Santa Barbara-based, CHK America announced today that it has completed Tier 1 of a three tiered customer information project for “The Tide”, the state of Virginia’s premier light rail system that will begin operations later this year.
The Tide, a service of Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), will travel 7.4 miles from the Eastern Virginia Medical Center through downtown Norfolk, and on to Newtown Road, stopping at 11 new rail stations along the route. CHK America’s uniquely designed customer information panels and attractive, purpose-built fabricated hardware will be located on each platform for easy rider access. Each panel displays a full-color, wayfinding map for passengers departing The Tide to easily find their destination and other points of interest within walking distance from the station. The informative panels also provide important rider information including fares and The Tide’s schedule. The integration of CHK’s pedestrian-level, wayfinding solutions with HRT’s new, high-frequency rail system truly provides a seamless transportation solution for passengers.
“Hampton Roads Transit recognizes the value of a system-wide, best practice, customer information strategy, which will promote their high value brand and provide outstanding connectivity solutions for their customers,” states Rick Wood, President of CHK America. “We look forward to providing similar solutions for HRT’s bus system this summer.”
Tier 2 of the Hampton Roads Transit project places customer information panels at the agency’s multiple transit centers throughout the bus system. The third and final tier of the project will include customer information panels installed at 3,300 HRT bus stops from Chesapeake, Hampton, and Newport News, to Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.
CHK America – Established in September 1999, CHK America provides passenger information solutions to the public transportation industry, in addition to delivering cartographic products and services across other business sectors. CHK America, a division of United Kingdom based Cook, Hammond and Kell, was established to expand the reach of its parent company’s products across the US. CHK’s products and services have been distributed extensively across Europe for over 140 years and now reach over 20% of all US public transit passengers. Other companies in the group include Cook, Hammond and Kell, FWT Studios, Oxford Cartographers, National Map Center London, National Map Center Dublin.