CTA and Google transit maps begins
Today, CTA and Google launched a transit mapping partnership that will hopefully improve your trip planning. I'm grateful to Google for their commitment to public transit, and I'm excited to use this new tool. I also look forward to programmers and other talented folks getting creative with the application and showing us some new and exciting ways to make our region more accessible.
posted by Carole Brown | 4/08/2008 11:39:00 AM
32 Comments:
Well, I have to say that I'm quite impressed. I hadn't even heard anything about this coming down the pipe! I played around with it and its quite useful (and just a little fun!).
I must also congratulate you and Ron on the Bus Tracker expansion. I've been tinkering around with it for about an hour this morning and find that it vastly surpasses what my expectations were for it. Now, as soon as some of the bus routes on the north side are added, I'll be able to see how this tool can really impact my day to day interaction with the CTA.
Ms. Brown, this is wonderful news. I send my thanks to you and to your entire agency for your spirit of cooperation to make this happen.
When I see how few other major cities public transit agencies have their data available to Google (New York, Washington, D.C.), I am even more impressed that my CTA is leading the nation in this effort.
You can be sure that I and my fellow Chicagoans will be finding ways to do all sorts of interesting things with this useful tool.
Once more, my congratulations to you for your leadership in this area.
Gus Wiggins,
Old Town
It's great to have this feature, but Google Maps remains difficult to use for transit planning because El stops don't even appear on the map until you zoom in quite closely and because the map doesn't show the connections between the stops by representing the different El lines.
Some people have already made maps like this (see here), but as a standard reference tool that is slowly making progress in moving away from being so car-centric, Google Maps should do this on their own. Carole, can the CTA talk to Google Maps about making their maps more user-friendly for transit riders?
Carole and Ron:
Two things:
Have you been down to the Redline Lake Street station? The dust is so bad from the Washington Super CTA station construction that you can see it, taste it and also write your name in the dust on the ceramic wall tiles. What is the CTA doing about this to prevent people from having to inhale the construction dust?
Tonight on the train ride home, the speakers were set so high in car #2922 (the last car red line northbound) that you had to cover your ears. Please fix.
Thank you.
CTA's Director of Power & Way Maintenance, Construction & Engineering told me that "The dust in the Red Line Lake Street station is due to ongoing weekend tie replacement work. The contractor is implementing a dust control program to address the situation."
Please let me know if it's still a problem next week.
Carol,
Any way you could convince Ron to put up a blog like yours for us to give feedback to him?
Carole, is their any ongoing bus route analyzing or corrdor studies happening right now? I remember last years west / northwest side corrider study where many of the bus routes were changed or rerouted for the better. Anything similar being planned for this summer? I think it gives the CTA the image of trying to strive for improvment when bus route changes, even minor ones are implemented to strengthen the system.
There isn't as much dust now in the air but the station needs a good cleaning. The floor and wall tiles are covered in dust.
As far as Ron having a blog, I am sure he reads this one or is alerted to issues presented on it.
Transitking:
The north and south side bus routes were restructured around five years ago. So along with the west/northwest changes you mention the city has pretty much been covered. I suppose the CTA could always do more studies and make changes for the sake of changes. It also would benefit some top CTA leaders who would have the oppertunity to make their mark by changing things around, whether they make sense or not. It likely would look good on their resumes. But it is doubtful that very much has changed in the last five years to make another round of studies and changes neccessary. That doesn't mean there aren't instances where the CTA could change some routes around. Do you have any suggestions?
I have to commend Ron Huberman and his crack new communication chief for the outstanding job they have done informing riders about the imminent service change/cut on the Blue line service on the west side.
Way to go, guys. Maybe if you don't tell riders, they won't even notice their service has been cut.
Next week - seven days from now - the Blue Line will stop running on the Cermak branch where the Pink Line runs.
Except for a press release announcing the service change a month ago there has been no information about this service elimination. At least none that I have seen - and I ride the Blue and Pink lines 2-4 times a day. No signs or announcements in the station or trains.
Yes, there will still be service on the branch - the Pink Line will still run - but the rush hour-only service Blue Line service that takes riders to the downtown subway will be discontinued. I'm not saying it's a bad thing (or even unexpected) but less than one week away and no information for those people that do use it? Someone dropped the ball bigtime.
Did CTA eliminate the people that used to produce the customer alerts every time there was a service change? The signs weren't that fancy, but they got the information across on trains and buses and stations. There isn't even any information on the web site (except for the original press release). It's seven days away.
There are signs and web postings for all the slow zone work being done all over the system (good to know when I travel north on Blue or Red), but it's like this service elimination is just being ignored. What gives?? Where's this new commitment to communication?
Whys is this allowed to happen:
http://fortysomething-politics.blogspot.com/2008/04/depaul-beer-party-from-sox-field-to.html
Friday, April 18, 2008
DePaul Beer Party from Sox Field to Fullerton Unabated by Chicago Police
The questionable wisdom of limited Chicago CTA Police Support was tested last night when a group of about eight DePaul area riders took a Red line Car Hostage for their personal Beer Party from Sox Stadium on Thursday night. Riders reported that a totally glazed Old Style drinking crew appearing to be DePaul students or of University age teens proceeded to totally disrespect passengers for forty five minutes in the rather packed northbound subway car from Sox Field to Fullerton.
At least two entered the car with open beer cans carrying an open 24 pack of Old Style, which they nursed through their trip to the Fullerton "L" Stop. In addition, they sporadically opened beer cans, drank, cussed, and otherwise abused the ridership.
Several observers watched as this loaf of butt toast romanced the foam. One slice had the appearance of Sean Penn’s character, Jeff Spicoli, in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Most of his fellow road dawgs screamed, yelled, or otherwise raised their plastered voices oblivious. They repeatedly sung “Roxanne” to a crowd unimpressed with this among other out of tune ballads sung to what appeared to be other toasted students.
The group, which consisted of mostly white University aged adults seemed intent on antagonizing others. They left their Old Style empties in the train car and disembarked at Fullerton around 11:45 p.m. After departing, one of the observers reported that an older man in his thirties started clapping in relief that the crew disembarked at Fullerton. That rider’s appreciation for their departure was not taken lightly.
Although the train doors were closed, the train remained parked for a moment. A few of the drunken DePaul University Sox fans apparently saw the rider’s response. One actually punched the glass where the rider’s head was in forceful disapproval. Apparently, the guy could care less after the punks left.
In hindsight, showing disapproval with the ripped and roasted outside of the presence of Police can be risky. This rider was lucky, perhaps paying attention to the sealed sliding doors; perhaps, he believed that the drunken teens were without weaponry. These totally tanked seemingly white trash DePaul students were so stoned that anything could have happened if the car doors were still open. It is a shame that the University cannot consider babysitters or chaperons before these kids create a mess and get the 24/7 attention they deserve at the Cook County Jail or in the Beat's detox unit.
Huberman failing to keep CTA on track
April 21, 2008
The loud thump heard in Chicago last week was the sound of CTA President Ron Huberman falling out of bed as his honeymoon with transit riders came to an abrupt end.
Until Tuesday's meltdown on the Blue Line, passengers had been giving Mr. Huberman the benefit of the doubt, hoping he had the right stuff to fix the CTA's deplorable service. But that goodwill evaporated in the heat of downtown subway tunnels, where hundreds of riders were trapped for hours while thousands more stood on train platforms along the Blue Line waiting for trains that never came.
The scene was distressingly similar to the 2006 derailment that many peg as the last straw for Mr. Huberman's predecessor, Frank Kruesi. Then as now, riders were stuck underground with little or no information. Smoke filled some cars, and some passengers ended up in hospitals.
Perhaps fittingly, the incident occurred the same day a woman hurt in the 2006 derailment settled a lawsuit against the CTA for $1.25 million.
Similar suits could arise from last week's breakdown. More important, the incident reveals how little progress the CTA has made under Mr. Huberman.
He can't be blamed for all of the agency's woes, many of which stem from state leaders' inability and/or unwillingness to fund badly needed capital improvements in the system.
But he clearly hasn't improved its response to emergencies. Communication was virtually non-existent last week, forcing passengers themselves to decide what to do when the trains stopped. What interaction they did have with the CTA seems to have taken the form of scolding by conductors when the passengers finally got off the trains and walked along the tunnel toward a platform.
Mr. Huberman had his own Lee Elia moment early on, chiding passengers for leaving the trains on their own initiative. He withdrew the criticism later in the day, but the damage was done.
The transit chief must quickly outline and begin to carry out concrete actions to rebuild faith in the CTA. He can't snap his fingers and make $6 billion appear to fix the system's structural problems. But he can improve its emergency response procedures and the attitude of CTA workers (including his own) toward riders.
©2008 by Crain Communications Inc.
Anon 851:
1. That was a racist article.
2. What exactly is your point? Why did you post it here? You say "why was this allowed to happen?" giving the impression that you expect the CTA to magically stop everyone who is rowdy from being rowdy. Do you think they can do it by osmosis or something? I suppose a rider could press the emergency button and have the train operator kick everyone out (the blogger apperently was on the car so if he was so offended then the question is why he didn't do it). But if nobody's safety is threatened it really is not worth it to delay everyone's train ride for some rowdy people. You can always switch cars at the next stop. But I really don't understand what your complaint with the CTA is, anon 851. The blogger seems to actually be blaming De Paul for not requiring chaperones for their students which is probabaly an even more absurd thing to say than what you did.
Dear Ms. Brown,
I wish to follow up on the issue of bus stops near the mall around Cicero Avenue and 26th Street.
The #60 Blue Island bus route passes by the mall at approximately 4600-4700 West 26th Street. The westbound bus leaves passengers headed toward the mall on a bus stop area that is either soil or covered with vegetation. The eastbound bus stop is present (as before it was missing).
My suggestion for the bus stop for the westbound (north side of street) bus is to place decorative, durable brick along the area where passengers are expected to depart. For the eastbound bus stop (south side of street), the addition of a bench or benches and a bus shelter would make the stop more convenient for bus passengers. For both bus stops, additional street lighting would create a more secure atmosphere for passengers.
Any changes will probably involve different agencies to make something positive involving these bus stops. The addition of a brick may involve the state (as I believe they funded the new roads along 26th Street, Cicero Avenue, and Ogden) and the changes on the stop on the south side and street lighting would involve the Town of Cicero. I am not sure of the relationship between the CTA and the Town of Cicero, but I hope that both can work together on improving the experience of CTA passengers.
Here is some contact information for the Town of Cicero:
Cicero Town Hall
4937 West 25th Street
Cicero, IL 60804
telephone 708-656-3600
Larry Dominick, Town President
E-mail- larry@thetownofcicero.com
Carole:
Please tell me I'm reading this wrong: http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/52334
Did Ron Huberman just decide to throw away some money in order to please the decency police? That's what it seems. If so, I think that is truly outragous and shows a lack of fiscal resposibility. I don't care how small this revenue is, you don't just throw it away because of some socially conservative people who think video games are responsible for the evils of society. Ron Huberman is in charge of a transit system. His responsibilties do not include deciding what is or isn't "decent". For the most part, I think Huberman has done a good job. But this, along with his statements praising Blagojevich's senior free ride program(as well as some other things), make me wonder whether he often makes decisions based on his perception of political benefits rather than what is good for the agency.
This post has been removed by the author.
I spoke with CTA's Chief of Customer Communication about your concerns and here is his summary of CTA's communication outreach notifying customers about Pink Line service changes:
"Below are the combined elements of CTA's outreach/customer information campaign re: the change to service on the 54th/Cermak Line:
*Issued press release and posted on CTA's website (3/12);
*Customer alert posted Friday in rail stations (in Spanish and English)
*Posted promotional material about new Pink Line service in the affected rail lines on Friday;
*Print advertising will appear this week to inform riders;
*Systematic audio announcements this week on Blue/Pink Line trains about the change in service;
*Paper flyers passed out at affected stations all next week;
*CTA will issue an additional press release this week on the service changes;
*CTA is purchasing ads in newspapers about the change;
*CTA will use available LED screens at affected rail stations to alert customers to the change;
*CTA's Dept. of Planning is also likely going to have information specialists (CTA staff) out at least one day this week.
Well done! Now if only the CTA can be this thorough and thoughtful over life-threatening emergency situations instead of a rather minor service change...
On a side note: Bus #6175, that was on route #91 Austin yesterday, really needs some serious maintenince. The whole bus is full of graffiti, half the seats were very sticky so some people had to stand up the whole trip, the electronic display sign on the inside of the bus was out, and the breaks squeeked VERY loudly every time the bus came to a stop.
This bus really needs to be fixed up before it returns to the streets.
I challenge anyone to find the place on the CTA's customer alert page(http://transitchicago.com/news/whatsnewA.wu) where they now have service adverseries seperated by rail line. It's in an increadibly bizarre place, not exactly the location you would think it would be when the CTA is praising itself for making efforts to improve communication, but you will find it if you look hard enough.
Carole, I am noticing that people seem to still not be aware that Brown and Purple Lines go the same direction around the Loop.
Especially now with southbound 3-track in effect, the CTA may want to re-educate people on this. (maybe those extra CTA people at Belmont could talk to the waiting people and tell them they can board)
I hopped on a Purple line at Belmont, after getting off of the previous Red, and there were literally dozens of people still standing on the platform waiting for a Brown Line, and there was plenty of room in the Purple cars.
anon 7:53:
That's really odd. Especially since only half the rail lines are represented.
Carole:
Is there any specific reason eight car Brown Line trains cannot be used other than during rush hour, such as weekday evenings and during the weekends? It's extremely frustrating that the CTA has made such a big deal about this milestone and how it will help alleviate congestion, yet only people who travel during rush hour are benefiting from it. Northbound trains become standing-room only after 7 or 8pm because they're half the length they could be. What's the point of "leaving late" if the train will be just as crowded, if not worse, than during the rush hour? It's even worse on the weekends when construction delays cause long waits between trains which are compounded even further by the extra time it takes for passengers to rearrange themselves as people board and get off the train.
I know this is off-topic but I sent messages several weeks ago to both CTA e-mail addresses and also through mystery shopper feedback yet have not received a response. Thanks!
Carole,
I was disappointed to read that the CTA has embargoed the release of statistics on customer complaints, accidents, and other performance data. In 2006 January you wrote that this information would now be available to the public - but it's been kept secret for almost a year now. When will the public have access to this important information again?
Maybe the CTA is trying to use less electricity by using less cars. It also means less cleaning and repairs if fewer cars are used.
Carole,
News of the federal money to finance a partial-bus rapid transit system is a wonderful surprise. I hope the CTA will provide opportunities for the public to participate in the important issue of which routes to include in this important initiative.
To get the discussion going, consider these numbers on the lines with the highest riderships, based on average 2007 weekday boardings (both local and express):
79th (32,847)
Ashland (31,527)
Western (29,904)
Cottage Grove (23,851)
Madison (22,309)
King Dr (21,582)
Clark (21,199)
And the various LSD buses together beat them all.
Obviously there are other factors to be taken into account, like how easy it would be to take a lane of traffic and how bad the congestion is right now.
Western should definitely get one bus-only lane, as a first step toward the long-term goal of a Western Ave subway. The South Side, deprived as it is of transit, should also get at least one.
The mayor had to go all the way to Brazil to see how bus traffic flows? Seattle has had HOV (high occupancy vehicles) lanes on streets and freeways for decades, dedicated to buses and car pools. It's a great idea that should have been implemented years ago. How long will it take the City and the CTA to implement....we are still waiting for the bus tracker program!!
Anon 8:20: That would be a perfectly valid reason if there weren't so many people using the Brown Line at night. But it's ridiculous to expect people at the Clark/Lake and Merchandise Mart stations to have to wait for one or two trains to pass at 9pm, well after the rush hour when trains are running less frequently, just to save a bit on electricity or cleaning.
Lots of dust in the air again in the red line lake stop. I hope we are not breathing anything that will cause something like cancer.
It see that they've fixed the customer alert page and now have rail line specific alerts at the top of the page rather than at the bottom with the date 1/1/2000. Perhaps that was a result of my earlier post.
Carole, I don't know if the el construction has pushed more people to the bus, but the 147 between 6 and 7 AM often gets so crowded that the bus will be full by Bryn Mawr. Even one additional bus would help out.
BTW does the CTA have a policy about children (as in toddlers) having their own seat when there are adults, older than the parents of the children, standing?
Carol, I have to question the "wisdom" at the CTA in closing the Lake and Wabash portions of the Loop in concurrence with the current re-route of the Red Line to the El tracks through the Loop. With little warning, anyone wanting to travel to or from River North and the eastern Loop during any evening or weekend starting this weekend for the rest of the 2008 will have no alternatives means of getting around.
I reference this post in my sheer outrage that this notification hasn't been prominently splayed across local news outlets for weeks. Did you think that the thousands of new residents in these areas would simply not notice this sudden and unwelcome change? You're about to face an incredible backlash from people who live, work and play late in the Loop.
Carole,
I'm pretty disappointed with how the CTA has handled the partial-bus rapid transit routes that were just announced. There has been almost no communication with the public on this important initiative and public input has not been permitted. After finally announcing the bus routes that will be converted (79th, Jeffrey, Halsted, Chicago), information on which parts of these routes will be converted is still kept from the public.
I am pleased that the South Side has been given its fair share - 79th had the single highest weekday ridership of any route last year and the Jeffrey route running express on LSD after 67th will be a big help for commuters.
But why weren't North LSD and Western chosen? The North LSD routes together have the highest ridership of any line and would probably be most helpful for commuting. And Chicago is desperately in need of north-south transit options west of the Red Line.
As transit ridership steadily increases, we desperately need a bold vision to fix the problems that come from the hub-and-spokes Loop-centered transit system. The two best additions would be a subway under Western and adding an El line on the Mid-City Transitway route (O'Hare to Midway to 87th on the Red Line). Partial-BRT for Western would have been a good first step toward the long-term goal of a subway.
Rather than distracting ourselves with gifts to the rich like the airport express and further improving the already well-served Loop, we need to refocus on the long-term strengthening of the system as a whole. When is the CTA going to provide this kind of leadership?
Carol, now that we've seen the contingency plan the CTA has in case there is some sort of problem in the Loop area, can I ask something else?
With the Wabash and Lake legs of the El and the State Street subway shutdown for the rest of evenings and weekends for 2008, how do you plan to alleviate the major transit headache you face if that one option for transit through the Loop is blocked or, god forbid, damaged? Service through the Loop was shutdown for seven hours. I understand that you dodged a bullet because it was during a low-ridership period, but once again, the "helpful" CTA employees posted at the shuttered El stops offered no advice on alternative services. You seem to be having repeated and regular communication issues between your employees and CTA customers.
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