Comments on: Take Three: Bus arrival boards debut along 34th St. http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/ A New York City Subway Blog Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:18:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The real-time bus tracking aspect of PayPass :: Second Ave. Sagas http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-86459 The real-time bus tracking aspect of PayPass :: Second Ave. Sagas Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:28:15 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-86459 [...] MTA, according to the report, views this as a cheaper alternative to the bus arrival boards currently in place at eight stops along 34th St. The MTA claims bringing that technology to bus [...] [...] MTA, according to the report, views this as a cheaper alternative to the bus arrival boards currently in place at eight stops along 34th St. The MTA claims bringing that technology to bus [...]

]]> By: industry guy http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-74340 industry guy Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:52:30 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-74340 Also, the technology in the bus is typically more than a GPS receiver. There are other devices providing location information such as a piezo gyro and an odometer sensor. This additional equipment is used when there is multipath (reflections) of the GPS signal. Also, the technology in the bus is typically more than a GPS receiver. There are other devices providing location information such as a piezo gyro and an odometer sensor. This additional equipment is used when there is multipath (reflections) of the GPS signal.

]]> By: industry guy http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-74339 industry guy Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:46:23 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-74339 GPS is not a "2-way" communications network. GPS satellites broadcast (one-way) a signal to earth. When a GPS receiver receives signals from 3 or more of the GPS satellites, the GPS processor measures the time it takes for the signal to arrive from each of the satellites, does a calculation (triangulation) and then determines the position of the GPS receiver. The bus then (typically) sends this location data to some software, often located at a central dispatch center and the software calculates how long it will take the bus to arrive at the bus stop and sends this info to the display sign (or PDA or whatever). There is another wireless communications network involved between the bus and the location of software that calculates ETA. GPS is not a “2-way” communications network. GPS satellites broadcast (one-way) a signal to earth. When a GPS receiver receives signals from 3 or more of the GPS satellites, the GPS processor measures the time it takes for the signal to arrive from each of the satellites, does a calculation (triangulation) and then determines the position of the GPS receiver. The bus then (typically) sends this location data to some software, often located at a central dispatch center and the software calculates how long it will take the bus to arrive at the bus stop and sends this info to the display sign (or PDA or whatever). There is another wireless communications network involved between the bus and the location of software that calculates ETA.

]]> By: Jason B http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-63819 Jason B Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:53:47 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-63819 I have to agree on this. Maybe the 34th Street corridor has a better sky view; with the exception of the ESB, it seems towers are generally lower along 34th Street. But I often have used GPS coming into the city and have left it on only to hear "Unable to get GPS signal" over and over again; thank goodness for Google Maps when in a pinch. Station-based location systems might work better, but I'd have to research more into the history of this bus GPS history with the MTA. I have to agree on this. Maybe the 34th Street corridor has a better sky view; with the exception of the ESB, it seems towers are generally lower along 34th Street. But I often have used GPS coming into the city and have left it on only to hear “Unable to get GPS signal” over and over again; thank goodness for Google Maps when in a pinch. Station-based location systems might work better, but I’d have to research more into the history of this bus GPS history with the MTA.

]]> By: Think twice http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-63539 Think twice Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:02:13 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-63539 Looks like the MTA <i>finally</i> figured out how to overcome that whole GPS-signals-are-blocked-by-skyscrapers "problem" they've been using...er, um...facing for years. Maybe they can pass this ground breaking technological wonder on to the people at TomTom, Garmin, et al. Looks like the MTA finally figured out how to overcome that whole GPS-signals-are-blocked-by-skyscrapers “problem” they’ve been using…er, um…facing for years. Maybe they can pass this ground breaking technological wonder on to the people at TomTom, Garmin, et al.

]]> By: Alon Levy http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-63519 Alon Levy Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:54:33 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-63519 Buses can have systems that know which station they're at. That's how smart card readers know how much to charge you when you tap out in cities with distance-based fares, such as Singapore. They can communicate this information to a GPS network, which then sends the information to screens at the stations. Buses can have systems that know which station they’re at. That’s how smart card readers know how much to charge you when you tap out in cities with distance-based fares, such as Singapore. They can communicate this information to a GPS network, which then sends the information to screens at the stations.

]]> By: George http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-63503 George Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:56:33 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-63503 Sure. If a bus is said to be 2 minutes away, then its quite obvious that the bus is getting closer to you, and that in normal traffic conditions you would be seeing the bus in 2 minutes. If the time board seems to be stuck @ 2 minutes for a lot more than that then it becomes obvious that there is a traffic jam somewhere. All of this is easily understood. Now if it says 50 minutes until the next bus, then it is also obvious that you should be thinking about taking the next empty cab that you see. Hope this helps you in understanding how useful these things can be. Sure. If a bus is said to be 2 minutes away, then its quite obvious that the bus is getting closer to you, and that in normal traffic conditions you would be seeing the bus in 2 minutes. If the time board seems to be stuck @ 2 minutes for a lot more than that then it becomes obvious that there is a traffic jam somewhere. All of this is easily understood.

Now if it says 50 minutes until the next bus, then it is also obvious that you should be thinking about taking the next empty cab that you see.

Hope this helps you in understanding how useful these things can be.

]]> By: petey http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-63491 petey Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:50:23 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-63491 why yes george, as a lifelong resident of manhattan island i have taken buses! and since surface traffic is hard to predict, how is this system going to predict how long the bus will be? by giving <i>estimations</i>? what benefit is that, since the constant ebb and flow of surface traffic will cause those <i>estimations</i> to change, maybe every 2 minutes? could you post something a little more helpful? thanks! why yes george, as a lifelong resident of manhattan island i have taken buses! and since surface traffic is hard to predict, how is this system going to predict how long the bus will be? by giving estimations? what benefit is that, since the constant ebb and flow of surface traffic will cause those estimations to change, maybe every 2 minutes? could you post something a little more helpful? thanks!

]]> By: George http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-63478 George Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:30:06 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-63478 Do you take buses at all? The fact that surface transportation is "hard to predict" is precisely why we need to know if a bus is estimated to be 2 minutes away versus 50 minutes. Bus service is extremely irregular compared to the subway due to traffic, so any additional information that riders can get regarding how long it would take for the bus to get to them would be highly welcomed. Do you take buses at all? The fact that surface transportation is “hard to predict” is precisely why we need to know if a bus is estimated to be 2 minutes away versus 50 minutes. Bus service is extremely irregular compared to the subway due to traffic, so any additional information that riders can get regarding how long it would take for the bus to get to them would be highly welcomed.

]]> By: petey http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/11/take-thre-bus-arrival-boards-on-tap-for-34th-st/#comment-63451 petey Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:47:56 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3633#comment-63451 i don't see why this is a priority. for the subway, timers are very welcome. for a bus, you can look down the street, and besides surface traffic is hard to predict (tho', yes, it would be easier if they turn 34th into a real thoroughfare). i don’t see why this is a priority. for the subway, timers are very welcome. for a bus, you can look down the street, and besides surface traffic is hard to predict (tho’, yes, it would be easier if they turn 34th into a real thoroughfare).

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