We've put these "NextBus" signs in for the large bus/rail system in our city. First off, the signs are expensive so they finally went with permanent signs and a phone number, but the assumption that everyone has a phone with web access is elitist. Our system additionally offers an automated phone only response, given your start and stop locations. This still assumes that the bus crowd, which is traditionally less spendy, will all have phones.
What would be a great idea is to take the GPS systems that make this possible and use them to manage bus progress. Then riders don't wait an hour-and-a-half only to have all three [late] buses come at once. I mean, if the bus is so often that late, does it really matter whether some device tells you it'll be along eventually? Especially since the current system of looking down the street is comparatively effective and much less costly.
Our system, which is currently $174 million in the red, recently put up electronic signs in every station to tell when the trains would arrive. Odd, when you consider all trains at all stations arrive 15 minutes apart during regular hours and 5 minutes apart during rush hour. What's wrong with recorded announcements on our newly replaced sound systems? Those help, even if you can't read.
The lure of the new is wonderful if it makes sense and you can afford it. But this news is old-hat since it's absent the buzzword du jour, "sustainability." It's an expensive bandage to avoid taking responsibility for getting the buses to run on time.
Look next for radio-linked signs displaying the bus schedules, which will devolve into a phone/web service.
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