Jan 15, 2009 10:35 am US/Central
CTA Reports Better On-Time Performance
Improvement Credited To New Management Initiatives
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
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The Fullerton 'L' stop, served by the CTA Red, Brown and Purple lines.
CBS
Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman announced Wednesday the CTA's on-time performance improved in 2008.
The improvement is credited to a performance management initiative that identifies and tracks factors that influence reliability, according to a CTA release.
In the past year, the CTA has measured the efficiency and on-time performance of buses and trains and identified and tracked the behind the scenes activities that could influence performance -- such as preventative maintenance, percentage of slow zones and manpower levels, the release said.
For rail customers, travel time has improved as a result of an aggressive plan to eliminate slow zones, the release said. Slow zones now exist on about seven percent of the rail system -- down from 22 percent in Oct. 2007.
Additionally, mechanical problems decreased by 16 percent and trains were able to travel an average of 38 percent farther before experiencing a defect, the release said.
During rush periods, 83 percent of trains came within one minute of their scheduled arrival time.
On the buses, big gaps -- measured by arrivals that are either double the scheduled headway or 15 minutes between buses, whichever is greater -- have decreased by 31 percent since the fall of 2007, the release said. Additionally, buses arriving within one minute or less of buses ahead have decreased by 24 percent.
"We hold managers accountable and track overall performance of the organization. The direct result is improved service for our customers," Huberman said. "Through the performance management process, the CTA was able to provide better and more reliable service to its customers in 2008, and that contributed to significant increases in ridership throughout the year. In 2009, CTA will continue to build on these successes to further improve service for its growing ridership."
The CTA also embarked on an aggressive maintenance program to schedule the replacement of parts nearing the end of their useful life before they fail. By developing a system to catch up on preventative maintenance the number of buses held in because of defective equipment has dropped dramatically. The CTA is reporting a 99.9 percent decrease in bus runs held in for defective equipment since Aug. 2007, the release said.
Additionally, training for managers on absenteeism and the demand for more accountability has decreased the number of daily runs cancelled because of manpower shortages by 82 percent since Aug. 2007, the release said.
The CTA acknowledged other areas that need to be reviewed and improved. This fall, the CTA changed the way it counted bus service disruptions to improve the consistency and accuracy of the data collected.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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