Digital screens debut on select CTA buses

Modeled after the L station digital screens, buses will soon have similar technology to help riders get from one stop to the next.

Instead of fumbling for your phone to check a transit app, riders will be able to see upcoming stops, arrival times, service alerts, reroute information, and when a stop has been requested. The screens will be a supplement to what’s already on the bus now, so the large text with the next stop and audio announcements will stay the same.

The screens were announced earlier in October, and now the agency has started piloting them on No. 20 Madison buses. More bus lines will receive the tech which is placed near the driver and towards the middle of the bus. If you have feedback, there’s a survey you can fill out to share any thoughts.

The finals designs might change depending on whether or not customers find the real-time updates and other information useful. It’s all about creating a “seamless transit experience,” according to CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr.

This is the latest step in upgrading the CTA, previously the agency worked to install bus and train tracker signs outside of most rail and bus stations. The city has focused a lot on bus lines lately, with the mayor expanding the transit-oriented development policy to include eight high-ridership bus routes across the city which means developers have a lot more incentive to build there.

• CTA testing digital information screens on buses [Curbed Chicago]