For MBTA passengers, it can frustrating to stand at a trolley platform or bus stop, wondering when their ride will come.
For years, the T has worked on a way to provide real-time information at trolley and bus stops that don’t have electricity to support digital signs. Now, the transit authority is rolling out solar-powered signs to bring real-time travel information to riders.
The agency will install about 200 signs at Green Line stations and bus stops by 2025. The signs usean E Ink — or electronic ink — display, similar to a Kindle e-reader.
“It has been a journey to learn about all of these different variables and what the optimal solar powered E ink kit is for us,” said Karti Subramanian, the T’s senior director of rider tools. “Keeping in mind that user experience, but also repeatability of the construction work and maintainability on an ongoing basis.”
Subramanian said the T’s technology and innovation department has been working since 2017 to see if solar-powered electronic ink signs could withstand Boston winters. They expanded their pilot testing to include bus stops in 2019.
The signs combine a 26-inch tall display screen with a four gigabyte SIM card and 50-watt solar panel.
“With that bundle, we can hit 98 or 99% uptime, even in Boston winters,” Subramanian said.
The signs refresh information every 30 seconds. Many of the displays also include an audio button that relays the information on the screen to make them accessible for people with blindness or low vision.
Each e-ink display costs about $20,000 according to Subramanian. But while the signs are a long-term solution for bus stops, they may be a temporary fix on the Green Line. The MBTA says it plans to expand the number of trolley stations that have electricity as part of its long-term Green Line Program.
“With wired power, we can deliver a bigger screen, more attention-getting information, 100% of the time,” Subramanian said.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
