The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will be expanding its tactile bus sign program, adding accessible signage along two additional bus routes this spring. The signs are designed to make stops easier to identify for riders who are blind or low vision.
The CTA will now add signs along the #3 King Drive and #82 Kimball/Homan routes. Selection of the pilot routes was informed by a focus group that included representatives from multiple disability organizations, CTA’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Advisory Committee, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and Metra.
In August 2022, the CTA launched the pilot and has since added more than 1,300 tactile signs along the original 12 pilot routes.
Each route was intentionally selected based on a number of factors, including proximity to blind services and hospitals, ridership demographics and the number of connections to other bus and rail lines.
The original concept for the pilot was based on feedback CTA received from customers who are blind, low vision and DeafBlin
The signs, which are 4 inches by 6.5 inches, feature the words “BUS STOP” in Braille and raised type face. The tactile signs will be centered on the pole of the existing bus stop, between 48 and 60 inches from ground level and positioned in the direction of travel of the approaching bus.
Although these tactile signs are not required by the ADA, the CTA strives to address transportation barriers experienced by individuals of all abilities. The installation of tactile signage at bus stops complements the CTA’s All Station Accessibility Program, a plan to make all 145 rail stations accessible by 2038, and highlights the agency’s commitment to accessibility, as well as finding new and innovative ways to make taking public transit easier and more convenient for everyone.
The pilot program was funded in part by the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Grant, which awarded the CTA with $380,350 for the project. The expansion of the pilot is covered by the original project funding.
