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ChineseUpdate On The New TPIS
[tags]metro, red line, purple line, transit passenger information system, subway[/tags]
The new display screens at Union Station. Photo by Gayle Anderson, Metro
As we reported last month, Metro is in the process of implementing a new Transit Passenger Information System (TPIS) at Red and Purple Line subway stations. Since August, only Union Station has seen the installation of the 46-inch LCD screens that are the heart of the new system, but according to Metro more are on their way. The Civic Center station is next, and six-man crews will be working diligently each week until next April when Metro hopes to have all 350 displays installed. Wayside Systems, the contractor in charge of installing the screens, has applied for funding to eventually place the TPIS displays on all Metro Rail lines.
The TPIS seems to have the potential to be quite robust. Each screen can be programmed independently, and thus information on mezzanine screens can be different from information on the platform screens, and even the left and right platform screens can display different messages. In fact, according to Wayside Systems, the information display will be “real-time, accurate, and track specific” - when a train arrives at the platform, the relevant screen will display information about the arrival and departure. The TPIS displays at Union Station do not currently display “next train” info, but it certainly seems possible and likely given this information.
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.
The displays, called TransitVUE were built by JM Fiberoptics, a local MBE contractor out of Chino, CA. In addition to their visual communications features, they are also connected to a media player server and can show graphics, videos or even advertisements.
These look nice but
* the text is a bit too big, and they take too long to scroll it (on those displays that need scrolling)
* sometimes, Windows XP messages and errors pop up on them (yesterday, near the bottom right-hand corner, I saw one of those little yellow balloons reminding the user to update Java!)
But other than that, these will be an improvement over those scrolling neon displays. Now if they can get “Next Train” info on them (like at BART), then they will be “perfect”! Ha!
Is Metro’s Gayle Anderson the Channel 5 reporter?
No. Not only do they sound completely different (the MTA press releases have Gayle’s phone number, so you can call and listen to her outgoing message), but they are also different races.
Calwatch wrote:
Not only do they sound completely different (the MTA press releases have Gayle’s phone number, so you can call and listen to her outgoing message), but they are also different races.
Thanks, Cal.
I had worried that KTLA was losing more of its on-air talent. And PR does pay much more than news journalism, even for TV people.
They currently do a good job of displaying “You have unused icons on your desktop”
They currently do a good job of displaying “You have unused icons on your desktop”
One of the many pleasures of using Microsoft® Windows™ software. Imagine having unused icons cluttering up your desktop!
It’s not unusual for scribes and mic-holders to become flacks and vice versa. LAPD’s Mary Grady was once the crime beat reporter for Channel 2, and Jean Guccione, the latest person to rotate into what passes for the transportation “beat” at the LA Times, jumped to the DA’s office. But here, both Gayles have been coexisting side by side for the past decade or so, with the occasional confusion.
Well, the screens have been up for some time now, but I have yet to see any useful info on them!
It’s insulting for Metro to spend so much of our money to give messages only useful to themselves (don’t ride motorized vehicles in the station!), instead of something actually useful to riders (next train?).
Metro overall is okay, but has worst information (as in none) of any train system I’ve been on!