One day last summer, MIT students with clipboards asked hundreds of people waiting for the Red Line at South Station what they thought of the T. When they returned the next day and asked the same questions, they found customers had become happier overnight.
The stations were no cleaner, the trains no faster. What changed? The MBTA had activated countdown clocks overnight, providing predictions in minutes of when the next trains should arrive.
Comments
I'd be happy if the T would train it's Operators not to be rude, and carry on as if they don't have a very good union job with very good hours, pay, and benefits. Also, hire cops that aren't bullies and thugs. T Police have a better base pay rate than the BPD. I was once woke up to being maced after working a double shift and falling asleep at Harvard Square Station at two PM! Classy..
I think for the price, the T does a good job moving people around. This new digital system is a great enhancement; Wash DC has had it for years and I was excited to learn of its deployment in Boston. But no matter what the T does, in many riders' minds, it will never be good enough, until the subway cars provide pickup/dropoff curb service at their homes. So I will expect to see a rash of complaints in the Replies to this article.
Not doing too good a job today. Green Line shut down by a fire. Red Line slowed to a crawl by the usual frequent disabled trains.
Wow! The MBTA is finally entering the 20th century! Other transit systems worldwide have had this for over 10-15 years. They also have public announcement systems you can actually understand. The MBTA also managed to develop a multi-million dollar fare system that encourages fraud and evasion. All they had to do was borrow working systems already in place in most major cities. But let's face it--they can change the names but MR. BULGER'S TRANSIT SYSTEM is alive and well.
Sorry-I meant MR BULGER'S TRANSIT AUTHORITY.
I'd like to know when these clocks are actually going to kick in at Green Street and Stony Brook - very annoyed that those clocks do not display the time to next train when they do on the rest of the system.
Loving this. How about buses at least at the major stops?
Chicago has had this system in place for years. Clear sound and accurate. Both verbal announcements and digital signs.