NJ TRANSIT is testing new high-tech bus stop signs with digital screens that show customers the real-time arrival information for the next bus.
The pilot program showcases two companies’ technology at eight bus stops. The companies submitted their ideas through the Transit Tech Lab, which is backed by the Partnership Fund for New York City and provides an accelerated pathway for early to growth-stage companies to solve public transportation challenges for the largest transit agencies in North America.
“Partnering with emerging tech companies allows us to test solutions that directly enhance the customer experience—in this case by improving access to important customer information,” said NJ TRANSIT President/CEO Kris Kolluri. “These digital signs not only provide real-time updates to riders at bus stops, but also supply NJ TRANSIT with valuable data to help us plan more responsive and customer-focused technology solutions.”
NJ TRANSIT’s Signage
NJ TRANSIT has installed five signs from infrastructure provider BusPas at locations in Hudson County. The signs feature real-time customer information, including arrivals, detours, delays, service alerts, and bus occupancy levels.
As part of the pilot, the signs are solar-powered and employ e-paper displays, like those of popular reading tablets, making them ADA-compliant. They also include text-to-speech announcements and automated safety lighting to improve nighttime visibility.
A similar pilot is underway in Manalapan Township and Howell Township in Monmouth County, in partnership with Urban Solar, a manufacturer of solar energy systems for bus stops and shelters.
In addition to customer-facing information, the signs also provide NJ TRANSIT with AI-driven customer analytics, such as people counting, occupancy detection, and demand modeling, to support future service planning.
A breakthrough feature is called leave-behind detection — a capability that enables the agency to count customers unable to board due to full buses or schedule constraints. This is a crucial metric for service planning and resource allocation.
A Pilot Basis
The pilot is expected to last for one year, and if successful, NJ TRANSIT will consider expanding the signs to other locations, officials said.
The digital sign initiative stemmed from the Transit Tech Lab, a program established by agencies in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan region to bring private sector innovation to public transit by connecting tech companies with transit agencies to pilot new technologies and solve critical transit challenges.
