Customer looks up at a flat-screen LCD monitor displaying the next bus or streetcar arrival time.

May 2010

More TTC customers began receiving real-time, reliable and relevant information about when the next two vehicles would arrive at their location with the expansion of the Next Vehicle Arrival System last month.

Mayor David Miller and TTC Chair Adam Giambrone officially rolled out the next phase of the new information system at Broadview Station on April 29.

“This is telling customers in real-time when their service will actually be there,” said Miller. “It will make a big difference to the riders that have to take two or three vehicles a day by adding more convenience to their lives.”

The NVAS allows customers to find out when their next bus or streetcar will arrive by displaying that information on either flat-screen LCD monitors at subway stations or via LED screens mounted at streetcar/bus bays and at select shelters at TTC stops.

NVAS uses Global Positioning System software. The streetcar fleet (248 vehicles) has been retrofitted with GPS equipment. The bus fleet retrofit (1,782 vehicles) continues throughout 2010. The initial rollout is focussed on streetcar stops and stations this year, while the NVAS rollout for the bus network is scheduled for 2011.

This year, the TTC is scheduled to equip 52 streetcar shelters, nine streetcar subway bays and five subway stations with LED and LCD displays. Two of the LED displays – at Broadview and Dundas West Stations – are powered by solar technology. Stations scheduled for the LCD rollout this year are: St. Clair, Bathurst, Broadview, Dundas West and Main Street.

In addition to the NVAS displays, text messaging (SMS) for up to 800 streetcar stops is scheduled to be completed in July.

“This will allow customers to obtain specific stop information for these 800 stops via wireless mobile devices. The stop arrival information will also be available via the internet,” said IT Services Project Manager Auro Cellucci.

The TTC launched the NVAS pilot in 2008 on the 510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfont streetcar routes entering Spadina and Union Stations, respectively. Both stations are currently equipped with a LED display at the streetcar bay. Spadina Station also has a LCD display.