TTC: Automated stop and station announcements

[wyliepoon]

I had the opportunity to take the 57 Midland bus this evening. The bus I was on had automated station announcements, with an electronic sign at the front beneath the Stop Request light, and the next stop was called out automatically over the PA.

Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAyXkHutorY (I have to apologize about the video... you can't see the whole sign because some poles and grab bars are in the way)

This was the first chance I got to watch the TTC automated station announcement in action on a bus. I like the female voice that does the announcements (better than the Sheppard subway announcements, or the "female robot" voice that you hear on Viva). The electronic board looks big and bright, even from the back, which is better than Viva's small boards. Unfortunately the name of the next stop only appears for a few seconds, and then the rest of the time the board displays flashes of electronic fireworks. I think the name should stay up longer... maybe until the bus reaches the stop.

 

[cdl42]

Have seen this on the 11 Bayview trial, sounds like nothing has changed. Not a fan of the unnecessary fireworks, but otherwise a simple and effective system. Eventually we'll graduate to what they have in Europe, with displays showing the next 2 to 4 stop names.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

wyliepoon

I had the opportunity to take the 57 Midland bus this evening. The bus I was on had automated station announcements, with an electronic sign at the front beneath the Stop Request light, and the next stop was called out automatically over the PA.

Thanks for sharing. I recall the Accessibility Committee (Mississauga) had suggested that bus drivers call out all stops but the driver union panned that. So this automation will certainly help those who can't see all that well (aging population). Or anyone for that matter who's unfamiliar with a route.

Good on T.O.

 

[simply Dan]

The #5 Avenue Rd bus has had this feature for a few months now - still somewhat inconsistent as not every single bus has the display working yet. An excellent feature nontheless!

 

[EnviroTO]

Nice feature. I noticed a stop which should be removed in the video... "1710 Midland Ave". A stop that isn't even at a cross street... how pointless. Its not even worth the cost of programming into the system.

 

[doady]

Thanks for sharing. I recall the Accessibility Committee (Mississauga) had suggested that bus drivers call out all stops but the driver union panned that

Bus drivers in Mississauga have been calling out stops for the past two months.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"A stop that isn't even at a cross street... how pointless."

I've used that stop - if it's the one I'm thinking of, it's on the long block between Midwest and Midwest.

 

[EnviroTO]

^ Yes, halfway between Midwest and Midwest along with two other stops at Dorcot and Millbridge Gt. Stops every 15 houses... seems like pointless overkill to me. I think Toronto needs to space the bus stops out better and the first stops to be removed should be those that aren't even at a cross street.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

It literally adds a few seconds to the trip...it's not a big deal on the 57.

 

[socialwoe]

Nameless stops where there's no cross street exist all over the place. The Lansdowne route for instance has at least nine of them.

 

[The Mississauga Muse]

doady wrote:

Bus drivers in Mississauga have been calling out stops for the past two months.

Oooo, excellent! Something must've happened over the summer then. Because back in June there was a General Committee meeting on transit and they were balking at calling out.

The other thing I learned from that June transit presentation was that bus drivers (ready?) can't make an able-passenger surrender a handicapped seat for a handicapped/challenged person!

Thanks for that info, doady. Good news.

 

[dashingdan]

It seems to me that MT only started calling out major streets regularly recently. Like in the last month or so, certainly not since the summer, at least not on the routes I take (39, 10, 27, 48, 13)

 

[adma]

Re betwixt Midwest and Midwest: that side's industrial, right? Workers need a place to stop, y'know. (I actually like watching those factory workers get on + off the bus; it's the sign of a healthy urban ticker...)

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"Re betwixt Midwest and Midwest: that side's industrial, right? Workers need a place to stop, y'know."

Yeah, there's a whole slew of random industrial stuff there. There's a bunch of Filipino workers that smoke up a storm around 11-ish every night while waiting for the 57 to take to them to one of those Midwest factories.

I bet the Midland bus could stop every 100m and still get from Kennedy station to Steeles in 30 minutes...there's basically no traffic, ever. It took me almost an hour, once - during the blackout.

 

[adma]

Jane Jacobs is smiling down upon those Filipino workers. No, seriously. She is...