S P E C I A L R E P O R T
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Slater said what is being tested in
Chicago is closer to realistic for
North American transit.
UI Labs, an agency that cooperates
with the city and partners
like Mastercard on distinct urban
challenges, has spent months
toying with data that surrounds
a unifi ed rider, transit and payment
experience. Combining
city, transit and third-party data,
like payment processors or smartphone
apps, UI Labs is assessing
improvements to congestion that
reward riders for benefi cial behaviors.
For instance, could a rider
be encouraged to take an earlier
CTA train with an inducement for
their favorite coff ee shop, thereby
alleviating L lines at problematic
times? (Slater said no rider is personally
identifi able in these data
profi les, and they would opt-in to
participate.)
By fall 2017, there will have
been enough data collected and
quaff ed for early results. From
there, Slater said Chicago may
have pioneering insight on what
leads it and all other agencies to
collect data in the fi rst place.
fi nd gems for systems and riders
among all that data.
“Pulling in these larger ecosystems
of data gives agencies a better
way to plan,” said Eric Reese, director
of global strategy, Scheidt
and Bachmann. “In some ways,
they’re trying to understand the
day in the life of the customer.”
In terms of capitalizing on
data for smoother travel and
happier riders, there are two civic
“labs” under testing in Singapore
and Chicago, according to Ian
Slater, S.V.P., enterprise partnerships
at Mastercard, a direct payment
data provider for numerous
transit agencies. Singapore, that
unique southeast Asian city-state,
is pouring funds into transit
data projects like real-time rider
tracking that could be the envy
of the world. Desirable, though
iStock
RIDER INCENTIVES are
being considered
as a way to reduce
congestion on transit.
“In some ways,
they’re trying to
understand the
day in the life of
the customer.”
-ERIC REESE,
director of global
strategy, Scheidt
and Bachmann