Engr08 Posted June 5, 2012 Share #1 Posted June 5, 2012 Good day all, I have a question hoping that one of you guys can answer. I've ridden on many different bus systems in the US and im wondering why the MTA dont have the automated announcements on the their buses? I dont know if its to complex being that its has the largest fleet in North America, I dont know. I remember seeing a youtube on a Orion NG 07 bus number 3802. Is the MTA going to eventually retrofit these on all buses or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion VII 4 Life Posted June 5, 2012 Share #2 Posted June 5, 2012 Here's the story. When MTA BusTime first came out on the M16/34/A, it was actually made by a company called Clever Devices, and with the tracking system they installed automated announcements and LED information signs inside the buses. This was only a trial though, and the MTA developed their own BusTime system using open-source software and at the end of the Clever Devices trial they installed the in-house BusTime on the buses that had Clever Devices' system (including 3802 you mentioned). Only Clever Devices' system had automated signs / announcements, and the MTA doesn't want to go back to them because of the cost. There was another automated sign / announcement system a few years back that I believe was used on some of 126th Street's D60HFs which was a bit different (used a computerized voice and I believe it wasn't from Clever Devices), but I don't know what happened to those. I'm thinking the MTA could try to develop an automated announcement / sign system based on their in-house BusTime technology or use another system cheaper than Clever Devices, but I don't see the MTA really caring about automated announcements right now. It's a shame, most other transit systems in the area (NJT, Bee-Line, LI Bus/NICE) have them, and the MTA even invested in Clever Devices on LI Bus when it was still around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDTA Posted June 5, 2012 Share #3 Posted June 5, 2012 We got em up here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
User Posted June 5, 2012 Share #4 Posted June 5, 2012 An automated announcement system would be extremely expensive for the considering it runs the largest transportation system in the world with more than 5,900 buses (probably more). To equip a bus with an announcement system costs about $20,000 and if you mulitply that by the number of buses, that is a ton of money. And its more work for the to upkeep them and update them in addition to maintaining the rest of each bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w8Hou Posted June 5, 2012 Share #5 Posted June 5, 2012 There was another automated sign / announcement system a few years back that I believe was used on some of 126th Street's D60HFs which was a bit different (used a computerized voice and I believe it wasn't from Clever Devices), but I don't know what happened to those. That was Siemen$ contract. It was a distaterous project from the start. GPS errors pre-BusTime with preloaded automatic annoucements stops. MTA got most of the money back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w8Hou Posted June 5, 2012 Share #6 Posted June 5, 2012 Good day all, I have a question hoping that one of you guys can answer. I've ridden on many different bus systems in the US and im wondering why the MTA dont have the automated announcements on the their buses? I dont know if its to complex being that its has the largest fleet in North America, I dont know. I remember seeing a youtube on a Orion NG 07 bus number 3802. Is the MTA going to eventually retrofit these on all buses or what? One word: MONEY. MTA is broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 5, 2012 Share #7 Posted June 5, 2012 One word: MONEY. MTA is broke. Like the others have said... This seems like something that the Bus Time team should work on. They're rather eager so why not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w8Hou Posted June 5, 2012 Share #8 Posted June 5, 2012 Like the others have said... This seems like something that the Bus Time team should work on. They're rather eager so why not... I rather have Clever Devices get a huge contract. I dont think MTA can do the in-house automatic annoucements system if they have right materials to put all the buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion VII 4 Life Posted June 5, 2012 Share #9 Posted June 5, 2012 I rather have Clever Devices get a huge contract. I dont think MTA can do the in-house automatic annoucements system if they have right materials to put all the buses. If could afford it, I'd much rather than have Clever Devices run everything, even BusTime. There's plenty of advantages to them compared to the in-house system (like the countdown clocks they had on the M34/A), the only disadvantage is the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East New York Posted June 5, 2012 Share #10 Posted June 5, 2012 An automated announcement system would be extremely expensive for the considering it runs the largest transportation system in the world with more than 5,900 buses (probably more). To equip a bus with an announcement system costs about $20,000 and if you mulitply that by the number of buses, that is a ton of money. And its more work for the to upkeep them and update them in addition to maintaining the rest of each bus. It's not that hard really. With the whole city going to GPS, it is very easy to add in next stop anouncements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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