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It's Time To Class the Joint Up

By Jocelyn Geboy in News on Jan 18, 2007 5:30PM

As we get more and more frightened about the threats/promises of impending CTA snafus ranging from commutes that take so long we could draft a thesis (on urban transportation, natch) or the same slashing service and raising fares, we are constantly running through various solutions that could help alleviate some of these problems. (Because at some point, you've just got to help your own cause.)

One of the solutions that keeps coming up in all the comment threads in blogs around town is the idea of using advertising to create more revenue. If it's one thing we've learned from all of our capitalist friends, there's two ways to balance a budget: cut expenses or create more revenue. The CTA isn't very good at cutting expenses, and their good ideas for that seem to come at OUR expense.

2007_01trainad.jpgSo, more revenue it is. While the potential to have our city look like a scene out of Mike Judge's Idiocracy looms large, we have to cave on this one. There seems to be a lot of unused space in the CTA that could go to helping defray costs, creating revenue, and if done right with the right companies and advertisers, even make things look more interesting and pretty.

The CTA has got something in the works, cause they recently signed a contract with Titan Outdoor, giving the company "exclusive rights to sell advertising on CTA property." One of their trademark advertising ads is called the "Michelangelo." It's an ad painted on the ceiling of a bus. Generally, they don't go the whole length of the bus but, more than likely, just half.

It's an interesting concept, to be sure. We hope it attracts creative ads, and not just ones for WCIU or some bankruptcy lawyer. The other thing that has us a little curious is how long it takes to get one up and another one changed. The CTA has shown they can't find the time to *clean* a bus or train, and now they're going to be able to whip an ad up and send the bus back out into the fleet?

The contract should generate at least $67 million over the next three years, so maybe they can keep up the idea and solicit ads and ideas like this from other companies or advertisers. Now, if only they can use the money wisely. We're always admonished by our dad when we get a cash gift not to spend it foolishly. We offer the same warning to the CTA — don't be stupid, now.

We like the peace museum ads on the turnstiles. We never saw the Target ads (anyone?), but they sounded cool. It would be cool to see something creative that helped make sure we didn't all end up leaving for work 2 hours early.

Image via smussyolay.