State of

Dorval R. Carter, President Transit Authority 567 West Lake Street Chicago IL 60601

July 30, 2020

Dear President Carter:

As Members of the Illinois General Assembly, who are concerned with transportation-related issues, we are contacting each of the state’s transit districts in an effort to ascertain what steps you are taking to keep employees and passengers safe.

Public transit is essential to many people’s lives and livelihoods, so its continued availability is vital to our state’s reopening plan and to the personal finances of many people – especially low-income residents and seniors. Furthermore, our buses and trains are places where people come into close contact with each other due to their confined spaces. With that being said, if appropriate precautions are not taken, these places pose an increased risk of spreading COVID-19.

At your earliest convenience, please send us a letter detailing the efforts you are taking to protect your employees and passengers and to limit the spread of COVID-19. The letter should address, but need not be limited to, the following topics:

- Testing: Under what circumstances are employees required to be tested? What do you do if an employee tests positive? - Tracing: How do you identify individuals who may have had prolonged contact with employees or a passenger who is found to have COVID-19? What information do you convey to them, and what do you require of employees who may have been exposed? - Temperature checks: Most businesses and other entities that have remained open or reopened require temperature checks for their employees, in an effort to catch otherwise asymptomatic individuals who have contracted COVID-19. What is your policy? - Employee pay: If an employee contracts COVID-19 or is required to self-isolate or self- quarantine due to exposure to someone who has the illness, are they paid? Does that pay include holidays? What is your policy more generally? - Operations: What steps are you taking to ensure the sanitation of all vehicles, equipment, and facilities? What is the process for vendors to bid for those contracts?

State of Illinois

If you do not currently have policies covering testing, tracing, temperature checks, and employee pay, please explain why. Other useful items to include in your letter would include mask requirements, sanitation procedures, capacity limits, and other safety procedures you have implemented in response to the pandemic.

We look forward to reviewing your response to this letter by Friday, Aug. 7.

Sincerely,

Ram Villivalam Donald P. DeWitte State Senator, 8th District State Senator, 33rd District Chair, Senate Transportation Committee Minority Spokesperson, Senate Transportation Committee

Sen. Neil Anderson Sen. Sen. Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant

Sen. Sen. Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins Sen.

Sen. Sen. Emil Jones III Sen. Sen. Iris Y. Martinez

Sen. Julie A. Morrison Sen. Sen. Sen.