What happened: TransLink is launching new devices to help commuters navigate transit system
Why it matters: Regional transit authority is partnering with private firm to cover costs of kiosks in exchange for advertising opportunities
Lost or confused transit riders in Metro Vancouver are getting their first taste of a new digital tool set to be deployed at more than 50 stations.
TransLink’s first touch-screen commuter information kiosk is launching Wednesday (May 22) at Surrey Central Station.
The device measuring about the size of a standard movie poster allows commuters to plan trips, view live transit schedules, see upcoming departure times and receive emergency messages from the regional transit authority.
TransLink plans to deploy more than 50 of these kiosks at SkyTrain stations on the Expo and Millennium lines, West Coast Express stations, SeaBus terminals, Park and Ride locations and bus loops.
Advertising licensee Lamar Advertising Company (Nasdaq:LAMR) is covering the costs of buying, installing and maintaining the kiosks.
In exchange, Lamar will be allowed to display ads on the devices when customers are not using the screens.
“We see this as a real win-win for TransLink and our customers,” TransLink CEO
Kevin Desmond said in a statement.
“Commuters will be able to access the most up-to-date transit information and plan their trips using different modes around our network. These high-tech devices come in addition to existing journey planning services already available.”
While Surrey Central Station will be home of the first kiosk, TransLink said in a release it’s in the midst of identifying other “suitable locations” at which the kiosks can be deployed in the coming months and into 2020.
