jessica_CTA

Call me crazy or perhaps too innocent, but I get a kick out of riding the CTA trains. There’s something about public transportation that makes me feel so important. It’s 7:10am on a weekday morning, and there I am, standing on a platform scattered with yuppies and working folk. With my coffee thermos in one hand (insert shameless plug for here) and scrolling my iPod playlist with the other, I try to contain my excitement as the Purple Line train to the Loop screeches to a halt and the humdrum, two-tone “L”-bell greets me. But I get the feeling that I am a part of the minority, as evident by these cantankerous Chicagoans. (See: “The CTA sucks my left ass cheek.”)

It got me wondering: how do the always-candid employees here at Denuo feel about the “L”? And, being the creative innovators they are, what kind of ideas do they have for improving the ride? I began my research by asking everyone to give me three adjectives that describe their relationship with the “L”.  Below are the top six adjectives:

  1. Unreliable
  2. Complicated
  3. Annoying
  4. Loud
  5. Deathtrappy
  6. Smelly / uniquely scented

Hmm. My train-in-shining-armor was starting to sound like a bad boyfriend. But maybe the good people at Denuo could turn things around. So I asked: “If you could use all the state tax dollars to fund your project, what would you add to the new CTA trains?” 

Here are the most interesting ideas, with my added two-cents $2.25:

  • Give me mag-lev rails.
    Yes, I had to look this one up. 
  • Arrival sounds that varied by stop.
    Play “Eye of the Tiger” off the Addison stop.
  • Flat Panel Touch-screens.
    Embed each 3 ft by 5 ft window with an iPad.
  • Rubber wheels, to make them quieter.
    A dream come true for a six-year-old Hot Wheels fan.
  • Personal TVs with selection of my favorite shows and movies.
    So we can all keep up with the Kardashians…or not.
  • Dance floor with smoke machines and disco balls.
    Next stop, Funkytown.

I would be pretty excited if the CTA were to upgrade their choo-choos à la Denuo. But until that day, my beloved, creaky piece of crap will have to suffice for my commute to work.

 

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