NAME THAT TRAIN: Corporate Sponsorships Coming To the Chicago Transit Authority

[marmar]

from HuffPost:



As the Chicago Transit Authority struggles to deal with shrinking revenues, executives are coming up with creative ways to make money--which is why our bus and train stations might soon have very corporate names.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the CTA board asked for bids from firms that could help the agency find corporate sponsorships:

The deals could involve naming rights or other ideas, such as sponsorship of the CTA's planned bus rapid-transit route on the Jeffery corridor or the New Year's Eve "penny-a-ride" program.

The quest for bids comes after the CTA allowed Apple Inc. to refurbish the North/Clybourn Red Line stop--a $3.9 million deal that will eventually give Apple the naming-rights to the station. Apple recently opened a store nearby. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/11/cta-to-sell-naming-rights_n_782180.html