New Resource Helps Travelers Navigate Chicagoland

Touch-screen kiosks put up-to-date event information and transit routes and schedules at people's fingertips

August 25, 2004

(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 .