Cap Metro’s aim is to increase ridership by optimizing efficiency in this new transit center with sustainable, easy-to-read, real-time bus arrival, passenger information displays.
Connectpoint
3 min to read
Cap Metro’s aim is to increase ridership by optimizing efficiency in this new transit center with sustainable, easy-to-read, real-time bus arrival, passenger information displays.
Connectpoint
In the past couple of years there’s been an encouraging movement among cities and transit agencies to become technologically “Smart.” They are upgrading or implementing a digital ecosystem to improve communications and mobility for their customers. We all love new technologies that make our lives easier to navigate daily but we must not forget the human factor. If vital information is not available to all citizens, then how can a city truly call itself smart.
According the U.S. Census Bureau, “By 2035, there will be 78.0 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.7 million under the age of 18,” — let that sink in. The aging of baby boomers means that within just a couple of decades, older people are projected to outnumber children for the first-time in U.S. history. How does that affect transit? Excluding self-driving cars, microtransit and rideshare mobility services, seniors in their 70’s and 80’s will rely on buses and trains for transportation more than ever. Keeping transit easily accessible, efficient and economical is key.
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We all love new technologies that make our lives easier to navigate daily, but we must not forget the human factor.
TransitCenter states that 73% of riders 65 and older want real-time bus arrival information at the bus stop in addition to a mobile app. Why? It’s not because they aren’t mobile savvy, it’s a discerning income concern — smartphone plans are just too costly on a fixed income. In 2018 only 46% of 65 years and older owned a smartphone. (Pew Research) Seniors in suburban and urban areas say they would find transit more appealing if there were lower costs, and more real-time information about transit options, arrivals and departures.
Integrated, real-time, transportation information delivered by digital signage is becoming the new standard demanded by customers. But, even with this technology, let’s also keep in mind the human factor. There are hundreds of digital signage companies, choose wisely. Choose a digital signage company that has transit and wayfinding expertise. The spatial problem-solving behind expert wayfinding comes from years of critical, transit thinking.
For transit agencies considering how to deploy digital signage at transit stops, some of the questions agencies should start with is:
Where should it be deployed?
Can the signage be solar-powered so that it is not dependent on expensive electrical infrastructure?
Is the signage and remote software resilient so that it can continue to operate during power outages?
What will it cost?
How will it be supported?
Can the signs be supported remotely with a single content management system and offer flexibility so that an individual or groups of signs can be programmed with specific messages?
These questions can help transit agencies define a product specification that increases their customers’ satisfaction and safety and increases the resiliency of their infrastructure. Offering digital signage is an integral strategy for cities and transit agencies that can increase the equity of their digital investments and offer more convenient and effective delivery of transit information to their residents and riders.
Polis comprises cities and regions, as well as corporate partners, from across Europe, promoting the development and implementation of sustainable mobility. This year’s event had over a thousand attendees across various policy forums and an exhibition.
Across North America and beyond, transit agency officials are contending with a perfect storm of operational headaches and strategic challenges that hamper daily service and long-term progress.
Simply incentivizing electrification is not enough to make a meaningful impact; we must shift our focus toward prioritizing public transportation and infrastructure.
For many years, the narrative surrounding public transit improvements has been heavily weighted toward environmental gains and carbon reduction. While these are undeniably crucial long-term benefits, the immediate focus of this new funding environment is firmly on demonstrable system efficiencies and a clear return on investment.
The notion of agencies being over- or underfunded, I argued, doesn’t hold up. If an agency wants to turn up the heat — to grow beyond the status quo — it must demonstrate measurable value.
Some agencies might suggest they are funded in the public transportation space. Some complain that they are funded too little. I have never heard a public transportation executive proclaim that they are funded too much. And if no public agencies are funded too much, then, by definition, none are funded too little. To steal from Goldilocks’ thinking, they are all funded just right.
From East Asia to Europe, more than 400 exhibitors and 70 sessions tackled global mobility challenges — highlighting AI, automation, and urban transit equity in the race toward a carbon-free future.
A closer look at ridership trends, demographic shifts, and the broader impacts of service reductions reveals why maintaining, and even improving, bus service levels should be a top priority in 2025.
