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On 29 December 2015, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that the
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is now offering fourth-generation (4G)
wireless service throughout its entire system of subway stations and
tunnels. According to the press release, Chicago is now the largest city
in North America to have full 4G wireless coverage for its subway system.
The CTA said it has completed the full installation of 4G
communications, benefiting the 400,000 customers using the subway each
day and marking the fulfillment of Mayor Emanuel’s goal to bring
4G wireless coverage to the 22 miles of subway stations and tunnels on
the Blue and Red Lines, the two busiest rail lines. The CTA completed
4G installation along the Red Line in December 2015 after completing
the Blue Line in November 2015.
“The completion of 4G wireless installation through the entire
CTA subway system marks a major step forward in the service we provide
Chicagoans, and it is the latest step in building a world-class transit
system in Chicago,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This is a great
example of the good work the Infrastructure Trust and corporate partners
can do for Chicago. CTA customers can now easily text, e-mail, and
stream anywhere, making commuting on the CTA and traveling between
downtown even more convenient.”
The network upgrade, which began in early 2015, now provides millions
of Chicago subway riders a faster mobile experience throughout their
commutes. The design and installation of the system created
approximately 50 jobs. The 4G wireless coverage is now available
throughout 13 miles of the Blue Line and 9 miles of the Red Line
subway sections. More than 400,000 passenger trips occur in some portion
of the CTA subway every weekday.
The 4G wireless project is a US$32.5 million agreement brokered by
the Chicago Infrastructure Trust with the four major wireless providers:
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. In January 2015, the four
providers collectively agreed to fund the design and construction of a
next-generation distributed antenna system capable of supporting the
latest 4G wireless networks and mobile devices.
“4G wireless communications is just one of the cornerstones of
the CTA’s commitment to investing in technology,” explained
CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “This coverage increases
safety by providing more reliable communications for CTA personnel and
emergency responders, and it complements other technologies that are
enhancing the way we commute, including expanded transit tracker
information and the installation of more than 23,000 security cameras
throughout our bus and rail system.”
This initiative is one of several efforts by Mayor Emanuel and CTA
President Carter to modernize the city’s infrastructure and
further improve Chicago’s world-class transit system. Over the
past four years, technology improvements implemented across
Chicago’s transit system included the expansion of CTA Train
Tracker and Bus Tracker functionality, digital displays with service
information at bus shelters and rail stations throughout the service
region, and a dramatically expanded security camera network.
Full article: IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine, Volume 11, Number 2, June 2016
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