Chicagoland travelers can find up-to-date information on regional events and attractions as well as public transit routes and schedules using Chicagoland TRIPS (Traveler Resource and Itinerary Planning System) touch-screen kiosks
(Chicago, Ill.) … Nearly everyone has wandered around
downtown on a Saturday afternoon, unsure of what to do next or how to get there, but sure of one
thing: It’s definitely not time to go home yet.
With all of the fun things
to see and do in the Chicago region – from Navy Pier in Chicago to the Frank
Lloyd Wright Museum in Oak Park to concerts at Tinley Park’s Tweeter Center –
and so many ways to get around via Pace, Metra and the L, planning a fun
excursion can be daunting, for locals and tourists alike. In an effort to
eradicate boredom and “public transportation-itis,” the Metropolitan Planning
Council (MPC), in partnership with the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA),
City of Chicago,
and Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, is proud to bring the region a new
service: Chicagoland TRIPS.
Chicagoland TRIPS – which
stands for Traveler Resource and Itinerary Planning System – does exactly what
its name implies: It offers away-from-home access to an interactive data base
with information on attractions and events in the Chicago region, as well as
public transit routes and schedules.
On Aug. 27, Chicagoland
TRIPS kiosks will be made available to the public at prime locations throughout
the metropolitan region, including the Chicago Cultural Center, Midway Airport, Navy Pier, Pace Headquarters, Palmer House
Hilton, RTA
Customer Service Center, Shedd Aquarium, Union Station, and
Westfield Northbridge Shopping Mall.
“The goals of TRIPS are to
relieve congestion and increase tourism by making it easy to take public
transportation and putting detailed information about regional attractions at
people’s fingertips,” said Peter Skosey, MPC vice president of external
relations, at a media-only kiosk preview Aug. 25 at the RTA Administrative
Offices downtown.
Indeed, Chicagoland TRIPS
has countless uses, whether you’re one of the Chicago metropolitan region’s eight million
residents or 32 million annual visitors. For instance, want to stop by a
friend’s place after window shopping, but can’t remember which bus or train to
catch? Make a quick visit to a TRIPS kiosk, and you’re on your way. Have a
craving for dim sum after a fun-filled day at Navy Pier – but don’t want to
battle downtown traffic to get to Chinatown?
Map out a personalized public transit route that will get you there with ease.
Rather see the sights than sit at the airport in-between hotel check-out and
airline check-in? Tap into a TRIPS kiosk to find fun sightseeing stops on the
way to Midway.
“With so much to do and see
in Chicago, the
Chicagoland TRIPS kiosks can help travelers navigate through everything the city
has to offer,” said Bill
Utter, vice
president of marketing at the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. “The kiosks
will be a great enhancement to the overall visitor experience in Chicago.”
Chicagoland TRIPS kiosks
will link travelers to data bases that provide entertainment and event details.
Users also will have access to the RTA’s Itinerary Planning System, which
includes schedules and routes for the three public transit operators in
northeastern Illinois: Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and
Pace.
During a six-month pilot
phase, TRIPS kiosks will be available at nine select locations, chosen for their
high visibility and proximity to public transportation. Project manager MPC,
along with Chicagoland TRIPS partners, will monitor the use and usefulness of
the kiosks, and the RTA – which is funding Chicagoland TRIPS as part of the
Illinois Transit Hub initiative – will use this data to evaluate plans to expand
Chicagoland TRIPS.
“Pairing information about
Chicago’s great
destinations and its great transit system is just a natural fit,” said RTA
Executive Director Paula Thibeault. “The RTA’s work on the Chicagoland TRIPS
kiosks is part of a concerted effort to use technology to make travel
information more accessible to the public. The kiosks and the RTA’s active
transit station sign projects are sound investments that should help us attract
more riders by making critical travel information readily
available.”
To make the kiosks as
user-friendly as possible, MPC hired Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc., a firm
that specializes in leveraging technology based solutions to meet business
needs. Before making any recommendations, Catalyst staff studied traveler
resource systems in use across the country and also surveyed local travel
“experts” – hotel concierges and city visitor center staff, among others. The
goal of this research was to determine what information would be most useful to
Chicagoland’s travelers.
“Chicagoland TRIPS kiosks
will allow people to easily find a Chicago attraction or event, and at the touch
of a button, provide public transit directions to get there,” said Catalyst
Consulting Group’s Principal and Chief Operating Officer Rodney Zech.
So not only will kiosk
users find detailed, up-to-date information on regular attractions, seasonal
events, dining and entertainment, but they’ll also have the convenient option of
printing their personalized travel itineraries to use as guides on their
excursion.
Founded in 1934, MPC is a
nonprofit, nonpartisan group of business and civic leaders committed to serving
the public interest through the promotion and implementation of sensible
planning and development policies necessary for a world-class Chicago region. MPC
conducts policy analysis, outreach and advocacy in partnership with public
officials and community leaders to improve equity of opportunity and quality of
life throughout the metropolitan Chicago.
The RTA is the public
agency responsible for financial oversight and regional planning for public
transportation in the six-county region of Northeastern Illinois. The RTA also works with the region’s three public transit
providers, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra commuter rail and Pace
suburban bus, as well as well as communities and community groups to investigate
and develop technologies with the potential to improve transit service for the
operators and the riding public.
The
Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB) is the sales and marketing
organization charged with bringing both business and leisure visitors to
Chicago, actively booking group meetings at McCormick Place, Navy Pier and other
venues, as well as promoting Chicago as a destination to the visitor industry.
The CCTB works in partnership with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition
Authority, the Chicago Office of Tourism, and the Illinois Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity's Bureau of Tourism to maintain Chicago's position as the
country's premier convention and visitor destination.
Catalyst Consulting Group,
Inc. is a Chicago-based Management and Information Technology Consultancy that
specializes in leveraging practical, proven technology solutions to meet
business needs. Catalyst provides services through its five Centers of
Excellence (COEs), which include Technology Consulting, Applications Development
& Integration, New Media & Internet Development, Geographic Information
Systems, and Smart Structures. Catalyst has successfully worked with numerous
public and private sector clients to help them achieve their business and
technology objectives. To learn more, visit www.catconsult.com.