In the Twin Cities, Boston, New York City and beyond, transit agencies are experimenting with solar-powered e-paper signs and onboard transit signs to provide real-time updates.
By HENRY PAN
When Paul Mielke gets to the Metro Transit bus stop at the northwest corner of Franklin and Nicollet, a busy intersection surrounded by brick apartment buildings new and old, about half a mile south of downtown Minneapolis, the first thing he looks at is a big yellow sign.
The sign, which is essentially a dual-screen Amazon Kindle mounted on a street pole, is powered by solar energy and feeds real-time schedule information pulled through a cellular modem. It’s one of several initiatives that transit agencies across the nation are working on to help people navigate transit without a smartphone.