Public transit is often a central means of transportation.
More than often, however, buses or subways are delayed unexpectedly due to
traffic and not everyone utilizes available public transportation because they
lack knowledge on bus schedules or routes. Furthermore, as technology
increasingly advances we’re forced with a surplus of outdated gadgets that no
longer have a function in society. Old iPads or recycled cellphones could be
embedded into bus stop signs (or a separate tower could be built to house said
device) and they would transmit GPS locations of buses, revised daily
schedules, traffic delays, and other important updates from a city’s local
public transit center. Each GPS station would allow commuters to revise their
schedules in case of a sudden traffic jam or reschedule when they find out a
bus has been delayed or they have more time than they think.
As technology rapidly advances, we’ve gradually
attempted to find ways of recycling old technology. From cellphones embedded in
trashcans and restaurants to send of GPS locations to donating old hardware to “technologically
impoverished” communities, we’ve yet to come up with solid uses for old
gadgets. By using an outdated but still functional product practically we can
effectively feel better about our wasteful tendencies until we run out of
recycling ideas.
Furthermore, each monitor or “public transit information
servicer” will be able to instantaneously access traffic updates or bus
schedules online. One monitor might feature a Twitter feed from the public
transit headquarters detailing different bus/subway line schedule changes or
commuters could use a specific hashtag to alert other commuter of
complications. Commuters will be able to view a bus location via a live feed or
through a GPS tracker (like many Metro Buses in Los Angeles have but inside the bus...which is useless). Empowered with
instantaneous information on schedules and locations, commuters will be able to
get where they need to be on time by searching alternative routes via the same
monitors or scheduling their own means of arriving to their destination thanks
to the traffic information provided by the monitors.
This is a very useful solution that i wish more cities would adopt. Beyond GPS technology you might also want to look into RFID sensors since so much of transportation is being put underground now and days where a gps signal most likely won't work. I think one of the keys to success for this project would be to get one city to buy in and then use that city as a model. Starting with a smaller city would probably give you the best chance of success. Good utilization of twitter as a feed for travelers.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really great idea. It tackles two large issues. First the recycling of old products, and second the ability for commuters to be more efficient in their travels. I believe that it would be difficult to implement such a system into a city, but it can be done. Maybe the use of proprietary software on the old phones and things would be able to free up resources for the outdated products as well to make them run more quickly and not have to deal with the slow speed of old iphones and what not.
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea! Living in NYC i well know how annoying the delay of subway is. And what bothers me is that, i always realized the line was shutted down after I entered the subway station! There's no way i can know where the train was and how long would take the train to come to the station.
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea about recycling old phones and and ipads to build the informational network of public transit. Thats a solution for both environmental problems and transpotation problems. Cities should definitely use your idea!However, the capital for this project would remain a big key factor of it's implementation.
This would be a great idea. Even just trying to get from South to Main is a hassle with all of the bus delays. Those signs with their schedules are helpful until the buses start running late for whatever reason- it would definitely be nice if they could say "at the traffic light on comstock" rather than displaying "due" for fifteen minutes. I also love that this is an eco-friendly solution! There's enough technology in the world already, there's definitely no need to manufacture more when it can be so easily repurposed. I'm sure it would be difficult to implement the system, but once it's up and running it would be so worth it.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, technology gets outdated yearly if not monthly and newer and better versions of products constantly come out. And so far we have not found a beneficial and efficient way to use the old products. Some companies like ipod will take your old ipods for a discount on a new one but they just recycle them to make new ipods and this doesn’t really help the public. Using the old gadgets like you suggest is a great way to help the general public and bring good to communities instead of companies trying to get more money.
ReplyDeleteSecondly I live in the city and hate public transportation with a passion. Everything is always late, and its impossible to figure out if you should wait for one bus or get on another depending where its stuck in traffic. I think having gps stands next to busses and trains would make everyone’s life a lot easier and better and improve transportation.