Multi-Modal Trip Planning in Chicago? There Ought to Be an App for That

While guest blogging for Transitized, Samuel Baron explains how "Chicago’s mobility investments are not being optimized to their full potential due to the silos between Divvy, the CTA, and Ventra, for example:

Here's how Baron describes the current situation: "While traversing the city, I became painfully aware that CTA and Divvy exist in virtual silos. At the moment, it isn’t possible to plan a mixed­mode trip itinerary comprised of both CTA and Divvy services. To plan this multimodal trip, one must route the trip manually, switching back and forth between various mobile applications."

And the implications of the silos: "By not connecting the CTA and Divvy network together digitally, the Windy City is failing to capitalize on a monumental opportunity to reconceive how Chicagoans move. Part of the challenge of reducing auto­dependence and reducing emissions is contending with the flexibility that the automobile offers. With the right technology, mixed­mode commuting can replicate the flexibility of the automobile and offer a seamless door­to­door journey."

Baron also provides a few tips on how to achieve integration, as does Transitized editor Shaun Jacobsen in the post's introduction. Jacobsen also chimes in with the following: "There is a new mobile app, RideScout, available that combines public transport directions with Divvy as well as several other transport modes. RideScout was just released for Chicago."