(2009-02-21) Mta Siemens Realtime Location

The MTA has a contract with Siemens to put in systems posting next-arrival-time data (based on Real Time Location) on SubWay station boards.

Oct'2006: the MTA already paid Siemens $45 million out of the $160 million (SubWay) contract, but the agency is now looking for another contractor to finish the job... Siemens contends it will resolve the problems. "Siemens is confident that we have the solution," spokeswoman PaulaDavis said.

Dec'2007: Using the BMT Canarsie line as a staging ground for subway monitors and a few bus routes for surface monitoring, Siemens was supposed to deliver technology that would allow riders to know when the next buses and trains are coming... MTA may be gearing up to find Siemens in default... Subsidiaries of the German technology company are involved in five high-tech transit projects... "What we found with all five projects is, in our opinion, one systemic issue, and that is the schedule and the ability to deliver the work on-time," MTA Consultant Jerome Gold said to Cuza.

Sept'2008: A project to display real-time train arrival times in 152 subway stations is now behind schedule - by five years... Earlier this week, officials pushed the date back again, this time to 2011.

Also Sept'2008: Google Maps variant Google Transit recommends routes through the city, include scheduled time data.

• there's a Google TransitFeedSpecification for schedule data.

Feb05'2009: on the L-train, they are unveiling the new Train Locator Console (TLC) today.. With Computer Based Train Control (CBTC) and the related Public Address/Customer Information Screens (PA/CIS) already in place, the line had the infrastructure required to support the effort. The real-time train locations are derived from the L line's computerized operating system and then displayed for riders on the new flat-panel video terminals... The new system was developed in-house with CBTC & PA/CIS, the Electronic Maintenance Division and the Division of Stations teaming to create the interface and software on a minimal budget. The project quickly took shape under the direction of Robert Forlenza, Senior Director, and Wilson Milian, Director of the CBTC & PA/CIS TIS Applications Unit... The system could also be rolled out along other lines in the future as they are upgraded with CBTC and PA/CIS technology. So no Siemens involvement with that? And this seems like just prettier (noisier?) map presentation of the earlier "2 minutes" displays.