I recently commented on the disparity between the remarkable
breadth and depth of highway traffic information collected and managed by
transportation agencies and the all-too-often paucity of information made available
to the customer. On a recent visit
to DC, I experienced really good information and really bad information on the
transit side of things, on the same Metro line.
As an only-occasional Metro rider, I like to have
reassurance that I’m on the right train (this is the voice of experience
speaking) and to keep track of when my desired station is approaching. On one trip on the Orange Line, I was
in an information black hole.
There were two system maps in the car (not near me). There was no line map and no notice of
the next stop. The name of the
station on the platform couldn’t be made out through the tinted windows if it
was on the far side. And the
announcements by the operator were totally unintelligible. (Don’t these folks get training?)
The next day I had a ride on one of the newest cars, and it
was a real contrast. There were
electronic signs displaying the next station, electronic line maps, and very
clear recorded announcements!
Information can be a wonderful thing.
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