Measuring performance -- update

In January I launched an initiative to post more performance data online. Last month the Chicago Transit Board received an updated list of performance measures and continued our discussion about how to measure our operational success with clear performance standards and improved transparency for our customers. To that end, you can now see a link to a variety of recent performance indicators on the Chicago Transit Board site. Those include a performance measure summary, a rail slow zone map (for non-construction slow zones), and an Extra Travel Time advisory for construction activity. Most of these have been posted in the past as part of longer presentations, but I wanted to highlight them here. If you look through those detailed presentations you'll find more detail about current operating standards and definitions.

As this article reports, CTA is testing technology to provide real-time bus location information to customers at bus stops and via personal handhelds (e.g., a web-enabled cell phone). As one commenter suggested, ideally we should provide the same information for the rail system, but upgrading the technology to do this on both bus and rail is a fairly significant undertaking. That’s one of the reasons I’ve asked for better performance indicators so that we can develop a performance baseline and a sound business case for the additional investment.