Real-Time Bus Info Comes To Watertown, Belmont MBTA Stops

WATERTOWN, MA — Several bus stops in and around Boston, including in Watertown and Belmont, have new signs with stop-specific real-time information. The solar-powered E Ink signs are a pilot program that started on Monday.

The signs in Watertown and Belmont are two of 18 bus stops in several Boston neighborhoods as well as stops in Chelsea, Everett and Cambridge. In Watertown the new sign is located at the Watertown Square Terminal and in Belmont the sign is located on Church Street at the Lexington Street stop.

Each sign provides stop-specific information, including bus arrival times, service alerts and nearby modes or routes. The signs can also display information in the event that snow or other weather-related circumstances impact service.

The MBTA’s bus network spans more than 50 cities and towns, and is comprised of over 7,500 individual bus stops. The vast majority of stops have no direct connection to power, which creates a significant challenge to providing real-time information at bus stops. Recognizing that real-time information is among the most frequently requested amenities at bus stops, this pilot’s goal is to better understand whether this technology is a viable solution for delivering real-time information at bus stops on a larger scale.

The signs are powered entirely by solar energy, displaying real-time information through a software application built in-house by the MBTA’s Customer Technology Department. The signs are located at 18 high-ridership stops that were individually screened for sufficient solar exposure.

This pilot builds on the success of a previous effort to test several types of E Ink signs along the D Branch of the Green Line.

Bus stops involved in the pilot can be found at mbta.com/EInkMap.