Real time information provided to buses?

[Aitkenhead, Paul C.]

(With important spelling correction)

 

Something I have been thinking about. I am not an MBTA realtime developer but I follow this forum.

 

I've been riding the MBTA since 1971. Until the mid 1980's or so, when wayside signaling still prevailed on all rapid transit lines, departing platforms of feeder bus routes were sometimes fitted with white signals indicating approach of trains. Presumably, these were simply repeaters of the wayside signaling, illuminated white to mean block occupied, dark otherwise.  The purpose was to suggest to drivers of departing bus runs to tag-up a little before pulling out, and help passengers avoid near misses.

 

SAt Lechmere, for example, there was a horizontal sequence of white lights that indicated the progress of Green Line cars/trains across the viaduct from Boston. The drivers of outbound 69, 80, 87, and 88 were supposed to look at them and think about waiting a little, especially if it were Sunday or other time of infrequent service, or if had been a long time since the previous train arrival.

 

This is all gone now, and I experience quite a few near-misses trying to catch a bus upon arriving at Kendall.

 

Do the information systems on modern buses receive information in real time from a central point. Perhaps the concept could come to life again of telling bus drivers of approaching connections (train or bus) to help passengers avoid mear-misses.