San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) installed prototype Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) signs at Eddy and Larkin streets this week to conduce in-field hardware testing of the signs. SFMTA plans to install more than 700 LCD signs at transit shelters as part of its Next Generation Customer Information System project.
Approximately one-third of these signs will be double-sided to provide additional visibility at the highest-ridership stops and major transfer points. The prototypes are single-sided so the authority can evaluate how they perform in conditions such as rain, wind and colder temperatures.
SFMTA knows there is an urgent need for more effective signage and is excited to roll out the new customer information system later this year. The new LCD signs will eventually replace all existing NextBus Light Emitting Diode (LED) signs, many of which have been in service for two decades and have reached the end of their lives and are no longer manufactured.
An extensive public outreach effort helped provide the new display sign’s overall design and other Customer Information System elements.
Key features of the new signs include:
- 24-inch LCD screens with vandal-resistant tempered glass
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant text-to-speech capability
- Larger and clearer text
- Letters and characters in multiple languages
The authority says it will evaluate how the prototype signs withstands the real-world environment and determine if any adjustments are needed. Public feedback will be reviewed as we fine-tune how information will be displayed.
