Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

The Jukebox Can Now Help You Get Home Faster (Even If You Don't Buy A Song)

By Ariel Cheung | September 12, 2016 4:38pm | Updated on September 12, 2016 7:54pm
 This guy gives the TransitScreen info the thumbs up.
This guy gives the TransitScreen info the thumbs up.
View Full Caption
Provided/TouchTunes

CHICAGO — Getting home from the bar just got a little easier.

TouchTunes jukeboxes in Chicago now feature real-time information for the CTA, ride-hailing apps and Divvy bicycles.

TransitScreen, which provides transit information in major cities in the U.S. and Canada, displays nearest transportation choices for each specific venue. The company is partnering with TouchTunes as a way for bar patrons to "maximize their time with each other and get home safely," said co-founder Ryan Croft.

With 2,905 TouchTunes locations in Chicago, the digital jukeboxes are found in dozens of bars across neighborhoods, particularly in nightlife hot spots like Wrigleyville and Downtown.

Last year, the national network played more than 1 billion songs in 75,000 bars and restaurants. In Chicago, 48 million songs played from the jukeboxes in 2015.

TouchTunes jukeboxes in Chicago now display public transit wait times and real-time information for Divvy, Uber and Lyft. [Provided/TouchTunes]

Sponsored by the parent company of Absolut, Jameson and Malibu, the TransitScreen content went live in Chicago last week, a spokeswoman said. The move is part of a nationwide launch in 200 locations in 14 major cities like Los Angeles, Detroit and Portland.

In addition to appearing on the jukebox's video loop, the TransitScreen info can be selected directly with the touch screen.

"Through our digital jukebox screens, [patrons] can conveniently determine the most optimal and safe way of getting where they need to go," said TouchTunes spokeswoman Susan Danaher. "This will save time and encourage the use of transit."

The at-a-glance TransitScreen site also partners with Equity Residential and Equity Commonwealth in Chicago.