Metra began installing cellular "hot spots" on a select group of cars, some of which have been put back in service, within the past month, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said. It's part of an 11-car test run Metra announced last fall.
In the next few weeks, the transit agency will finish installing the service and add signs alerting riders to the cars with the amenity, Gillis said. Work is complete on 10 cars, but not all are in use, he said. Upon completion, one car per Metra's 11 lines will be designated a Wi-Fi car with a sign, and rider feedback will be encouraged.
After six months testing the service, Metra will decide whether expanding Wi-Fi to more cars is financially feasible, and if it's something riders want, Gillis said.
The speed of the Wi-Fi is intended for checking email and Web browsing, Gillis added, not for streaming video or other use that requires a more sophisticated connection. Doing that systemwide would cost Metra about $72 million, according to a consultant's estimate, and is not likely, Gillis said. Equipping 11 cars with the lower-speed Wi-Fi is costing Metra about $35,000.
Gillis said Metra has explored the possibility of a wireless provider paying for the project, but so far no company has been willing. In that scenario, the provider would set up the hot spots (with a stronger signal) along the route and, in exchange for paying for the equipment and the work, would be able to advertise along the route, Gillis said.
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore Line, also explored such possibilities, Executive Director Michael Noland said, but "no one in the private sector was able to step forward and make that happen."
Like Metra, the Indiana line opted to do a test run on 10 of its 82 cars last year. Given riders' encouraging feedback, the board decided to equip the entire line with Wi-Fi hot spots. That work, which the agency will pay for, is expected to be complete by the spring, Noland said.
While there were some technical glitches reported by riders on surveys, the overall assessment was positive, Noland said.
Gillis said Metra will be looking for feedback on whether the speed of the service meets riders' needs and whether "dead zones" deter riders from using the free Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi is one of several technological advancements Metra has rolled out of late. Other improvements include additional outlets on trains for charging mobile devices, as well as at downtown stations. Use of the Ventra mobile ticketing app began last month. Gillis said that so far, 1 million rides have been paid for through the app.
"We are very much targeting trying to improve the customer experience," he said.
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