HighLight Heading
June 2003
Leveraging technology to reshape planning at the Chicago Transit Authority
Michael Shiffer
"Wonderful plans fail without communication," Dr. Michael Shiffer told the assembled researchers and practitioners at the conference luncheon. As vice president of planning and development for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Shiffer is responsible for making sure the nation's second-largest transit operator is not left behind by shifting land-use patterns or changing customer behavior. His presentation shared some of the ways his agency is using technology to meet the needs of today while preparing for the future.
Challenges and opportunities
One of the most complicated planning problems faced by CTA, Shiffer said, is the shifting "urban morphology" of Chicago. Today, many parts of the urban core are once more becoming economically vibrant, while economically distressed neighborhoods are being pushed out to the periphery. This change has huge implications for public transit use, requiring planners not only to adjust transit routes and schedules, but to rethink previous plans for adding new transit facilities.
As customer needs evolve, the transit infrastructure continues to age. Chicago's rail system, for example, includes elevated train lines originally built in the 1890s as well as new stations under construction. Determining which facilities to upgrade—and gathering taxpayer support for improvements—is a critical component of the Planning Division's work.
The combined impact of these factors can easily leave planners reacting to changes rather than proactively planning for the future. With governments across the country tightening their belts, efficient use of technology is key to keeping planners ahead of trends going on around them.
Creating an 'information infrastructure'
To meet the challenges of changing customer needs and infrastructure maintenance, Shiffer led an effort to reorganize and consolidate the division's technological resources, and to develop a systematic approach to planning usage of these resources. At the core of this effort was the idea of an "information infrastructure" to support decision making.
Required elements in this information infrastructure include where people live, where they work, what their travel patterns are, and what kind of facilities are needed to serve them. This information may come from traditional sources such as census data, land use data, maps, and aerial photos; however, transit agencies are beginning to use new techniques to gather relevant information. These include "spatially intelligent" transit vehicles equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment, rider statistics derived from "smart" fare cards, and observations recorded electronically by investigators "in the field."
Integrating all this information—giving planners the ability to look at information from diverse sources as part of the planning process—is a key component of the CTA's approach to planning, Shiffer said. The Data Services department uses tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and predictive computer models to make information available in a form that helps planners and the public understand transit planning issues.
Collaboration and communication
Among the products derived from the information infrastructure are documents that help planners do their work, and messages that communicate important ideas to decision makers and the public.
Shiffer wowed the audience with a demonstration that used several technologies together: a hyperlinked PDF (Portable Document Format) dossier including embedded digital images, interactive maps (created using GIS), and digital video clips. Planners accessing the dossier could click on links within the map, bringing up digital panoramic images of the surrounding streetscape, or navigate to other interactive documents related to the area under study.
Another application demonstrated by Shiffer was an aerial photographic map that dynamically displayed the sound levels produced by a noisy vehicle. As the noise source moved down a plotted street in real time, the colored contours showing significant noise levels moved and changed in response to the presence of buildings or other noise-blocking structures along the roadway.
For planners, decision makers, and the traveling public, technology offers powerful tools to help guide the planning process. But as Shiffer pointed out, it's the communication—not the technology itself—that makes plans succeed or fail. For researchers and planners grappling with transportation issues in Minnesota, Chicago's experience offers valuable insights into getting the most out of technology's powerful tools.