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ChineseThis Train Departs Next
Metro slowly inches forward in providing its customers with essential transit information. At Union Station, the fancy new Transit Passenger Information System (TPIS) displays have been updated at long last to include a tiny bit more transit passenger information. The displays now show a message specifying which train on the platform will be departing next. This information has the potential to help the somewhat minor passenger conundrum of trying to guess which train to get on if there are two trains waiting on the platform. Unfortunately this information is only of use to those who are not traveling beyond Wilshire/Vermont as the displays do not inform passengers of whether the next departing train is a Red Line train or a Purple Line train. As you can see in the photograph, the signage still implies the the train is headed to both North Hollywood and Wilshire/Western, and in fact in my mind the visual hierarchy implies that North Hollywood and Wilshire Western are the next upcoming station stops. Criticisms aside, it’s nice to see Metro attempting to do a little bit more with these pricey displays, it may seem like a tiny step forward now, but it’s a step forward nonetheless.
Discussion
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Yes,
This is absolutely needed. The current signage is not visible enough.
Is there some puzzle piece that MTA is waiting for in order to get the signs to tell us when, and which train is coming? BART has had such a system for *years*!
Ok so the TPIS displays aren’t perfect, but you have to give Metro something… BART’s screen’s will never look that cool. I totally dig that graphic! I give a big round of applause to he guys of Metro Design Studio they really know their stuff and they certainly are “America’s Best” when it comes to having nice graphic design.
I just can’t quite fathom how they put those signs up there without having the system ready in the first place.
Last time I was down there I just stared at the sign for minutes thinking it would eventually, maybe, somehow give me a piece of useful information.
Don’t knock the signs. It still puts out useful information (like service alerts). When BART installed their new multi-line LED panels earlier this decade, they were inactive for much of the time until they could swap out the old light-bulb displays. It takes time.
I wonder if they’ll ever install fancy displays like this on their light rail stations…
This is a great start. Now wouldn’t it be nice to know when this train will be leaving and when the following train for the “other” line will be leaving? Also along the line it would be nice to know when the next train for each line will be arriving. In Hong Kong on their MTR/KCR and LRT lines they show when trains on each line will arrive and on their LRT lines there could be several lines using the same platform. It works great but the graphics aren’t as nice as our subway signs.
The other thing when I an transferring from the Red/Purple lines to the Blue line I do not know which Blue Line Platform to use. At one time there were TV’s to tell you but they were removed a while back without a replacement. Of course the downtown connector will fix this problem.
When will we finally see signs like:
Train to NORTH HOLLYWOOD, in 5 minutes
Train to WILSHIRE/WESTERN, in 10 minutes
I think this is crucial to have on display.
Also,
I really hope the frequencies will be increased.
Having to wait for 20 minutes (!) in the evening
is a major waste of time,
and I think that’s the main reason most people still use car
in subway-accessible areas.
MTA should do whatever possible to reduce wait times in late evening
or early morning.
These signs are a great start to be sure, but there’s still a ways to go . . .