Six suggestions for Chicago's transit system

Last week the brown line had delays. I can understand delays, they happen. Things can break. A train might hit someone. Whatever. Crap happens. But when crap happens, they need to improve how they react. Here's my email to the CTA:

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From: Maldre, Matt
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:25:22 -0500
To: ctahelp@transitchicago.com
Subject: Six suggestions from the brown line delay this morning

I have six suggestions for the CTA as a result of the brown line delay this morning at 9am:

1) Have broadcast speakers give proper information.

Sounds simple, right? But today during the brown line delay between 9:00am to 9:20am, she gave two crucial incorrect pieces of information.

One, she said that the delays were only affecting northbound brown line riders. She never ever mentioned southbound riders. And southbound riders were the majority of those affected by the delay due to the morning rush into downtown.

She also told people to take the Lawrence bus NORTHBOUND. She even said that several times. “Take the Lawrence bus NORTHBOUND.” But the Lawrence bus only runs east and west. You need people who operate the broadcast equipment to know how the CTA system works.

2) Have the attendant inform riders waiting on the platform.

After waiting 30 minutes on the Western brown line stop, some CTA workers appeared inspecting the tracks. I figured that can't be good, so I left the station. While exiting through the turnstiles, a CTA employee—the attendant for the station--was telling people to not bother entering through the turnstiles, that instead they should take the Lawrence bus. Good for him, informing people at the gates, but you need someone informing people on the platform. There were fifty to a hundred people waiting on that platform, because of the misinformation being provided over the loudspeakers.

I told the attendant, "You need to tell the people upstairs this. They are all standing there waiting.” He said, "Well, it was on the speakers." To which i replied, "uh no. The speakers only said there were delays NORTHBOUND. All those people are going SOUTHBOUND." So then as i exited the station, he started to go upstairs. That's right. Even the CTA employees don't know the difference between NORTHBOUND and SOUTHBOUND trains.

3) When alternate transit means are recommended during a delay, increase the number of buses offered on that alternate route.

Upon arriving at the Lawrence bus stop at Western at 9:30am, there was a long line of people waiting for the bus. Sheesh. If you are going to tell all these people on the brown line to take the Lawrence bus, then by all means, run more buses.

4) When there are delays on the train, inform your bus drivers, so people do not transfer to the delayed train.

When the Lawrence bus arrived, the bus was packed to the front with people standing. No more room. But about half the bus emptied out to take the brown line. What? But the brown line is delayed? These people need to know! So I told the people, they were all shocked that the brown line was delayed. The driver did not tell them.

5) When a CTA employee is inspecting the tracks, don’t have him use a stick. He should be testing the bolts with his hands.

I finally arrived at the red line train at 9:45am after being on the Lawrence bus. While waiting for the red line to come, there was a CTA employee on the tracks tapping the bolts with a wooden stick. Yes. A wooden stick. How can he test bolts with a wooden stick? Wouldn’t you think he would bend down, and actually twist them to see if they are loose? This is how you get tracks that are bad. You have employees testing them with a wooden stick! You need to hire inspectors who are physically able to bend down and test the bolts with their hands.

6) When a train is coming, and a CTA employee is inspecting the tracks, have that employee get out of the way.

Another one that sounds simple, right? This same employee that was testing the tracks with a wooden stick was still standing on the tracks while both a red AND purple line came. Both trains were at the same point. He stood on the red line tracks forcing the red line train to wait while the purple line crawled by. What? That guy should be getting on the platform to get out of the way. He should not be forcing an entire train of riders to wait, because he simply does not want to get onto the platform.

Once the purple line train crawled by, he stepped over to the purple line tracks to let the red line go by. This goes back to hiring inspectors who are physically able to do their jobs. You need an inspector who can climb back up on the platform when a train starts coming his direction.

Matt Maldre

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