New real-time displays that promise to be more reliable were recently installed at some of the busiest bus stops in downtown Minneapolis.
In all, 36 new LED displays were placed along the Marq2 Corridor, where customers board dozens of express and limited stop routes. The Marq2 Corridor, a several block stretch of Marquette and Second avenues, is also where future METRO Orange Line customers will board.
The new displays replace 10-year-old signs that were among the first ever installed by Metro Transit.
As part of the upgrade, the new displays were also connected to fiber optic lines that will be more reliable than previous cellular connections.
"Customers will not only see sleeker looking signs, but better performance," Transit Information Manager Ben Rajkowski said.
The Marq2 improvements are part of a broader effort to expand and improve Metro Transit's network of more than 200 real-time displays. Real-time sign technicians and other support staff have been brought on to maintain and repair equipment throughout the region.
New technology that provides more accurate real-time departure predictions was also introduced in 2020. Predictions now account for changes in travel time caused by traffic and weather.
In addition, cancelled trips will no longer be displayed on real-time signs. LCD signs found along Nicollet Mall and at Bus Rapid Transit stations now also show information stop closures and detours.
"All of this is part of an ongoing effort to provide customers the most accessible, accurate and timely information we can," Rajkowski said.