The Chicago Transit Authority is planning to install hundreds of electronic bus trackers at high-traffic stops throughout the city.
The $3.7 million project will equip 400 bus shelters with LED screens to inform riders when the next bus is scheduled to appear. Installation began Friday morning, with the first display mounted in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood. City officials say they hope to have the first 150 trackers installed by March and the remaining 250 mounted by next September.
“We finally have the technology to do what’s right to serve the commuter, not to serve the system, but to actually serve the people who use them,” Emanuel said at a news conference.
CTA President Forrest Claypool said the decision on where to place the displays was based on proximity to Metra and PACE rail transfers and volume of traffic. The 400 locations chosen for the displays represent 20 percent of the city’s bus shelters, but accommodate 80 percent of CTA ridership, according to Claypool.
