GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (9-124-010 et seq.)

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 9, ch. 9-124, art. I

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-010 Erection of wires and poles.

9-124-010 Erection of wires and poles. No person operating a street, elevated, steam or other railroad shall erect any poles or string wires thereon along, upon or across any public way or other public place in the city for the purpose of conveying an electric current to operate his railroad cars, unless he has obtained permission and authority from the city council for that purpose. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than $100.00 nor more than $200.00 for each offense. Each day such poles or wires shall be maintained in violation of this section after the first conviction shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Prior code § 188-4)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-020 Operating near railroad elevation.

9-124-020 Operating near railroad elevation. No person shall propel, or cause to be propelled, any single car or train of cars on any track situated on the surface of any street in the city, across an intersecting street, when the track on which such single car or train of cars is propelled runs parallel to the track of any steam railroad of which the track is elevated on an embankment and is carried over an intersecting street by a bridge, where the condition is such that any rail of said surface track is within 15 feet of the end of any abutment wall supporting said bridge. Each operation of a single car or train in violation of any of the terms of this section shall be deemed a separate offense. It is hereby declared to be a nuisance for any person to operate such car or train in violation of this section. (Prior code § 188-5)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-030 Comfort and safety of passengers.

9-124-030 Comfort and safety of passengers. No person owning, leasing or operating any street railroad cars, elevated railroad cars or other railroad cars, which run from point to point within the City, either on elevated, surface or subway lines, shall permit any car to be used or operated on any of the public ways of said City or on any part of the right-of-way of said person unless the following conditions are complied with: (a) The cars of the company shall be kept heated as follows: A minimum temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit above zero shall be maintained in all cars in service carrying passengers when the outside temperature is at ten degrees Fahrenheit above zero or higher. A minimum temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit above zero shall be maintained in all cars in service carrying passengers when the outside temperature is below ten degrees, but not below five degrees Fahrenheit above zero. When the outside temperature is below five degrees Fahrenheit above zero the temperature in all cars in service carrying passengers shall be maintained at 45 degrees Fahrenheit above zero, or as near this point as the continuous operation of all the heaters in said cars to their full capacity will allow. (b) There shall be maintained and conspicuously displayed in such car a standard Fahrenheit thermometer so located that it will furnish a fair criterion of the temperature of the car. (c) The air shall be supplied in such quantity that the amount of carbon dioxide present in the air of the said car shall not exceed 12 parts in each 10,000 parts of air. (d) Cars or portions of cars in which smoking is permitted shall be provided with a ventilating capacity 33 1/3 percent in excess of the capacity required for other cars or the portions of cars in which smoking is not permitted. (e) Cars shall be opened up and freely aired at least once in 24 hours. (f) The interior and platforms and insides of vestibules of all cars shall be kept clean, and cars in which smoking is permitted shall be cleaned after each round trip. All window glass of all cars shall be kept clean at all times when such cars are in operation. (g) Each car on each separate line shall, after leaving the starting point, be run to the terminus of the lines as designated on such car, except in cases of breakdown or other unavoidable interruptions of traffic, and except when no passenger on the car desires to be carried to the terminus of said line. (h) A sufficient number of cars on each separate line to carry passengers comfortably and without crowding shall be provided, which cars shall be run upon a proper and reasonable schedule, and such schedule shall upon request be furnished to the city council. (i) For the purpose of providing comfortable transportation of passengers without crowding, the number of passengers to be carried in any street railroad, elevated railroad or steam railroad car shall not exceed the seating capacity of such street railroad, elevated railroad or steam railroad car. (j) Each street or elevated railroad car shall be distinctly numbered and bear the name of its owner, both inside and outside, and shall bear appropriate and conspicuous signs upon its sides and ends indicating both day and night the route and destination of such car. Provided, however, that when two or more cars are operated as trains, said end signs shall be affixed to the front of the front car and to the rear of the rear car. At night such signs shall be illuminated. (k) There shall be securely posted in each car, where it may be conveniently read by the passengers, a copy of the above regulations of this section. The Commissioner of Public Health shall detail employees from the Department of Public Health to make the investigation necessary to determine whether or not the sanitary provisions of this section are being complied with, and the Department of Public Health shall report the result of such investigation to the Corporation Counsel. The Committee on Transportation and Public Way may secure information necessary to determine whether or not all other provisions of this section are being complied with and to cooperate with the Corporation Counsel in securing the evidence necessary to the prosecution of violations of this section. Any person guilty of violating any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than $25.00 nor more than $100.00 for each car operated in violation of this section, and each day of the operation of such car shall be considered a separate offense. (Prior code § 188-6; Amend Coun. J. 12-2-09, p. 78837, Art. 1, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 2-24-21, p. 27657, Art. V, § 5)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-040 Transporting policemen.

9-124-040 Transporting policemen. Any person owning or operating any railroad, street car, motorbus or omnibus having an established right- of-way within the limits of the city, and engaged in the business of carrying passengers thereon for hire, shall, on any train, car, motorbus, omnibus or other vehicle used or operated by any such described company, carry free of charge, within the limits of the city, any officer or member of the department of police, when such officer or member is clothed in the uniform of his rank and engaged in the performance of his official duties. No officer or director of any railroad, street car, motorbus or omnibus company, nor any other person engaged in the business of carrying passengers for hire, as aforesaid, shall issue any order or command prohibiting or interfering with the enforcement of the provisions of this section. (Prior code § 188-7)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-050 Driver collecting fares.

9-124-050 Driver collecting fares. It shall be unlawful for the driver of any vehicle propelled otherwise than by animal power and used for transportation of passengers for hire, or for any person controlling or operating any such vehicle to cause, suffer or permit any driver to collect fare, make change, issue any ticket or transfer, make any entry of record, count transfers, tickets or money, while the said vehicle is in motion upon the surface of any public way in the city. (Prior code § 188-8)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-060 Lights at railroad crossings.

9-124-060 Lights at railroad crossings. Every person owning or operating any elevated or street railroad, whose track crosses or intersects at, above or below the grade of any of the public ways within the city, shall provide at his own expense, proper and sufficient lights, and shall care for the same at all such crossings or intersections. Such lights shall be of such kind as may be approved by the commissioner of transportation. Each day during which any crossing or intersection situated as aforesaid shall be permitted to remain without such lights after the first conviction shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Prior code § 188-9; Amend Coun. J. 11-8-12, p. 38872, § 170)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-070 Painting railroad pillars.

9-124-070 Painting railroad pillars. Every person owning or operating any steam or elevated railroad whose track is elevated within the city shall paint a stripe of uniform color and design, in such a way as to make it conspicuous from its base to its top, on every post, pillar or support located at a point or turn in the street where vehicular traffic may be endangered by collision therewith. At night there shall be displayed a light of sufficient illuminating power to be visible in the direction from which vehicles approach at a distance of 200 feet on an arm or bracket extending from such post, pillar or support, or suspended from the superstructure of the railroad, all of which shall be done in such manner as shall be approved by the commissioner of transportation. In the event that any such person owning or operating any steam or elevated railroad shall fail or neglect to paint and illuminate such posts, pillars or supports as herein required, then the city council at its election, may cause the work to be done at the expense of such person, and such person shall pay the city the whole cost and expense thereof. Each day during which any post, pillar or support shall be permitted to remain unpainted and without light contrary to the requirements of this section after the first conviction shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Prior code § 188-10; Amend Coun. J. 11-8-12, p. 38872, § 171)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-080 Drains on railroad structures.

9-124-080 Drains on railroad structures. Every person, owning any elevated structure within the city, upon, along or over which trains or cars are propelled by steam, electricity or any motive power whatsoever, shall provide and maintain at his own expense, at all of his station buildings and platforms located over any of the public ways or other public places of the city, and over all intersections of elevated structures with public ways, suitable and practicable devices and equipment so arranged as to intercept and promptly carry off stormwater and drippings from melting snow or from any other cause. (Prior code § 188-11)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 9-124-090 Penalty.

9-124-090 Penalty. Except where some other penalty is specifically provided, any person who shall violate any provision of that part of this chapter dealing with general requirements, shall be subject to a fine of not less than $5.00 nor more than $100.00 for each offense. (Prior code § 188-12)

Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2649650Fetched: 10/24/2026