The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has launched a pilot that brings real-time bus information to individual bus stops.
The solar-powered electronic ink (E Ink) signs are located at 18 bus stops in several Boston neighborhoods as well as stops in Chelsea, Everett, Cambridge, Watertown and Belmont. Each sign provides stop-specific information, including bus arrival times, service alerts and nearby modes or routes. The signs can also display information in the event that snow or other weather-related circumstances impact service.
“Almost a third of our customers use MBTA buses on a daily basis. They deserve the same quality of real-time information as our subway and commuter rail customers,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “The new E Ink signs are a first step to providing real-time information to even more customers in the future.”
The MBTA’s bus network spans more than 50 cities and towns, and is comprised of more than 7,500 individual bus stops. The vast majority of stops have no direct connection to power, which MBTA says creates a significant challenge to providing real-time information at bus stops. Recognizing that real-time information is among the most frequently requested amenities at bus stops, this pilot’s goal is to better understand whether this technology is a viable solution for delivering real-time information at bus stops on a larger scale, according to the authority.
The signs are powered entirely by solar energy, displaying real-time information through a software application built in-house by the MBTA’s Customer Technology Department. The signs are located at 18 high-ridership stops that were individually screened for sufficient solar exposure.
MBTA says this pilot builds on the success of a previous effort to test several types of E Ink signs along the D Branch of the Green Line. Under that 2017 initiative, signs were monitored for performance, durability and customer value. Based on the results of that program, the MBTA initiated a new procurement to deploy E Ink signs, which led to the selection of S&A Fleetwatch that installed the E Ink signs.
The E Ink pilot is a facet of the MBTA’s Better Bus Project, which is a major component of the MBTA’s efforts to improve bus service and the system as a whole. The Better Bus Project is a key component of the MBTA’s $8 billion, five-year investment program with the goal of Building a Better T.
