Comments on: Next Train Announcement Testing

By: Blue Swan

Blue Swan — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:52:25 +0000

For the past 3 days, the 8:32am Sounder has been more than a minute late in arriving at Kent Station. Today, when it hadn’t arrived at 8:34am I noticed the next train sign said “Train to King Street departed”. So, it departed before it arrived…go figure!!

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:53:56 +0000

I guess the rest of the world lives in danger then, because I have never seen this ANYWHERE except Seattle

By: Carl

Carl — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:59:49 +0000

I wish all the displays would be static.

By: Carl

Carl — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:57:23 +0000

Agree – the scrolling is harder to read. It is especially annoying on the destination signs of the Link trains. They should simply have the destination in a static form that fits the display.

Many of the words in the scrolling displays are superfluous. By editing them they can fit the message in a static display.

By: Gordon Werner

Gordon Werner — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:19:47 +0000

and another view …
http://images.nycsubway.org/i90000/img_90850.jpg

By: Gordon Werner

Gordon Werner — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:16:47 +0000

better yet … above the doors they need to switch the route map with something like this:

http://images.nycsubway.org/i52000/img_52557.jpg

http://images.nycsubway.org/i77000/img_77468.jpg

this will be especially important once there is more than one line

By: Gordon Werner

Gordon Werner — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:06:32 +0000

yea … I miss that robot voice

By: Gordon Werner

Gordon Werner — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:05:32 +0000

that is a safety thing to get people’s attention … that will never change

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:19:32 +0000

Yeah, though ads aren’t necessarily the prettiest thing in the world (some are neat, though), if it means more money for Sound Transit, I’m all for ads on the train. Plus, it gives you something to look at while riding through the tunnels.

They could also have posters that remind people that fares need to be paid, etc. (In Germany they have the posters reminding you not to be a Schwarzfahrer — their term for a non-payer — and listing the fines. Like this: http://capl.washjeff.edu/1/m/1140.jpg Obviously we would need a different term here, but the warnings wouldn’t hurt.)

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:41:23 +0000

Pelham, eh? Is that real-time information why that guy tried to take all those hostages on the 123? Oh wait, that was a movie. And it happened before, in the 1970s. Maybe that’s how Gene Hackman was able to follow the train in his car?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:16:09 +0000

does this mean all the annoying bell-ringing at each station will end?!

By: Jason Mitchell

Jason Mitchell — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:09:10 +0000

+1. Does anyone know (1) why there aren’t more ads, and (2) how much revenue other agencies generate? I know every CTA (Chicago) bus and train interior is plastered with ads, as are the stations and bus stops.

By: eddiew

eddiew — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:32:30 +0000

next bus too?

By: Z

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:48:33 +0000

I agree those are kinda annoying. Portland’s balious signs scroll up/down but they stop so you can read the information. Link just kinda scrolls across making it difficult to read.

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:41:57 +0000

Or you could hear the bells and horns from a distance.

By: Oran Viriyincy

Oran Viriyincy — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:40:54 +0000

Did you see the sign tricks CT did on Swift’s opening day?

By: Andreas

Andreas — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:17:01 +0000

It should always be the final destination that’s announced, and visual and audible cues should always match, abbreviations notwithstanding. (If by using “SB Othello” as an example I implied that something other than the final destination should be announced, I didn’t mean that. It was just a random not-the-regular-end-of-the-line choice. Wherever the train is going to end up is what should be announced.)

By: alexjonlin

alexjonlin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:59:39 +0000

A little while ago I was looking around the Link train hypothesizing on where they might put a system map. Maybe at the front/back of the cars, although that would be hard for most people to see.

By: alexjonlin

alexjonlin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:56:27 +0000

hahah that’s awesome

By: Sherwin Lee

Sherwin Lee — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:05:02 +0000

It would nice to have ads (Oran’s already spotted on) and a system map on the inside of the trains.