1. Definitions

1. District Property means any real Property owned or controlled by the District and includes both areas within and outside of buildings and includes all places where the District is conducting operations, meetings, or any other official business,  or vehicles owned or maintained by District funds or personnel.

2. Hazardous material means a substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has determined is capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and Property when transported in commerce, and has been designated as hazardous under section 5103 of Federal hazardous materials transportation law.

   The Secretary shall designate material (including an explosive, radioactive material, infectious substance, flammable or combustible liquid, solid, or gas, toxic, oxidizing, or corrosive material, and compressed gas) or a group or class of material as hazardous when the Secretary determines that transporting the material in commerce in a particular amount and form may pose an unreasonable risk to health and safety or Property.

   The term includes hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, elevated temperature materials, materials designated as hazardous in the Hazardous Materials Table (see 49 CFR 172.101), and materials that meet the defining criteria for hazard classes and divisions in CFR 49 part 173.

3. Vehicle means any vehicle owned or operated by the District and includes revenue and non-revenue vehicles.

4. Weapon means any item defined as a weapon by the Criminal Code of the State of Illinois (720 ICLS 5/33A – 1(c)). 

2. General Rules

All persons on District Property shall: 

1. Comply with all lawful orders or directives of any District employee acting within the scope of his or her employment when such orders or directives relate to activities on District Property. 
2. Obey any instructions on notices or signs posted by the District on District Property. 
3. Act courteously toward other persons. 
4. Refrain from eating or drinking while on board District vehicles.

3. Rules Related to Operation of Vehicles and Use of District Property

In or upon any District Property, no person shall: 

1. Interfere with the movement of any District vehicle or the operation of any District Property.
2. Unreasonably interfere with the orderly conduct of any District meeting. 
3. Place, permit, or cause to be placed any notice or advertisement upon any District Property, without first obtaining written permission of District management. 
4. Occupy any District Property without proper identification as a user of business or services within the facility.  
5. Refuse to leave District Property or a District meeting when instructed by a District employee for violation of the rules. 
6. Bring animals that are not constrained by a pet carrier into or upon District Property except for those service animals used to aid persons with disabilities. All service animals must either fit on a passenger’s lap or on the floor immediately adjacent to the passenger, be under the owner’s control at all times, and may not present a threat to the safety of the Operator or customers. Animals may not take up a seat. 
7. Occupy space on District Property with their personal Property for an excessive length of time or occupy an excessive amount of space on District Property as determined by management. One hour or longer shall be presumed an “excessive length of time” for the purposes of this section. 
8. Canvass to collect money or sell or distribute anything or solicit for any purpose on District Property without written authorization of the District’s Managing Director/CEO or designee. 
9. Fail to secure a bicycle at designated bike rack devices. Bicycles secured in unauthorized areas will be subject to removal. 
10. Sleep on District Property or place their feet, stand, or lie down on the seats of District Property. 
11. Stand in front of the standee line at the front of the bus near the driver’s seat.
12. Bring on board any District Property any large articles, packages, baggage, non-collapsible strollers, or baby buggies which block the aisle and restrict the free movement of passengers. Wheelchairs are intended for passengers with mobility limitations. Any wheelchair being pushed without a passenger must not have property which extends vertically beyond the height of the arms of the wheelchair or extends horizontally beyond the seat of the wheelchair. Due to wheelchairs only having three sides, all property items in the seat of a wheelchair must be secured in some manner as to keep them from shifting out of the chair with the momentum of the bus.
13. Board vehicles as unattended minors, independent of age, that are not able to pay a fare, navigate the system alone, and have or know the contact information for their parent or guardian. Any child who cannot comply with these requirements must be accompanied at all times by a responsible individual who is at least 14 years of age or older. 
14. Fail to wear appropriate footwear and clothing.
15. Bring on board any District vehicle or place on a District vehicle, hazardous materials as defined in CFR 49, such as gas containers, vehicle batteries, battery powered bicycles, or hoverboards.

4. Rules Related to Disorderly Conduct or Dangerous Activity

In or upon any District Property, no person shall: 

1. Violate federal, state, or municipal laws.
2. Commit the following acts of disorderly conduct:
   1. Conduct which is inconsistent with the comfortable use of vehicles or facilities for their intended purpose. 
   2. Perform any act in such unreasonable manner as to alarm or disturb another and to provoke a breach of the peace.
   3. Engage in violent, abusive, indecent, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud, or otherwise disorderly conduct under circumstances in which  such conduct tends to cause or provoke a disturbance.
3. Exhibit any behavior that hinders the proper use of District Property, including, but not limited to, loud or boisterous behavior, verbal harassment, drunkenness, or running. 
4. In a dangerous manner, hang onto, or attach himself or herself onto any exterior part of District Property at any time.  
5. Ride a skateboard, manual scooter, roller blades, bicycle, hoverboard, or engage in other dangerous physical activity within a District vehicle or District facility.
6. Smoke or use any nicotine products (including e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and vaping) or any other substance (including marijuana), or carry any burning or smoldering substance, in any form on any District Property. 
7. Discard or deposit, other than into a refuse receptacle provided for that purpose, rubbish, trash, debris, or offensive substance.
8. Play any audio devices or musical instruments except if the sound produced thereby is only audible through earphones to the person carrying the device. Any form of entertainment or organized gathering must be approved by the management of any District facility or vehicle.
9. Use or possess open alcohol (except in designated areas or business locations possessing a liquor license) or illegal drugs.
10. Mutilate, deface, damage or destroy any District Property, sign, notice or advertisement posted by the District.
11. Hang out, reach out, or put anything out of District vehicle windows.
12. Harass or threaten persons, including but not limited to, following or stalking passengers, customers, or employees. 
13. Possess a weapon, except that of a peace officer in the course of duty.
14. Assault, physically harass, or engage in any unwanted touching of any person. 
15. Fight.
16. Steal personal Property from any person, employee, or the District.
17. Spit, defecate, or urinate except in the designated restroom facility equipment.
18. Knowingly throw an object at or within a District vehicle or a District facility, or at any person.
19. Cause damage to District Property.

5. Removal, Prosecution and Exclusion

1. Any person who engages in prohibited behavior identified above in Sections 2, 3, and 4 may be subject to immediate removal from District Property for 24 hours, and if such behavior constitutes a violation of local, state, or federal law, may be subject to arrest.
2. In addition to immediate removal for 24 hours, any person violating District rules shall be subject to exclusion from District Property for a period of time and subject to such conditions as the Chief of Staff or designee shall determine.
3. Any person who violates rules may be required by the District representative to attend corrective action meetings with District Staff prior to exclusion. Failure of the alleged violator to attend corrective action meetings shall constitute grounds for exclusion. The District maintains the right to exclusion without corrective action meetings depending on the circumstances.
4. The duration of an exclusion may be reduced or increased depending upon the specific prohibited behavior(s) and circumstances of an occurrence or set of occurrences, whether the person has engaged in multiple prohibited behaviors at a time, whether the person has repeatedly engaged in prohibited behavior(s) over a period of time, and/or whether the person has previously been excluded from District Property. Additionally, the exclusion may be conditioned by the person issuing the exclusion upon remedial actions to be undertaken by the person including but not limited to, restitution for damaged property or other conditions related to the rule violation.
5. A person excluded may not enter or remain upon any District Property subject to the exclusion during the period of exclusion. An excluded person who enters or remains upon any District Property from which the person has been excluded is a trespasser and may be subject to arrest and prosecution. In addition, failure to abide by an exclusion may constitute a further violation of these rules and regulations for which the duration of the exclusion may be extended.
6. The District’s Chief of Staff or designee shall issue a written exclusion to a person after sufficient time to review the specific circumstances of an occurrence or set of occurrences. A written exclusion notice signed by the issuing District representative shall be given to a person excluded from District Property. The exclusion notice shall specify the reason(s) for exclusion, places and duration of the exclusion, and the consequences for failure to comply with the notice. The notice shall also indicate how such exclusion may be appealed. The notice shall be signed by the person being excluded. If the person being excluded refuses to sign the notice, the District representative shall write “refused to sign” on the notice, and sign it. The signed notice is to be returned to the Operations Department, and a copy given to the person being excluded.
7. No later than ten (10) calendar days after commencement of the exclusion, an excluded person may appeal, in writing, to the District’s Managing Director, or designee, for full review of the exclusion and may petition the Managing Director, or designee, to rescind the exclusion, alter the places of exclusion, or reduce the duration of the exclusion. An appellant shall provide the Managing Director or designee a copy of the exclusion notice, a request for review of the exclusion, a written statement setting forth the reason(s) that the exclusion is invalid, improper, or otherwise should be rescinded or reduced and any other supporting materials or documents. The Managing Director, or designee, shall render a decision on the appeal no later than ten (10) calendar days after the Managing Director’s receipt of the written appeal. 
8. Any time during the exclusion, an excluded person may petition, in writing, to the Managing Director, or designee, for a temporary waiver of the exclusion.

Updated: 3/30/2022