Business Units and Goals 

Performance Management at the CTA 

Since 2007, the CTA has used a performance management system to improve efficiency, promote accountability and enhance our customers experience. Performance management is a systematic process at the CTA involving all departments and employees in the accomplishment of the agencys goals. While certain departments have more direct contact with the public, the CTA recognizes that each department plays an important role in service delivery, and that individual performance affects the organizations ability to meet its goals. 

Like most government agencies, the CTA faces a unique set of challenges in managing performance and achieving strategic goals and initiatives. The CTAs budget is, in large part, affected by a variety of external factors including the economy and state government. Like many other government agencies, the CTA faces the challenge of meeting its goals as budgets and resources shrink. This only increases the need for greater focus and collaboration within the CTA to ensure effective implementation and success. Performance management is essential each step of the way. 

Performance management allows the CTA to focus its resources on meeting its goal to provide transit service that is: 

Safe: The CTA will minimize the number of accidents involving customers, employees and the general public. 
On-Time: The CTA will minimize system delays and successfully manage intervals between rail and bus vehicles to provide predictable and reliable service for its customers. Construction and other projects will be completed within the budget and time frame allocated to minimize impacts to customers. 
Clean: The CTA will enhance and maintain cleanliness standards for all vehicles, stations and work areas to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for riders. 
Courteous: The CTA will enhance and maintain the highest standard of customer service through timely, reliable and clear communication with customers, as well as considerate employees and operational practices. 
Efficient: The CTA will responsibly and effectively manage resources to drive performance and provide a safe, reliable and affordable transit service for customers. 

Each department throughout the agency is responsible for focusing its resources to meet these goals. Performance management ensures accountability throughout the organization by requiring that all departments establish results-oriented measures  both financial and nonfinancial  that are aligned with these goals. Results are continually monitored throughout the year. Based on these results, resources and programs are adjusted to enhance results where necessary. 

The following report provides an overview of the current key metrics and responsibilities of each department across the agency. The report provides examples reflecting how each department has worked to improve performance throughout 2010. 

Department Overviews and Facts 

Service Area & Population 

 220 square miles of Chicago and 40 nearby suburbs. 
 The service area has 3.9 million people. 

Ridership 

 Over 512 million trips projected for 2010. 
 Approximately 1.7 million trips per weekday. 

Operations Departments 

1. Bus Operations and Maintenance 

 Provides over 1.1 million rides per weekday. 
 Maintains reliable service with approximately 3,800 bus operators driving 1,782 buses 
traveling 172,991 miles each weekday over 140 routes serving 11,577 bus stops. 
 Manages seven Bus Garages and one Heavy Maintenance shop. 
 In the spring of 2010, the average age of the fleet was 4.2 years old. 

2. Rail Operations and Maintenance 

 Provides over 600,000 rides per weekday. 
 Maintains reliable service with approximately 1,200 rail operators and 1,190 rail cars traveling 203,621 miles each weekday over eight routes with 144 stations. 
 Manages 10 Rail Terminals and one Heavy Maintenance Shop. 
 In fall of 2010, the average age of the fleet was 27 years old. 

3. Power and Way 

- Track, Structure, Signal, and Power Maintenance: 
 Inspects and maintains 224 miles of revenue track at least every seven days, 86.2 miles of elevated structure once every two years, and the full length of contact rail (third rail) two times per year. 
 Inspects and maintains 813 signals, 1,064 rail track switches, 1,835 track circuits and 24,000 vital signal relays. 
 Responsible for all power substations, including maintaining all traction and contact rail power distribution including 600 miles of traction power cable. 

- Track, Structure, Signal, and Power Construction: 
 Responsible for ensuring that major capital construction projects related to CTA track, structure, power, signal and communications are delivered on time, on budget, and conform with all applicable standards, regulations and requirements. 
 Responsible for overseeing and integrating program management and construction management services to assist in monitoring and controlling of multiple Capital 
Construction projects. 
 Responsible for developing uniform procedures and processes that assist in the design, construction and administration of the Capital Program. 

-Engineering: 
 Responsible for the creation and maintenance of construction documents for CTA structure, track, traction power, signal and station projects. 
 Responsible for CTA utilities, including traction power, water and gas at CTA locations. 
 Responsible for reviewing and answering design Requests for Information from CTA contractors. 

4. Facilities 

- Facilities Maintenance: 
 Cleans and maintains more than 210 locations, including 144 rail stations, 10 terminals, 12 rail yards, as well as all of the rail rights-of-way. 
 Processes approximately 65,000 work orders for the CTAs 450 owned and leased facilities covering approximately five million square feet. 
 Provides real estate management services to protect and maintain the value of CTA properties. 

- Facilities Construction: 
 Responsible for completing major capital projects related to CTA facilities. 
 Performs major repairs and rehabilitation of rail stations, bus garages and related structures. 
 Oversees construction management services to ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and in accordance with industry standards. 

Administration Operations Support 

1) Purchasing 
 Purchasing processes over 1,000 contracts annually to secure the best prices and ensure the most responsible use of CTA funds, as well as adherence to all funding 
agencies regulations. 

2) Warehousing 
 Warehouse Operations is responsible for timely and reliable parts and materials distribution to all CTA maintenance facilities and stock rooms throughout the service 
network. 

3) Program Management Office and Technology 
 Maintains and upgrades all CTA technology infrastructure including computer hardware, application software and communications equipment. 
 Maintains bus and rail fare equipment. 
 Responsible for all communication system infrastructure. 

4) Communications 
 Customer Service provides a number of services including travel information, Chicago Card account maintenance, maps, brochures, fare updates, refunds and support for onsite public forums. 
 Compiles customer feedback which is obtained via an inbound call center at 1-888YOURCTA, www.transitchicago.com, www.chicago-card.com, and through U.S. mail. Call volume averages 1,100 calls daily, and the Customer Feedback Programs group responds to an average of 150 emails daily. 


Definitions of CTA Monthly Performance Metrics 

RIDERSHIP: 
-Total Ridership (monthly, in millions): Number of rides registered on the bus and rail systems. Rail ridership includes rail-to-rail transfers. 
-Rail Ridership (monthly, in millions): Number of rides registered on the rail system including rail-to-rail transfers. 
-Bus Ridership (monthly, in millions): Number of rides registered on the bus system. 
-Total (Year to Date, in millions): Number of rides registered on the bus and  rail systems year to date. Includes rail-to rail transfers. 
-Percentage Change Over Prior Year (Year to Date): Number of rides registered on the bus and rail systems year-to-date (including rail-to-rail transfers) divided by the number of rides registered on the bus and rail systems previous year, year-to-date. 

ON-TIME: 
-Rail Delays of Ten Minutes or More: Rail Delays of ten minutes or more reported to the Control Center by an Operator, a Controller or a Supervisor. 
-Percentage of Slow Zone Mileage: Miles of revenue track that have slow zones divided by total revenue-track miles. Slow zones range from 6 mph to 35 mph. 
-Percentage of Big Gap Intervals, Bus: Number of bus intervals (time between two buses at a bus stop) that are double the scheduled interval or greater than 15 minutes, divided by the total number of weekday bus intervals traveled during the month. 
-Percentage of Bunched Intervals, Bus: Number of bus intervals (time between two buses at a bus stop) that are 60 seconds or less divided by the total number of weekday bus intervals traveled during the month. 

EFFICIENT 
-Mean Miles Between Reported Rail Vehicle Defects: Miles traveled during the month divided by the number of reported defects for the month. 
-Miles Between Reported Bus Service Disruptions Due to Equipment: Miles traveled during the month divided by number of reported service disruptions due to equipment for the month. 
-Average Daily Percent of Bus Fleet Unavailable for Service: Daily average number of buses unavailable for service for any reason divided by the total number of buses in the fleet. 
-Average Daily Percent of Rail Fleet Unavailable for Service: Daily average number of rail cars unavailable for service for any reason divided by the total number of rail cars in the fleet. 

SAFE
-Bus NTD Security-Related Incidents per 100,000 miles: Number of occurrences of bomb threats, robbery, larceny, burglary or arrests/citations for fare evasion, trespassing, vandalism and assault on the bus system divided by traveled miles divided by 100,000. 
-Rail NTD Security-Related Incidents per 100,000 miles: Number of occurrences of bomb threats, robbery, larceny, burglary or arrests/citations for fare evasion, trespassing, vandalism, and assault on the rail system divided by traveled miles divided by 100,000. 
-Bus NTD Safety-Related Incidents per 100,000 Miles: Any event where one or more of the following occurs on the system: individual dies at the time or within 30 days of the event; one or more persons suffer bodily damage as a result of the event requiring immediate medical attention away from the scene; property damage in excess of 
$25,000. 
-Rail NTD Safety-Related Incidents per 100,000 Miles: Any event where one or more of the following occurs on the system: individual dies either at the time or within 30 days of the event; one or more persons suffer bodily damage as a result of the event requiring immediate medical attention away from the scene; property damage in excess of $25,000. 

CLEAN 
-Average Interior Rail Clean Inspection Score: Monthly average Quality Inspection audit scores for the execution of Interior Cleans. 
-Average Interior Bus Clean Inspection Score: Monthly average Quality Inspection audit scores for the execution of Interior Cleans. 

COURTEOUS 
-Percentage of Customer Complaints Not Closed Out Within 14 Days: Number of open and overdue complaints (complaints not closed out by a department within 14 days) as of the last day of the month divided by the total number of complaints received during that month. 
-CTA Customer Service Hotline Average Wait-time: Average number of minutes a customer waits on the CTA hotline before his/her call is answered. 
-Reported Ramp Defects (Service Disruptions): Number of reported ramp defects that result in a disruption of service. 
-Percentage of Buses with Defective Automated Voice Annunciation System (AVAS): The percent of buses that is experiencing navigation issues (not calling out stops for at least part of the day), broken operator log on screens, odometers reporting zero distance and Bus Link issues, meaning no data will be received from the bus. This does not measure defective destination signs on the front of the bus. 
-Percentage of Functional Destination Signs: The percent of buses, audited by Bus Quality Control (QC), with defective destination signs. 
-Reported ADA Complaints: Number of reported complaints to Customer Service identified as ADA-related. 

2010 Monthly Key Metrics
***A table is presented to show the 2010 monthly key metrics. The performance of the following categories is measured: ridership, on-time, efficient, safe, clean and courteous. Under each category, the table shows the target score and actual score of each definition discussed above. Except for average interior bus clean inspection score under "clean" category, which is below the target by more than 10%,  the CTA achieves all targets, with more than half of them exceeding the target by more than 10%. See the original PDF document for the complete table on Page 40. ***

2010 Performance by Department 

Bus Operations 

Bus Operations is responsible for providing over 300,000,000 rides per year, or over 60 percent of all rides taken on the CTA system. Customers rely on the CTAs buses daily for commuting to and from work, as well as for errands and recreational trips. The CTA recognizes that customers value frequent, on-time service. 

To ensure that customers can depend on buses running on-time, Bus Operations continually monitors the reliability of service. One measure which is tracked regularly 
is the amount of big gaps experienced by our customers each day. A big gap is defined as an instance when the time in between buses is more than double the scheduled interval, or a gap of more than 15 minutes. In 2009, Bus Operations decreased big gaps of all bus runs to five percent or less. In fact, big gaps were four percent or less in most months. 

***A graph is inserted here to compare the bus big gaps of 2009 and 2010. The big gap of bus from January 2009 to June 2010 stays below the 2010 target of 5%. Except for April, 2010 and June 2010 when the big gap is slightly higher than the same time of 2009, the big gap of bus in 2010 is further lowered from 2009. ***

Bus Operations enhanced its 2010 on-time performance by continuing to conduct weekly sessions at each garage with Bus Operators, Bus Service Management, Planning, and Senior Bus Management. These weekly sessions helped ensure that each person responsible for maintaining reliable bus service, from the management down to the operators, was informed of goals and performance, while having a platform for reporting issues and brainstorming solutions. In addition, Bus Service Management leverages technology, such as Bus Tracker, to monitor the routes and make real-time adjustments to service. 

In 2009, Bus Operations maintained a big gaps average of 3.5 percent and continued this level of performance through mid-year 2010. The target for big gaps in 2011 is four percent or less. 

***A table is inserted here to show the Bus Operations Performance Measures.  
(On-Time) % of Big Gap Intervals: 2010 Target - 5.0%;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 3.2%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 4.0% 
(On-Time) % of Intervals Bunched: 2010 Target - 3.0%; 2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 2.1%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 3.0% ***

Bus Maintenance 

The safety and reliability of our buses is paramount. Bus Maintenance is responsible for the maintenance of the CTA bus fleet which is composed of over 1,800 buses. This includes both the mechanical maintenance and regular cleaning of bus interiors and exteriors. As part of the performance management process, Bus Maintenance set a goal of providing a fleet reliability of 3,830 miles between service disruptions in 2010. A service disruption is classified as any mechanical failure that requires the bus to be inspected or repaired by a bus mechanic outside of its normal inspection cycle. 

In early 2009, the bus fleet was running an average of approximately 2,500 miles between service disruptions. A target of 3,000 miles between service disruptions 
was set at that time. By fall 2009, Bus Maintenance had exceeded this goal and the fleet average increased to an average of 5,000 miles between service disruptions. Bus Maintenance has exceeded its goal of 3,830 miles between service disruptions for the first 6 months of 2010. The target will increase to 4,300 miles between service disruptions in 2011. 

***A graph is inserted here to compare the mean miles between service disruptions of bus of 2009 and 2010.  With the target set at 3,830 miles, the CTA has achieved and exceeded the target since July 2009. Major improvements are made in the first six months of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. ***

***A table is inserted here to show the Bus Maintenance Performance Measures.  
Miles between Service Disruptions due to Maintenance: 2010 Target - 3,830;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 5,166; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 4,300
Bus Interior Clean Quality Inspection Score: 2010 Target - 85%; 2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 81.5%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 85% ***

Rail Operations 

Rail customers expect the CTAs trains to provide frequent, fast service. In order to constantly improve the rail customers experience, Rail Operations continues to focus on two main goals: 1) reducing major delays, or delays to service that exceed ten minutes; and 2) improving on-time performance. 

In mid-2009, Rail Operations began looking at new ontime performance metrics. One new metric is the Percent of Successful Intervals. A train interval is considered successful if the train arrives within 2 minutes of schedule for intervals less than 5 minutes and within 5 minutes of schedule for intervals over 10 minutes. 

For 2009-2010, a target of 90 percent or greater was set for rail successful intervals. For the first six months of 2010, Rail Operations has had a successful intervals average of 89.2 percent. Rail Operations continues to look at major delays, or a delay of 10 minutes or greater. The target in 2010 was 78 or fewer major delays per month. Average monthly delays for 2010 are well below the target at 68 per month. Increases in the major delays for the months of May and June 2010 were driven by an increase in passenger-related delays. 

***A graph is inserted here to show the rail operations successful intervals. From June 2009 to June 2010, the percentages of the successful intervals are all close or equal to 90%, the target set by the CTA. ***

***A graph is inserted here to compare the monthly major delays between the year of 2009 and 2010. In 2009, the number of major delays was under the target of 78 except in the first three months when the number was slightly higher the target. From January to April, 2010, the number of major delays was slightly above or equal to the target, and decreased greatly in May and June. ***

***A table is inserted here to show the Rail Operations Performance Measures.  
% of Successful Intervals: 2010 Target - 90%;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 89.2%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 90%
% of Successful Run-Times: 2010 Target - 91%; 2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 87%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 91% ***

Rail Maintenance 

Rail Maintenance is responsible for maintaining the safe mechanical functioning of the CTAs trains as well as regular cleaning and heavy maintenance repairs or rebuilds of train systems. A well-maintained, clean train minimizes delays and provides a safe and comfortable environment for passengers. Rail Maintenance continues to focus on improving the Mean Miles Between Vehicle Defects (or the miles a train runs on average before it encounters a defect to one of its systems). Due to the impact of weather on the trains systems, the target for mean miles between vehicle defects is adjusted seasonally. In 2009, the year-end target was 4,000 mean miles between defects. Rail Maintenance began 2010 with an increased average monthly target of 4,100 mean miles between defects. As seen in the graph below, the monthly targets for Mean Miles Between Defects are adjusted seasonally to account for the impact of weather on rail equipment. 

***A graph is inserted here to further illustrate the trend described above. In 2009, the mean miles between defects were close to or above the seasonally adjusted target (shown as a kinked line). In 2010, the mean miles between defects continued to meet the target, with February and June exceeding it. ***

To reach this goal, Rail Maintenance has enhanced focus on preventive maintenance and reducing the most common defects as well as repeat defects (or a defect to the same system twice within a month). Rail Maintenance met its monthly target through March of 2010. In April, mean miles between defects dropped below the target, due to an increase in propulsion and braking defects. They are currently focused on: 

 Reducing A/C filter usage by outfitting the fleet with pre-filters that help keep the system from clogging with foreign objects. 
 Changing the focus of inspections to miles on the road, instead of days between inspections, to help reduce the number of defects. 
 Upgrading and replacing the electronic cards under warranty that affect the operation of the doors. 
 Performing the winter door preparation procedure that was refined in the fall of 2009 to provide more reliable performance of the doors in the winter. 

***A table is inserted here to show the Rail Maintenance Performance Measures.  
Mean Miles Between Defects: 2010 Target - 4,100;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 3,980; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 4,100
Rail Interior Clean Quality Inspection Score: 2010 Target - 85%; 2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 93.5%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 85% ***

Power and Way 

Power and Way is responsible for maintaining the rail infrastructure, including the track, structure, power and signal system. As part of the performance management process, a large focus for Power and Way has been minimizing slow zones across the rail system. Eliminating slow zones not only makes a rail passengers trip faster, it also makes his or her trip smoother and more comfortable, by replacing or repairing old rail and ties. 

At the end of 2008, slow zones had been reduced to 7.1 percent of our system. 

***A graph is inserted here to present the monthly average slow zones of 2008, 2009 and 2010. The total lineal feet of slow zone from January to June, 2008 totaled 185,479 (15.70% of the total lineal feet). TThe total lineal feet of slow zone from January to June in 2009 were 97,969, representing 8.29% of the total lineal feet. The total lineal feet of slow zone from January to June in 2010 were 97,675, representing only 7.93% of the total lineal feet. ***

By focusing efforts on repairing and replacing track in some of the oldest areas in the system, including the Dearborn Subway, Power and Way was able to reduce system slow zones to 5.9 percent by the end of 2009. With the reduction in capital funding in 2010, the CTA increased the slow zone target to 12 percent. Performance in the first half of 2010 has remained below the target and comparable to performance in the first half of 2009. Due to even less capital-funding in 2011, the slow zone target will increase slightly to 13.3 percent for 2011. 

In order to keep slow zones to a minimum in 2011, Power and Way will focus on the renewal of sections of track on the Englewood; track stabilization work on the Dan Ryan; and tie renewal at Logan Square and along sections of the North Main Line. 

***A table is inserted here to show the Power and Way Performance Measures.  
% of Slow Zones: 2010 Target - 12%;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 7.93%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 13.3%***

Facilities 

The Facilities department provides day-to-day real estate management, including cleaning and mechanical maintenance of all rail stations and CTA facilities to preserve and maintain the value of CTA property. One important function of the Facilities Department is the maintenance of elevators and escalators to ensure accessibility and 
comfort for the customer. The elevator and escalator equipment on the CTA ranges from brand-new elevators installed along the Brown Line to escalators in the Red Line subway dating back to 1943. Escalators are maintained in-house, while elevators are inspected by CTA personnel and maintained by an outside contractor. 

The Facilities department set a goal of 97 percent uptime for elevators and 96 percent uptime for escalators in 2009. These metrics mean that elevators should be available at least 97 percent of the time that stations are open for service, and escalators should be available at least 96 percent of the time. The Facilities Department met or exceeded its goals for both elevator and escalator up-time ten out of the last 12 months from June 2009  June 2010. Elevator and Escalator up-time targets will remain unchanged in 2011. 

***A graph is inserted here to show the elevator uptime from June, 2009 to June, 2010. Except in May and June, 2010 when the percentage of uptime is slightly below the target of 96%, the Facilities department has met or exceeded the goal of the elevator uptime in this period. 

***A graph is inserted here to show the escalator uptime from June, 2009 to June, 2010. Except in May and June, 2010 when the percentage of uptime is slightly below the target of 97%, the Facilities department has met or exceeded the goal of the escalator uptime in this period. ***

Performance in both elevator and escalator uptime saw a small dip from May-June 2010. These decreases were driven by equipment rehabilitation efforts. Over the course of May and June, three system escalators were removed from service for reconditioning (two in the Loop and one at Forest Park terminal). Over this same period of time, the elevator at Adams/Jackson was removed from service for the installation of a new elevator cab. 

Real time information on elevator and escalator accessibility is available to customers on the CTA web site or by contacting Customer Service. 

***A table is inserted here to show the Facilities Performance Measures.  
Elevator Up-Time: 2010 Target - 97%;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 97.2%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 97.2%
Escalator Up-Time: 2010 Target - 96%;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 96.4%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 96%***

Program Management Office and Technology 

The Program Management Office (PMO) and Technology Department provide necessary solutions and services to support the CTA and its riders. 

In 2010, PMO and Technology undertook the installation of high definition cameras at 144 CTA train stations. By May 31, 2010 all stations were equipped with cameras to help improve the safety and security of CTA customers. 

PMO and Technology plans to have nearly 3,000 cameras installed by the end of 2010. The cameras are high definition and are linked real-time to the CTAs control center, the Chicago Police Department and the City of Chicagos 911 center. The goal is to eventually have multiple cameras at each station, depending on station size and layout. 

In addition to technology infrastructure upgrades, PMO and Technology is also responsible for the day-to-day reliability of CTA applications and online tools. The CTA Bus Tracker application posted an annual average availability of 99.58 percent for its second year; this was slightly higher than last years average of 99.28 percent. CTA Bus Tracker is now available by e-mail and text messaging to riders. 

PMO and Technology set a goal of reducing the instances of fare equipment occurrences to a minimum of 18,000 transactions between occurrences for 2010. An occurrence can be defined as a damage done to revenue-equipment property which prevents normal functioning. The department met and exceeded its goal since January 2010 for a monthly average of 25,113 transactions between occurrences in 2010. 

***A table is inserted here to show the Performance Measures of Program Management Office and Technology.  
Bus Tracker Application Availability: 2010 Target - 99.50%;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 99.59%; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 99.60%
Transactions between Fare Equipment Occurrences: 2010 Target - 18,000 or more;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 25,113; Service Level with Proposed Budget -21,000***

Communications 

Communications manages the CTA Customer Service Hot-line, 1.888.YOURCTA. This hotline is one of the main ways in which customers can receive information about CTA service and provide feedback on the quality of their experience. 

The CTA recognizes that when customers call our Customer Service Hotline, they expect prompt and courteous service. In 2009, the Customer Service Department set a goal of providing agent assistance for all incoming calls within two minutes. By carefully managing representative time spent on the phone as well as improving the information available to representatives, Communications was able to meet its goal with a yearly average wait time of one minute and 52 seconds. 

***A graph is inserted here to compare the customer service hotline wait times between the year of 2009 and 2010. The wait times were above the target of two minutes in January, February, July and August, 2009. Since January, 2010, the wait times have stayed below the target. ***

***A table is inserted here to show the Communications Performance Measures.  
Average Call Response Time-Overall: 2010 Target - 2:00;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 1:29; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 2:00 
Average Call Response Time-General Inquiries: 2010 Target - 2:00;  2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 1:19; Service Level with Proposed Budget -2:00 
Average Call Response Time-Chicago Card: 2010 Target - 2:00; 2010 Current Performance (June 2010) - 1:39; Service Level with Proposed Budget - 2:00***