Cta

Everyone's used to characters on the CTA. Now the CTA is using characters - about 140 of them - to its advantage. The CTA on Thursday celebrated the one-month anniversary of its Twitter and Facebook accounts. Since it launched its social media presence on Nov. 1, the CTA has garnered more than 3,400 Twitter followers and more than 4,700 likes on its Facebook page. "We believe this is a valuable resource for customers," said Brian Steele, the new CTA director of communications and media relations, who regularly updates the agency's social media outlets with a few other CTA employees.

The map quest is over. The CTA is reinstating a cache of maps recovered from DePaul students who allegedly stole the signs from CTA trains, the agency said Tuesday. Nearly 200 stolen signs were discovered during a DePaul sweep this month of university housing units, CTA spokesman Brian Steele said. Some of the signs were maps of the entire system while others were just of the Red Line. Forty-five signs will be reused, Steele said. The sweep was conducted after the DePaul student newspaper, the DePaulia, published an article in April that quoted students who said they stole maps for sport.

Call 'em rail fails. Some Going Public readers have been railing against problems with CTA stations and train service lately. Next stop: Frustration station. No crown for Brown It seems that ever since the platform expansion was completed Brown Line off-peak trains (especially during the day and weekends) are only four cars. I feel that this is a problem because I have to stand every time and the trains are just packed. Especially with less frequent service it is quite inconvenient.

It was a soggy but quiet homecoming for the CTA's 5000-series rail cars, which debuted on the Pink Line this week after a nearly six-month hiatus. The CTA on Sunday rolled out two trains, each composed of six cars, which feature electronic signs, security cameras and the controversial aisle-facing seats. The cars had been out of service since late last year, when the CTA noticed defective wheel parts. Cars already in the CTA's possession were retrofit with new parts. The CTA said it has asked for additional inspections and checks from Bombardier, the company that manufactures the cars.

Six male riders - including a teenager - have been killed on CTA tracks since March, an increase from previous years, according to the transit agency's data. The most recent rail death was last week, when a 27-year-old ex-Marine visiting Chicago was electrocuted after touching the third rail at the South Boulevard stop on the Purple Line. Evanston police said he was on the tracks urinating and accidentally fell on the third rail. Zachary McKee's death was the second CTA rail death in April.

Forget about rush hour. Every day on the CTA, it's crush hour - on men. For more than nine months, the website ctacrush.com has encouraged Chicagoans to submit photos of their CTA crushes. A new photo is uploaded about once a day. Sometimes they're of crushes on the buses, sometimes they're of crushes on the trains. The one thing all these crushes have in common: They are all men. Only one photo of a woman, a blond in a trench coat holding a pen and biting her finger in the back of a CTA bus, has been submitted.

Janet Martin loves to add a dash of honey to your commute. The CTA customer service agent greets many Brown Line riders with a "honey" and asks them about their day. If they need help getting to the platform, she's always there with an extra hand. The riders at the Kedzie stop in Albany Park, where Martin works from 6-9:30 a.m., don't just like her. They adore her. In a post last week on everyblock.com , a Chicago neighborhood discussion board, riders heaped praise on Martin, who has worked at the Chicago, Western and Addison stops in the past few years.

It's Valentine's Day, and you don't have a date? Don't panic yet; it's not too late. Several missed CTA connections are posted on RedEye's site. Some romantic, some funny, many based on sight. Going Public created a poem of some of the best pines. Orange, Blue and the bus lines. Each line is from a different submission. Check 'em out if you want love or if you're just out fishin': I first noticed you when we were walking through the turnstiles/ You had a bright pink phone, dark hair and nice smile.

The Red Line, the backbone of the 'L,' has become more like a ball of nerves. Last week, the CTA touted a 3 percent increase in ridership from 2010 to 2011, but the southern portion of the Red Line saw a dip - perhaps due to slow zones. The case of Red Line slow zones may provide clues to how Red Line and Loop ridership could be affected in the next few months when two construction projects will likely bring similar slowdowns. The CTA will be working on renewing its track in the Loop this spring, and the agency will be improving stations on the northern sections of the Red Line...

There's a Brown Line and a Red Line and now there's a Timeline. The CTA on Friday unveiled its new Facebook timeline, which features photos of the first all-metal rapid transit cars (September 1950) and the last streetcar trip (June 1958), among other transit milestones. In the spirit of the new timeline, Going Public looks forward to the transit-related events that are rapidly approaching. > > Wednesday: Local activists will be gathering at 6 p.m., at CTA headquarters, 567 W. Lake St., for Occupy National Day of Action for Public Transportation.

Six male riders - including a teenager - have been killed on CTA tracks since March, an increase from previous years, according to the transit agency's data. The most recent rail death was last week, when a 27-year-old ex-Marine visiting Chicago was electrocuted after touching the third rail at the South Boulevard stop on the Purple Line. Evanston police said he was on the tracks urinating and accidentally fell on the third rail. Zachary McKee's death was the second CTA rail death in April.

The Chicago Transit Authority tweeted around 8:45 a.m. Monday that Brown and Purple Line Express trains are experiencing a delay due to a sick passenger near Chicago.

Handmade pictures of CTA buses and trains adorn the Smith household in North Center. A large train table in the living room features a toy railroad labeled "Amtrak. " Next to the tracks are houses and small three-dimensional CTA buses made from paper. CTA maps are taped to the walls, and old-fashioned station signs are stacked behind the train table. But the Smith household is no longer a CTA home. Pamela Smith and her son Robert, 20, regularly ride Amtrak and Metra trains, but they haven't taken the CTA together for months.

RedEye asked readers on Facebook to help get a head start on an unofficial CTA passenger rulebook for newbies. Out of more than 150  comments, we picked out the top 20 recommended rules for riding the CTA. "Like" RedEye on Facebook to contribute to more CTA passenger rulebook projects.  " Let people OFF before entering ON! I thought that was common knowledge but come on people!" --Lauren Balek " Your backpack/purse doesn't need its own seat. If the bus is crowded, put it on your lap or on the floor.

Like some Chicago Catholics, Aidan Gillespie of Pilsen performed the Stations of the Cross last week to prepare for Easter - except he did it using CTA stations. Gillespie, 24, said he traveled the length of the CTA rail system to visit 10 churches to reflect and pray about Jesus' crucifixion, which is detailed in the Stations of the Cross. He chronicled his journey on his blog, lstop2.tumblr.com. Along the way he stopped at the Baha'i House of Worship in Wilmette off the Linden Purple Line stop, and St. Therese in Chinatown off the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line stop, among other places of worship.

There's a Brown Line and a Red Line and now there's a Timeline. The CTA on Friday unveiled its new Facebook timeline, which features photos of the first all-metal rapid transit cars (September 1950) and the last streetcar trip (June 1958), among other transit milestones. In the spirit of the new timeline, Going Public looks forward to the transit-related events that are rapidly approaching. > > Wednesday: Local activists will be gathering at 6 p.m., at CTA headquarters, 567 W. Lake St., for Occupy National Day of Action for Public Transportation.

When it comes to dealing with CTA customer service complaints, there could a method to the madness. Purdue University researchers say they've devised a system that would allow the CTA to measure rider satisfaction in real-time. The scientists used analysis software to assess CTA rider sentiment on Twitter over a few days last summer and found that riders tend to tweet about negative experiences more than positive ones. The researchers say instead of just relying on tweets and e-mails sent to them, the CTA could use this analysis to cull comments on Twitter and get a more...

It was a soggy but quiet homecoming for the CTA's 5000-series rail cars, which debuted on the Pink Line this week after a nearly six-month hiatus. The CTA on Sunday rolled out two trains, each composed of six cars, which feature electronic signs, security cameras and the controversial aisle-facing seats. The cars had been out of service since late last year, when the CTA noticed defective wheel parts. Cars already in the CTA's possession were retrofit with new parts. The CTA said it has asked for additional inspections and checks from Bombardier, the company that manufactures the...

Those familiar with the "Jersey Shore" lingo (and don't act like you're not!) know the fellas are always trying to find ladies who are DTF. Me? Not so much. This spring, I'm just trying to find ladies who are DTR. As in, down to ride. As in, public transportation. With gas prices getting higher than Snoop Dogg, even simple A to B driving is starting to have a noticeable effect on my wallet. No need to go to the strip club these days - people are making it rain at the gas station just to get to work and back.

Just a few hours after Lollapalooza three-day passes went on sale (and sold out in less than 20 minutes), reports of ads on the Red and Blue Line hinting at headliners for the 2012 fest started trickling in. Listen to our Spotify playlist of all of the rumored and expected artists on the 2012 Lolla lineup. Ads at the Logan Square Blue Line station feature lyrics, according to Wine & Pop , that hint at four possible performers: Die Antwoord, Justice, The Weeknd and Jack White .  Below are photos of the four...