TTC: Next Bus/Streetcar Arrival System

[Parkdalian]

Even though you can see some big delays (Dundas currently has a fifteen minute delay between two cars), this site makes dealing with the inevitable delays soooooo much better. The worst part of waiting for a streetcar is the chump feeling you get when you can't see one approaching.

 

[nfitz]

I noticed this was now expanded to 502 and 503. Very useful! I'm about a 10-minute walk from that line, and it would be convenient at times when heading downtown ... but I seldom bother, because I never know what I'm in for, so I take the 506 instead. Now I'll be more likely to take the 502 (and if a 503 comes first, I'll know whether it's worth waiting for the 502 or not!).

 

[GTS]

This is a bit of a different idea but, one thing that I would like to see the TTC do is use a bus stop sign like they do in Vancouver, where I lived most of my life. In Vancouver every bus stop sign shows which route or routes use that particular stop. Their is actually a lot of information just on the bus stop sign which helps us regular users of transit. Some stops only have one routes that uses that stop and some bus stop signs show many different route numbers that use that particular spot like on Granville where many routes converge. The bus stop sign I have included show the four routes that share that particular stop.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/321521603_88ed87d093.jpg

I think if the TTC did a small, comparitively, investment like this it would add convenience to the system by giving so much more information for us commuters. It would be even more helpful when I am travelling somewhere I am not familiar with, like when I was new to Toronto 5 yrs ago or when I am visiting a part of the city I don't normally go to.

 

[W. K. Lis]

This is a bit of a different idea but, one thing that I would like to see the TTC do is use a bus stop sign like they do in Vancouver, where I lived most of my life. In Vancouver every bus stop sign shows which route or routes use that particular stop. Their is actually a lot of information just on the bus stop sign which helps us regular users of transit. Some stops only have one routes that uses that stop and some bus stop signs show many different route numbers that use that particular spot like on Granville where many routes converge. The bus stop sign I have included show the four routes that share that particular stop.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/321521603_88ed87d093.jpg

I think if the TTC did a small, comparitively, investment like this it would add convenience to the system by giving so much more information for us commuters. It would be even more helpful when I am travelling somewhere I am not familiar with, like when I was new to Toronto 5 yrs ago or when I am visiting a part of the city I don't normally go to.

There are route informational signs with map and schedule on bus and streetcar stops. However, not all have them. Inform the TTC to put one on your stop.

The other problem could be vandals who steal the maps. Those dummies are just one step below graffati taggers.

 

[nfitz]

There are route informational signs with map and schedule on bus and streetcar stops. However, not all have them. Inform the TTC to put one on your stop.

They have never appeared at most stops - they have only ever been at a fraction of stops. I wouldn't think they would put them on more stops on a demand basis.

It does seem odd that they have never put route numbers, and perhaps even destinations, at most stops. Most other cities did this a half-century or so ago.

 

[Justin10000]

I believe the information signs are only located at "timed" stops.

 

[CDL.TO]

Schedules appear at stops identified by the TTC as transfer points.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Meanwhile... as the TTC is only just starting to install next bus/streetcar/train displays on its network...

From an article on Comfort Zone Display:

As part of it’s on going growth and exploration to give solutions to even the most simple problems, 4-id has come up with a new new concept for a Display to communicate to users of Metro, Subway,and other commuting trains, when and how full is the next train to arrive at their station. With this new information, people can better choose what carriage to board depending on their needs. A simple but attractive graphic shows users the amount of people that are on each carriage and which of them are accessible for Trolleys, Bicycles and Wheelchairs users. To complement this information a light strip is located along the platform that will also give the occupational density of the carriages in “real†scale.

Photo-montage Train Platform Overview

Dummy on Platform looking at Display and Light Strip

Having worked before on Dynamic content (content that gets updated from a database or other dynamic sources) for the Food & Wine industry, There is a great amount of flexibility in the kind of information to be communicated on a standard LED Television Display. With that background, this low energy consumption screen will be able to show different configuration depending on the time left for the train to arrive at the station and the software can be adapted to all kinds of railway systems.

Frontal Perspective of Display on Platform

4-id’s parting point for this proposal is a full screen gauge of the trains occupation density, with current time, Wi-Fi availability, train line and line direction. The second configuration has live or prerecorded TV signal, with “widget†like features for the previous information. This permits to simplify and unify the hardware (screens) on the station, giving the Transportation Service Provider the possibility to incorporate advertisements on all the stations display to finance the system. The system can get inputs from new sensor placed inside the carriages or from artificial vision software applied to existing security cameras.

Display as a Product, Main Screen (product shot)

Display as a Product, Main Screen (product shot)

Control Center Screen showing head count for each carriage

 

[Filip]

I love Barcelona. Their network may not be as big as Madrid's but it's more impressive. Certain stations (in the mountainous, hilly region behind the city) don't have escalators, but giant pits with a number of large high speed elevators to ferry people down to the platforms.

 

[reaperexpress]

That would actually be useful for the TTC in one location: Bloor-Yonge. It would be great to really illustrate how uneven the passenger density is on the trains, hopefully encouraging more people to walk down the platform, possibly reducing station dwell time and increasing line capacity by reducing headways. It's probably not worth the money for other stations though.

 

[unimaginative2]

So cool. I wish the TTC would buy some of the amazing off-the-shelf products that are available in Europe and Asia rather than reinventing the wheel or going with an inferior North American product.

 

[nfitz]

Next vehicle maps are back. Here is route 512 - http://www.nextbus.com/predictor/publicMap.shtml?a=ttc&r=512 You can select the other routes from the menu.

 

[gweed123]

That system would be amazing! Not only would it help the passenger experience, it would also give the TTC really accurate ridership level counts, so they could more accurately determine an appropriate level of service. Also get really good counts on where riders get off, and where they get on (# at each stop, I don't mean following a rider around the entire system to determine their travel pattern).

 

[gweed123]

Next vehicle maps are back. Here is route 512 - http://www.nextbus.com/predictor/publicMap.shtml?a=ttc&r=512 You can select the other routes from the menu.

Very cool. Do you know if the TTC has any plans to make this into an iOS app? I'm sure they could sell it for a few bucks. The Red Rocket app is good for an approximate timing, but it only uses scheduled times, which for a lot of the busy routes (like Queen) is rarely accurate. An app that used real-time data to determine when the next bus/streetcar would be at your stop, as well as being able to see where it is on a map, would be very helpful, especially on cold winter days when you really don't feel like leaving your house and walking to the bus/streetcar stop until you absolutely have to.

 

[DSC]

Very cool. Do you know if the TTC has any plans to make this into an iOS app? I'm sure they could sell it for a few bucks. The Red Rocket app is good for an approximate timing, but it only uses scheduled times, which for a lot of the busy routes (like Queen) is rarely accurate. An app that used real-time data to determine when the next bus/streetcar would be at your stop, as well as being able to see where it is on a map, would be very helpful, especially on cold winter days when you really don't feel like leaving your house and walking to the bus/streetcar stop until you absolutely have to.

The NextBus does NOT use scheduled times, it uses GPS so it is in real-time.