Missed this little nugget of news, so apologies for it being a couple of days late:
TriMet is now testing automated stop announcements on seven bus lines. What exactly is an ASA (automated stop announcement)? From the news release:
“Buses with internal Automated Stop Announcements (ASA) are now notifying riders where they are along bus routes on seven TriMet bus lines. ASA ensures people who are hearing or sight impaired and those new to transit are informed of upcoming stops, by providing both internal readerboard and voice announcements of major stops along a bus route.”
The seven bus lines that are testing this out are:
- 6 - Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
- 14 - Hawthorne
- 54 / 56 - Beaverton Hillsdale Highway / Scholls Ferry Rd
- 57 - TV Highway / Forest Grove
- 72 - Killingsworth / 82nd Ave
- 75 - 39th Ave / Lombard
- 79 - Clackamas Town Center
I personally think this is a nice feature to have on buses. I know if I haven’t ridden a particular bus line before, I get antsy about which stop is coming up. And most of the time I can’t seem to hear the bus driver over the speaker announcing some of the stops. What is everyone else’s opinion on this? Good, bad, indifferent?
If you’re interested, you can read more about this feature.
6 comments ↓
I have ridden the 6 and the 75 recently and they had automated voices. It is a bit like the MAX. It’s a good idea and means I don’t have to be so antsy about what cross street I’m on and can relax and read a book. It also means the driver does not have to play that role, probably a relief for the 50% of TriMet drivers who are not frustrated thespians. As for the other half, I bet they are against it; how boring to just drive and not give passengers a constant spiel.
Makes sense. First time I saw the train departure times I thought: this makes total sense.
Then the airport LED lights showing you available parking spots: Makes sense.
This is an extension of technology being put to good use, as opposed to so much tech out there for tech’s sake.
More ideas:
1. Force exits out of the bus from the rear. This reduces idle time, increases passenger flow, and increases on-time performance. The signs don’t do jack.
2. Expand the use of the LED boards to tell passengers what lines they can transfer to. Visual information is far more informative than audio.
3. probably expensive, but post bus arrival times in LED format for major bus stops beyond downtown.
4. Reduce the number of stops busses go. Right now it seems like it’s every 2 blocks within 4 miles of downtown. Why not make it every three? Reducing the number of stops vastly would increase the efficiency of the bus system with little impact on most people’s commutes.
@ indy - good stuff there. Like the ideas, specifically #4
The problem with routing people out the back is that the back step is difficult for a lot people who are short, older or have a physical disability. Many riders depend on the kneeling function at the front door of most buses.
Are we really sure “many” do? When I wait for the 12 home, there is this dance that happens:
1. Nobody is waiting by the front door as the bus arrives.
2. We start to board.
3. Someone gets up and heads toward front door.
4. 1-2 people boarding, get back off.
5. 1-2 people exits, typically skipping and humming a tune.
6. We all board.
They’ve actually tested this any number of times over the past couple of years, but not this extensively. At this point, I think it’s less of a test then an initial activation phase.
(Although the #14 line clearly had some bugs a couple of weeks ago, as it was reporting the bus as being located somewhere in NE Portland.)
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