The Chicago Transit Authority has a new position: Chief of Customer Communications.
One of the first projects of Adam Case, Chief of Customer Communications, is to ensure that all station rail signs are upgraded and standardized and to get large dry-erase boards to every station outside of the turnstiles.
This Chicago Tribune article on the CTA’s new campaign to improve communications to riders has the details on this relatively low-cost upgrade to station communications:
Another thing commuters hate is surprises. The portable, erasable-message boards will be sent to all 144 CTA rail stations so customer alerts about temporary service changes are posted before riders pay their fares, Case said. That way, rather than wait for long periods on crowded platforms if rail service is delayed, riders can opt to take the bus instead of the train.
The message boards are a low-technology, low-cost strategy that has worked well at transit agencies around the world, including the London Underground, the Paris Metro, the MTA in New York and the Washington Metro.[snip]
Today, 40 percent of CTA rail stations contain at least one incorrect sign. It can result in commuting headaches, especially among tourists and other infrequent riders whom the CTA would like to attract as regular customers.
Several new signs on average will be needed at each rail station, Case said.
The process at the CTA begins with a full inventory of how the stations look to a new rider. Confusing signs are barriers to usage and are targeted for removal. This is a healthy process for every agency to implement — bus and rail — as we tend to forget the growth in ridership is infrequent users who need lots of signage and direction to navigate the network.
The capital investment in modern, updated, well-designed signs is relatively small but pays off in a big way. Somebody at the agency needs to be in charge of all communications to riders and potential riders so a plan can be developed and executed over time.
Perhaps we’ll learn more about how the CTA is prioritizing customer communications to lure more riders at a later post.
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