Innovation, Coordination, and Enhancement (ICE) Projects

This project will provide passengers with access to the train’s electrical system through the installation of 120V AC electrical outlets like those found in homes and offices. This will enable commuter to charge or directly use their portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, and e-readers, while on-board Metra trains. Electrical outlets will be provided on up to 300 commuter cars, including cars on the Metra Electric District and trailer cars used on the other lines. The cost of installation is estimated to be approximately $3,000 per car. Outlets have been installed on 81 cars as part of a previous car rehabilitation project.

A new electronic crew calling system will help Metra better comply with the Passenger Hours of Service (PHOS) regulation’s hours of the service reporting requirements. It would enable crew members to electronically sign their hours of service logs. In addition, the crew callers will be able to assign jobs based on the entries from the crew members and under the strict guidance of PHOS. The current crew calling system does have PHOS built in, but does not allow for crew members to log their time. The regulation has a set of guidelines that govern the ability for employees to sign up for an assignments based on previous assignments worked. The current employee logs are done on paper, are cumbersome, and are more difficult to audit. A new system could allow for assignment alerts and possibly not allow employees to be assigned to an assignment that could possibly violate the PHOS regulation. Purchase and implement a new train scheduling software. Metra’s current scheduling software is no longer supported by its distributer, and the replacement will be fully integrated with the ACORN system, currently in development. This scheduling software is necessary to provide General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data for train announcements, delay information, and for real-time tracking data used by application developers. It also has the ability to perform equipment and crew analysis. Crew information can be entered into the system to calculate duty time. The analysis this software provides can help in monitoring crew duty times and creating crew assignments.

Provide upgrades to CTA applications and/or processes including the following: Hastus: Update of Planning/Scheduling software application used for planning, operations, customer information, and analysis. Learning Management System: The project objective is to implement a cloud based learning management system that provides a unified and comprehensive eLearning platform that allows for training registration, approval by management and tracking, with real time reporting.

This project involves providing engineering field staff with electronic data collection devices for reporting incidents and conditions of the system. It will streamline data collection from paper to electronic, providing instant connection to 547. FY 2015 ICE funds will be used for this project.

The project will provide operating assistance (due to loss of revenue related to COVID-19) to CTA System-wide. Funds can be used for any operating shortfall.

This project involves the replacement of DVRs on Metra locomotives, cab cars, and EMUs with a new technology that is faster and less grainy. Inward facing cameras, as required by the Federal FAST Act will also be included.

CTA proposes to install Digital Customer Information Displays and non-digital customer focused information throughout the system. Digital displays provide real time bus tracker and/or train tracker information as appropriate, system status updates and CTA customer alerts. These are interspersed with paid advertisements, time and weather information. The paid advertisements support the operation of the machines and provide a source of revenue to CTA. There are two types of digital displays, internal or external. Internal digital displays have been installed at seventeen stations that are characterized by high traffic volume and high transfer activity and include State/Lake (Red Line), Jackson/State (Red Line), and Washington/Wells (Loop Elevated). External digital displays will be installed at street level and CTA has installed one pilot location of these digital urban panels at Grand on the Blue Line. FY2012 funding will provide for the design, fabrication, and installation of up to 60 transit information panels and transit information pylons at up to 46 stations, preferably within 1/2 mile of Metra and/or Pace service, on the rail system (Blue, Purple, Red, Orange, Green, and Pink Lines). Also, the installation of up to 80 Digital Customer Information Displays at 12 stations throughout the CTA system. Installation will focus on stations with high volumes of traffic and high transfer activity, including Lake/State (Red), Jackson (Red), and Washington/Wells (Loop Elevated).

The scope includes the purchase and installation of real time next bus signs for bus shelters and transit centers in Pace's service area. The 2014 technical revision to the scope added the purchase of Trapeze licenses which will connect the data portion to the sign software. These signs would display the existing WebWatch information for those customers who are waiting at bus stops and do not have access to the internet on their mobile phones.

The project funds will help ensure critical extra capacity will be provided throughout the CTA network, allowing CTA to address unsafe crowding as ridership continues to recover unevenly throughout the network. CTA will routinely modify/adapt these supplementary services to evolving ridership dynamics and crowding concerns related to the ongoing public health crisis. This project will be used to fund additional frequency of service in areas experiencing excessive crowding. All routes of the CTA bus system will be monitored for excessive crowding and additional service will be added as needed to address issues.

Scope: This project is for a pilot program to guide the installation of Metra's Automated Passenger Count system. Metra will issue a LIQ (Letter of Inquiry) to retain a consultant that has knowledge of the state-of the art technology and data utilization. The project may have two components - one being camera driven and the other infra-red driven.