New public Wi-Fi available in subway stations in Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. have announced the expansion of free Wi-Fi to all downtown Red and Blue Line station platforms on Chicago’s subway. The new service is available at 18 stations and is the latest investment in technology to enhance the travel experience for residents and visitors commuting to jobs, school and activities.

“Chicago has taken the next technological step toward keeping commuters fully connected in our fast-paced, digital world,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This service will benefit all passengers who rely on our rail system to get to work, school and to destinations across our great city every day.”

CTA’s new Wi-Fi service is ideal for commuters who want to quickly download media, large files or simply access the Internet without using their data from their monthly wireless service packages.

This is the latest investment in technology to enhance the travel experience for CTA customers under the current mayor’s leadership. In 2015, the City of Chicago became the largest public transit system in North America to provide transit riders with full 4G wireless coverage. Riders now have wireless coverage throughout CTA’s entire 22 miles of subway and tunnels.

“We aim to provide the best possible connectivity for our customers and this new Wi-Fi system allows us to offer that amenity,” said CTA President Carter. “We believe this Wi-Fi service will make taking public transit an even more appealing option for our customers.”

Station platforms now equipped with the new Wi-Fi service include:

• Blue Line: Division, Chicago, Grand, Clark/Lake, Washington, Monroe, Jackson, LaSalle and Clinton.
• Red Line: North/Clybourn, Clark/Division, Chicago/State, Grand, Lake, Monroe, Jackson, Harrison and Roosevelt.

The Blue Line’s Belmont and Logan Square stations will be equipped with Wi-Fi in late May 2019. The cost of this new Wi-Fi service in all Red and Blue line subway stations is approximately $1 million and was paid out of CTA’s operating budget.

Other investments made in recent years aimed at enhancing the CTA customer experience include: the expansion of CTA Train and Bus Tracker functionality at CTA rail stations; piloting of digital information screens on buses; unique vending machines offering riders fresh, healthy food options and mobile device chargers; and a dramatically expanded and modernised security camera network.