Metro Testing Automated Bus Stop Announcements

[ssullivan]

I knew this was coming -- it's been several years since METRO announced they would be implementing such a system, but it's only been in the last six months I've seen the equipment being installed in the buses. Still, it will be nice to have, as most drivers don't bother to announce stops, and those that do often don't use the PA system or don't speak clearly. I've seen similar systems in other cities that also used a text display, similar to the ones in the MetroRail trains, but no mention of that is made here. Anyone been on a bus yet with the system up and running?

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METRO Begins Testing Automated Bus Stop Annunciation System

March 7, 2005

METRO bus patrons are advised that the Authority has initiated testing of an automated stop annunciation system on its bus fleet. The system announces the location of the next bus stop to passengers on the bus, which is expected to improve customer service, particularly for those with visual impairments.

The automated bus annunciation system is part of METRO's $26 million Integrated Vehicle Operations Management System, which is expected to be fully operational by the summer.

Other components of the IVOMS project include automated vehicle location and tracking, which allows dispatchers to determine and monitor the exact location of any bus; and automatic passenger counters, which utilize infrared beams at bus entrances/exits to produce more accurate ridership data.

The technology improvements are expected to yield increased safety, enhanced on-time performance, better ridership information and compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

[tw2ntyse7en]

...

[ssullivan]

Thats how the NYC Subway works. Super-cool stuff.

Yeah on some routes. But a lot of them the operator has to make the announcements, and on those you really can't understnad them half the time.

I do hope that this system isn't as annoying as the one operating on the newer trolley buses in San Francisco on some routes. Every time someone pulls a stop cord it says "Please exit to the rear" and every time the bus starts moving from a complete stop it says "Please hold on." At first you don't notice it, but after hearing those two phrases, plus the stop announcements, at every other block when people are always getting on and off, it gets old. But it does help find your stop if you're unfamiliar with the area or not really paying attention.

I wonder if it will be bilingual, like the MetroRail announcements? One of my friends and I joke that everyone in Houston that rides the rail line more than a couple of times should at least now know how to say what the next stop is, what side the door opens on, and that you should stand behind the white warning strip in Spanish.

[debmartin]

it's up and running on the 53 galleria, and takes a little getting used to. kinda like the train, which calls out all of the stations and you adjust to tuning the creepy robot voice out. i can see how this could really help anyone visually impaired, as well as people who are looking for a stop and/or unsure of the route. before this, people would always approach the driver and ask about stops, if they could push past enough people to do so (53 is packed to capacity most often). this was sometimes a distraction to the driver and if it happened to be one of the rude drivers it could make for a rather unpleasant ride. i am very pleased that metro continues to explore efficiency improvements, and i truly believe that if a few more improvements could be made more people would give public transportation a go. on their website i see they have planned a new galleria/downtown express, something they really need right now - there is truly very little incentive for anyone to utilize the 53 or 82 unless they have a couple of hours to ride around.

deb martin

[ssullivan]

deb, where on the METRO website did you see that about the Galleria/Downtown express route? That sounds interesting and like a good plan.

[debmartin]

you can look up proposed routes by choosing "metro in motion" from the main page, then choosing "metro solutions". some of the routes are only planned with no dates set, but it seems the galleria/downtown express is one that is actually in the works. it took me a long time to wade through the metro website, but it's really quite interesting. read up on the board meetings for a laugh, there are one or two people who come to every meeting with the same complaint and from what i can tell, they are just "heard" but not listened to. one guy claims to be royalty and alleges that his pass was "stolen" and he demands its return. i have been following the proposed routes because i have been asking for the return of the tc/flyer, which was an express that went back and forth between transit centers. i'm not sure why they cancelled it but it was a great way to cut across town in a hurry. hope you can find the info on proposed routes.

deb martin

[ssullivan]

Thanks. I knew about the Metro Solutions section (which I think is kind of disorganized) but didn't realize that particular route was already in the works. I'd like to see the TC Flyer come back too. I never used it but it made sense, especially because, if I remember correctly, it did make a couple of Galleria area stops. I return of it that included a routing through the TMC Transit Center would mean I could get to the Galleria far faster on Metro without depending on the 73 that only has limited runs over there or going to Wheeler or downtown to transfer to one of the other routes.

[Subdude]

I was just reading about a new system that has uses a sort of bar code at bus stops. If you scan the code with a camera in your phone, your phone will pull up information about when the next bus will arrive. It's already in use in California.

[ssullivan]

Yeah that next bus technology several cities are using is really great. I think you can also use an automated phone system, a website, and a service accessible on wireless-enabled PDAs to get the information as well. I think the system METRO s putting in place will eventually allow that type of technology here.

Now if METRO would only spend some money for a major update to their awful website. Online trip planning that doesn't require one of their employees to manually create a route and then maybe e-mail it back to you would be so nice!

[uncertaintraveler]

In Perth, Australia, the city buses (which are free to ride, by the way) have audio and text stating what the next stop will be.

The ONLY problem with this is that the displays are timed and/or are triggered by some bar-code system (ie, once the bus passes a point, the next stop appears). If the bus is running fast, or doesn't stop, or doesn't hit the exact point so as to register on the system, the stops (as stated) don't correspond to the actual stops. I noticed several times during my stay there that the alleged stops were at least two or three stops off from where we actually were.

I think there was a manual override button that the driver could push to bring up the actual (and current) stop, but somehow, I seriously doubt the drivers here in Houston would ever put forth that sort of effort.

After all, they can't even be bothered to hit the brakes when the traffic signals are bright red....

[ssullivan]

After all, they can't even be bothered to hit the brakes when the traffic signals are bright red....

Yeah, no kidding. There's a run on the 4 Beechnut where the same driver runs the light at Kirby and North Braeswood almost daily. I can't wait to see how many pictures of Metro buses are taken when the red light camera system is up and running.

I know in some cities the automated announcements are triggered by a GPS locator system. I don't know if that's how it will work here or not, but my guess is that it will be GPS-based. After all, the system is going to be able to tell Metro dispatchers where every bus in the fleet is at any time, so obviously there must be a GPS locator being installed in the buses. It would make sense for the announcements to be tied to it, not running on some sort of timed system.

[GovernorAggie]

They have a similar sound and LED read-out system on the CATS buses in Charlotte. The female voice isn't robotic at all and is heard on the outside of the buses as well as the inside. It can't remember if it announces stops, but it does say something like "welcome aboard route 14--destination, Uptown" when the bus makes a stop and opens the doors. It also announces "stop requested" when people pull the cord and announces major intersections when the bus is coming upon them. E.g. "Now approaching Central at Sharon Amity".

[ssullivan]

I rode the bus with the new announcements for the first time today. I like the idea of it, and the announcements are kind of helpful. However, they need to turn the volume up most of the time! With the noise of the engine, the air conditioning, and the tires on the road, most of the time it's barely noticeable and hardly ever understandable when the bus is in motion. But I'm sure they'll probably work out the volume issue during this testing phase. I also wish they had installed LED signs that posted the stop information on them as well. Some systems I've seen in other cities use the LED displays to show every stop, and the announcements only announce major stops. That kind of system is a lot more useful than just one that calls out major stops only.

The exterior route announcements are also nice when the bus is stopped. However, I think they should also announce the destination, since so many of our bus routes have multiple branches at their ends.