get ready for fun with this guide to neighborhood street fests, art shows, outdoor concerts, cultural celebrations and events of all sizes across Chicago and the suburbs. WTTW News has compiled them all in the story above.
Here are some selections happening this month:
May 10: Saturday Night at the Zoo (Lincoln Park)
May 11: Maxwell Street Market (Near West Side)
May 17-18: Renegade Craft Fair (Andersonville)
May 24-25: Sueños Chicago (Loop)
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Back in the Day: May 5, 2015 - Chicago Hires Dorval Carter as CTA President
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On this day 10 years ago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Dorval Carter as the new president of the Chicago Transit Authority. At the time, Carter had been with the CTA on-and-off for nearly 30 years, starting his career as a staff attorney at the agency in 1984. As WTTW News reporter Nick Blumberg points out, “Carter
shepherded the agency during a precipitous drop in ridership and revenue during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and oversaw major projects including the ongoing Red-Purple Modernization, the overhaul of the 95th/Dan Ryan transit hub, and the Red Line Extension that’s expected to begin construction later this year.” He continues, “But Carter also faced major criticism from riders and elected officials frustrated by gaps in bus and train service, unpredictable wait times, concerns about rider safety, and a lack of transparency. His contentious relationship with the City Council led alderpeople to pass a measure requiring the CTA’s leader to appear for quarterly hearings.” He retired in January 2025 and was replaced by acting President Nora Leerhsen, who previously served as
Carter’s chief of staff.
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This Week’s Civic Events
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.
City Council's Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy
On Monday at 10 a.m., the City Council's Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy will hold a hearing on the Peoples Gas System Modernization Program (SMP). Details and the agenda can be found here.
City Council's Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight
On Monday at noon, the City Council's Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight will meet to appoint new members to the Board of Ethics and more. Details and the agenda can be found here.
City Council
Chicago’s City Council will meet Wednesday at noon. Details and location can be found here.
WTTW
On Wednesday at 6 p.m. join us for a special student-led screening and discussion event presented by DePaul University’s College of Communications featuring “Firsthand: Peacekeepers,” the acclaimed docuseries produced by WTTW. RSVP, details and location can be found here.
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What's your favorite summer festival in Chicago? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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