Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Chicago

Using Twitter to Catch a Train

ctatwitter.png

The people over at CTA Tattler ("seen and heard on the Chicago Transit Authority"), as part of their tireless efforts to monitor the movements of the Chicago Transit Authority, have turned to the microblogging tool Twitter and created a Twitter feed with the user name ctatweet. It's a way for people using the city's transit system to post updates about train delays and breakdowns from their cell phones or PDAs.

CTA Tattler's Kevin O'Neil is combining information from the Twitter stream with another system of online updates he and his brother Dan set up a couple of years ago at a page called CTA Tweet.

O'Neil talked to the Columbia Chronicle about the Twitter initiative:

“The idea is to get this information to the masses,” Kevin O’Neil said. “Twitter is just another way to do that.”

Kevin O’Neil said he often hears from hisblog’s readers about how the CTA needs to improve communication to itscommuters. This program makes the train schedule information andupdates on delays available for that rider earnestly waiting in thecold for 40 minutes on an elevated train platform, he said.

Twitter is being used increasingly by municipal entities as one tool for gathering fast-developing information and keeping citizens informed in emergencies. This week, a Twitter feed is part of the LAFD's highly coordinated online response to wildfires in the San Fernando Valley and elsewhere.

When we looked around for a NYC transit twitter feed, we were surprised to find one that looks pretty official called MTA_Updates. A call to Aaron Donovan at the MTA's press office, however, revealed that the MTA has nothing to do with the feed and doesn't know who is responsible for it (they're looking into it).

Donovan said that the MTA doesn't see a service with relatively few users, such as Twitter, as a good option for disseminating information. Instead, he said, the New York transit authority will soon be allowing riders to sign up for text and e-mail updates about unscheduled and scheduled service outages.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Turn Up the Heat

Triple-digit heat, fueled by climate change, is warping rail lines, interrupting construction work on transit lines and causing burns on sidewalks.

July 16, 2024

These Are the Most Dangerous Congressional Districts for Pedestrians

The deadliest congressional districts in America are dominated by BIPOC communities — and federal officials need to step up to save the most vulnerable road users.

July 16, 2024

Delivery Worker Minimum Wage Shows Promise … For Some, Data Shows

New data from New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection shows minimum wage is bringing order to a previously wild industry.

July 15, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Go Through Basic Training

An NYU study looks into why the U.S. is lagging behind on high-speed rail, and one transportation expert ponders the impact on growth.

July 15, 2024

Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Sustainable Urban Design

A new book hopes to act as a "magic decoder ring" to our built environment — and a powerful tool to understand how sustainable transportation networks can fit within them.

July 15, 2024
See all posts