Abstract

Speedy Online Ridership Analysis at the Chicago Transit Authority
Track: Transportation
Authors: Scott Wainwright, Elizabeth Donahue

Transit agencies are rich with data extracted from automatic passenger counter (APC) technology but have struggled at providing usable information for companywide analysis.

The CTA has designed a database specifically for GIS that provides fast, informative online mapping and analysis. Using ArcGIS Server, SDE, and some basic programming borrowed from the ArcGIS Resource Center, the online app is served up through an internal website by non-developers for non-GIS users. Ridership analysis will never be the same.

APC and automated fare collection (AFC) data are combined to produce standardized, average daily passenger boarding and alighting information for over 12,000 bus stops. Data are available at many levels including stop, single-route, multiple-route, route-segment, corridor, zone, or system-wide; quarterly data enables important temporal analysis. From the cubicle, to field locations, to the boardroom, online mapping has removed the last barrier to widespread and regular use of critical data by our entire agency.


Scott Wainwright
Chicago Transit Authority
567 W. Lake St
Chicago, Illinois 60680
United States
Phone: 312-681-4243
E-mail: swainwright@transitchicago.com

Elizabeth Donahue
Chicago Transit Authority
567 W. Lake
Chicago, Illinois 60680
United States
Phone: 312-681-4259
E-mail: edonahue@transitchicago.com