Electronic Readouts at Bus Stops

I don't know if anyone has seen them, but at certain bus stops, there are electronic signs installed at the top of the waiting area. It is a convenience because the board shows when the next bus is do.

The only problem is when they do not work. Last night I was at the corner of 8th Ave and 34th St, waiting for a M16 bus. The sign showed the time waiting for a M34 bus, but not M16. The M16 bus just came without a notice from the board of its arrival. I told the bus driver about it, but he looked the other way.

Anyone seen those signs and have any experiences with them?
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uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted one such sign has recently been installed at the 81st Street and Central Park West Subway station. I was very excited when I saw it as I thought that finally the MTA has installed readers which will let us know when the next train will arrive -no such luck it only indicated the date and time and not much else. Havent really noticed such signs at bus stops.
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That sounds useful! I'd certainly be keen - but alas traffic, etc., means buses can't quite be as regular as subways, so I'm not sure how reliable those signs really can be...
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uptowngirl 2yrs+
@ajadedidealist havent you noticed such signs at bus stops in Oxford Street in London? they are quite accurate and the electronic readers in the tube stations there are also often bang on target. I have noticed such signs even on bus and subway stops in Singapore and they are pretty good. With today's GPS and tracking technology it should be relatively simple to monitor the movement of public transport and keep riders informed.
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hhusted 2yrs+
Regarding the electronic signs, I found that when the M34 bus was shown due, it was three blocks away. When it got to my stop, the sign still said it was due. On another occasion I went to a bus stop and saw the sign said the bus was due. I did not see the bus in site. I waited. When the bus showed up three blocks away, the sign stated the bus was 2 minutes before being due.

It is great to have such signs, but they are inconsistent. What controls those signs? Does the bus driver do it or do they feed off of some system underground?
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uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted I should think it was some kind of tracking technology which is controlled by a main control room? I do know cell phone companies overseas use this technology to pin point your location. I am sure its even available in the US. A similar system would help any traffic control station to track the advance of a subway train/bus don't you think?
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hhusted 2yrs+
That may be so, but the problem seems to have loopholes as the signs are too inconsistent. Whatever it is that controls the signs, should be configured more closely to match when the bus actually is near the sign, not a few blocks away.
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uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted agreed they should be accurate and not vague and ambiguous with no real use for the straphangers.
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The opinions expressed here are those of the individual and not those of StreetAdvisor.

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