Tony Coppoletta
@tonycoppoletta.com
Likes food. And trains. And cities. Info designer in transit. Made in Chicago. (Personal acct)
tonycoppoletta.com
He/him 🏳️🌈
tonycoppoletta.com
He/him 🏳️🌈
Transit is freedom. Transit makes Chicago great. It is for everyone and it is beautiful. 32 years ago today I boarded at this spot on the Pulaski Orange Line platform with my legally blind mom to help her learn her new, faster way to work on its first weekday. 'L'ove at first ride.
November 1, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Transit is freedom. Transit makes Chicago great. It is for everyone and it is beautiful. 32 years ago today I boarded at this spot on the Pulaski Orange Line platform with my legally blind mom to help her learn her new, faster way to work on its first weekday. 'L'ove at first ride.
Got a gorgeous night shot of a train going overhead at Schiller (which used to have a stop here!) on the Brown Line with, though no longer the outside tracks in use, the four-track infrastructure they originally built from Wilson to Chicago before heading with two tracks into the Loop 'L' in 1900.
October 3, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Got a gorgeous night shot of a train going overhead at Schiller (which used to have a stop here!) on the Brown Line with, though no longer the outside tracks in use, the four-track infrastructure they originally built from Wilson to Chicago before heading with two tracks into the Loop 'L' in 1900.
I love when one of my favorite people on the Internet—like patron saint level—surprise me by wearing a T-shirt with the logo I'm responsible for making sure we use right! @techconnectify.bsky.social
September 30, 2025 at 12:04 AM
I love when one of my favorite people on the Internet—like patron saint level—surprise me by wearing a T-shirt with the logo I'm responsible for making sure we use right! @techconnectify.bsky.social
When you're lucky enough, you find yourself sitting on a pier after a warm and lovely night with family, in silence except the water lapping on the shore, reflecting on your life, your experiences and knowing all those things make you you—a beautiful little spark in this unimaginably large universe.
September 27, 2025 at 5:31 AM
When you're lucky enough, you find yourself sitting on a pier after a warm and lovely night with family, in silence except the water lapping on the shore, reflecting on your life, your experiences and knowing all those things make you you—a beautiful little spark in this unimaginably large universe.
Goodbye Chicago, for a couple days! Going to spend a weekend with family up in crunchy Door County as we do every year. Such a pretty day here, tho.
September 25, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Goodbye Chicago, for a couple days! Going to spend a weekend with family up in crunchy Door County as we do every year. Such a pretty day here, tho.
I didn't design this but am proud to have sorta art-directed & that we have these as an option for a farecard, adding to our library of inclusiveness, putting Black and brown and trans folks first as part of acknowledging everyone. Thanks to Steve Wallach and our graphics team for bringing it home!
September 21, 2025 at 7:10 AM
I didn't design this but am proud to have sorta art-directed & that we have these as an option for a farecard, adding to our library of inclusiveness, putting Black and brown and trans folks first as part of acknowledging everyone. Thanks to Steve Wallach and our graphics team for bringing it home!
ANYWAY, this is another example of why and how much I love the work I do and see it as a privilege because I know it’s making Chicago—and in some cases other cities when people borrow from our ideas as inspiration—better places to live, work and play through good public transit!
September 17, 2025 at 3:11 PM
ANYWAY, this is another example of why and how much I love the work I do and see it as a privilege because I know it’s making Chicago—and in some cases other cities when people borrow from our ideas as inspiration—better places to live, work and play through good public transit!
To his credit, Graham really did the heavy lifting getting these worked into the architecture, the project, find the right vendor and make these exemplar stations. It's really a major achievement I'm proud to just have been part of the team.
September 17, 2025 at 3:11 PM
To his credit, Graham really did the heavy lifting getting these worked into the architecture, the project, find the right vendor and make these exemplar stations. It's really a major achievement I'm proud to just have been part of the team.
One of the things in UI/UX designers in transit is that we’re all trying to solve a lot of the same problems and it’s WONDERFUL when we can get together, talk shop, share ideas and frustrations and constructively approach our challenges together. We all have the same goal—help the people.
September 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
One of the things in UI/UX designers in transit is that we’re all trying to solve a lot of the same problems and it’s WONDERFUL when we can get together, talk shop, share ideas and frustrations and constructively approach our challenges together. We all have the same goal—help the people.
This year we finally got into the final design and development phase and I think we’ve done something really special here. Three screens in each of the new RPM station entrances (Lawrence to Bryn Mawr), that give status, alerts and elevator info right from the web, which is our best source of truth.
September 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
This year we finally got into the final design and development phase and I think we’ve done something really special here. Three screens in each of the new RPM station entrances (Lawrence to Bryn Mawr), that give status, alerts and elevator info right from the web, which is our best source of truth.
One learned experience in London was when I breezed past an ESUB even though it had a notice about my route and I thought “well, this is really my only option and not suspended” without stopping but should've. So when something big people we added warning banners you can’t miss something that's big.
September 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
One learned experience in London was when I breezed past an ESUB even though it had a notice about my route and I thought “well, this is really my only option and not suspended” without stopping but should've. So when something big people we added warning banners you can’t miss something that's big.
Though we started this design and thought process five years ago, we’ve watched closely as other cities have leaned into digital information—New York City Subway, DC Metro, LA Metro, MBTA and others, and have been refining our strategy with what we believe are all the best-in-class ideas from peers.
September 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Though we started this design and thought process five years ago, we’ve watched closely as other cities have leaned into digital information—New York City Subway, DC Metro, LA Metro, MBTA and others, and have been refining our strategy with what we believe are all the best-in-class ideas from peers.
So years ago, before this became more common in New York, building on work we did at 95th/Dan Ryan when it was redone in 2019, where we created airline departure board-like screens with the dual-terminal with 26 bus stops, we from that, started brainstorming what we wanted to do.
September 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
So years ago, before this became more common in New York, building on work we did at 95th/Dan Ryan when it was redone in 2019, where we created airline departure board-like screens with the dual-terminal with 26 bus stops, we from that, started brainstorming what we wanted to do.
I was in love with this concept the first time I saw it and have watched it grow and develop to be better and better. Once it used to list each line, now it consolidates information to just show where there’s an issue and otherwise says “Good service on all lines” (or other lines). Great innovation.
September 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
I was in love with this concept the first time I saw it and have watched it grow and develop to be better and better. Once it used to list each line, now it consolidates information to just show where there’s an issue and otherwise says “Good service on all lines” (or other lines). Great innovation.
Obviously, a big inspiration here is what Transport for London calls the “ESUB” which is their “Electronic Service Update Board” that tells you status the Underground/Overground/Lizzy network, so you can see what’s happening before tapping to enter, acknowledging people don’t like breaking stride.
September 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Obviously, a big inspiration here is what Transport for London calls the “ESUB” which is their “Electronic Service Update Board” that tells you status the Underground/Overground/Lizzy network, so you can see what’s happening before tapping to enter, acknowledging people don’t like breaking stride.
Long but hopefully fulfilling transit nerd thread incoming:
I want to talk about that I’m super proud of, and which is a culmination of things we’ve done in the past as well as things I’ve seen elsewhere that I wanted to bring home to Chicago: New digital at RPM stations that we hope to expand!
I want to talk about that I’m super proud of, and which is a culmination of things we’ve done in the past as well as things I’ve seen elsewhere that I wanted to bring home to Chicago: New digital at RPM stations that we hope to expand!
September 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Long but hopefully fulfilling transit nerd thread incoming:
I want to talk about that I’m super proud of, and which is a culmination of things we’ve done in the past as well as things I’ve seen elsewhere that I wanted to bring home to Chicago: New digital at RPM stations that we hope to expand!
I want to talk about that I’m super proud of, and which is a culmination of things we’ve done in the past as well as things I’ve seen elsewhere that I wanted to bring home to Chicago: New digital at RPM stations that we hope to expand!
This time we opted for pizza instead of the big tray of mostaccioli.
September 14, 2025 at 3:37 PM
This time we opted for pizza instead of the big tray of mostaccioli.
Tell me you're really from a City of Chicago family without telling me you're from a City of Chicago family.
September 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Tell me you're really from a City of Chicago family without telling me you're from a City of Chicago family.
Immediately I thought "this is brilliant—this solves an ambiguity problem I've been struggling with and ways I want to rethink". So I brought it home and we've been trying it, and I think it's pretty great. If a clear, simple instruction can be added at the ends of a reroute, we even do metal temps.
September 3, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Immediately I thought "this is brilliant—this solves an ambiguity problem I've been struggling with and ways I want to rethink". So I brought it home and we've been trying it, and I think it's pretty great. If a clear, simple instruction can be added at the ends of a reroute, we even do metal temps.
In the past, tradition was to post alerts but remove the entire signpole so they wouldn't stand there—tho many would still b/c sometimes drivers take out a bus stop sign and if you missed the alert in advance this would leave an absence of info since alert would go, too. Then I saw this in London...
September 3, 2025 at 7:30 PM
In the past, tradition was to post alerts but remove the entire signpole so they wouldn't stand there—tho many would still b/c sometimes drivers take out a bus stop sign and if you missed the alert in advance this would leave an absence of info since alert would go, too. Then I saw this in London...
I thought maybe this was a good time to post about something nice that I'm proud of. A new thing we've started doing at work is "bagging" long-term, out-of-service (but not to be permanently removed) bus stop signs rather than just taking them down.
September 3, 2025 at 7:30 PM
I thought maybe this was a good time to post about something nice that I'm proud of. A new thing we've started doing at work is "bagging" long-term, out-of-service (but not to be permanently removed) bus stop signs rather than just taking them down.
I reflect upon this lake from Saugatuk and was reminded of the below series of posts. Perhaps nothing is truly forever, and perhaps neither are our problems.
September 1, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I reflect upon this lake from Saugatuk and was reminded of the below series of posts. Perhaps nothing is truly forever, and perhaps neither are our problems.
Chicago just... sparkles. ✨
August 22, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Chicago just... sparkles. ✨
The last few days I've been dreaming of using some miles and popping over to New York because I like the Subway and I want to ride it more and see bits I've not seen. ♥️✈️ 🚇
August 15, 2025 at 11:54 PM
The last few days I've been dreaming of using some miles and popping over to New York because I like the Subway and I want to ride it more and see bits I've not seen. ♥️✈️ 🚇
It's kinda weird to wake up and look out from a decent (but not crazy) apartment and look out and think "most of my family, the people I grew up with and even my friends today live somewhere in this view or just over the horizon." The future is uncertain, but I don't take the now for granted.
August 9, 2025 at 1:50 PM
It's kinda weird to wake up and look out from a decent (but not crazy) apartment and look out and think "most of my family, the people I grew up with and even my friends today live somewhere in this view or just over the horizon." The future is uncertain, but I don't take the now for granted.