CTA launches ‘chat’ feature on website

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From staff reports

Artificial Intelligence has made another step forward at the Chicago Transit Authority.

CTA officials recently launched the “Chat with CTA” chatbot, a new virtual automated service featured on transitchicago.com. The communication tool allows riders to report issues, provide feedback and receive answers in real-time. Additionally, it provides the CTA with customer feedback where improvements are needed or informs the agency on the things it is doing right. Chat with CTA was created through a partnership with Google Public Sector.

“We are excited for this opportunity to provide our customers with another convenient option to contact us; to voice their concerns and share their feedback,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. “This will become a powerful tool for CTA that redefines our relationship with our customers in a very positive and proactive way. I’m really excited for the potential of what we can do with this, and how it will inform a lot of the other things we’ll be doing at CTA.”

The automated chatbot supports simple, non-emergency topics. The variety of topics cover cleanliness, maintenance, ADA accommodations, safety and security, disruptive behavior, employee feedback, service disruptions and finding the next train/bus. Chat with CTA does not support responding to emergencies. Customers should always call 911 or contact station personnel if someone’s safety is at risk.

The chatbot complements the agency’s existing web feedback form and CTA Customer Service’s phone number by providing customers with another way to contact the agency, officials added.

“The launch of Chat with CTA is a great example of how AI can be used to improve the way citizens interact with public sector services,” said Brent Mitchell, Vice President, U.S. State & Local Government, and Education at Google Public Sector. “This innovative chatbot, powered by Google AI technology, provides a convenient way for riders to receive real-time information. We are proud to partner with the CTA on this initiative and are excited to continue to see the tremendous impact AI-powered solutions will have on the transportation industry and the public sector overall.”

CTA customers have the option to chat in five languages including English, Spanish, Polish, Filipino/Tagalog and Simplified Chinese. If a customer is blind or has low vision, the chatbot supports screen readers. Customers can gain access to Chat with CTA from any page on the agency’s website, including the newly simplified “Contact Us” page. To enhance the customer experience, the new chatbot will be optimized for mobile device viewing.

Chat with CTA opens the door for more, future-facing customer enhancements, officials claimed. The agency is working on developing features for customers to engage in a two-way conversation, receive updates when their incident is resolved and sign up for other communications.