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| Weird WMATA Sign Readings (99468) | |
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| (99478) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by Scrabbleship on Sun Jun 1 17:35:35 2008, in response to Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by Scrabbleship on Sun Jun 1 14:23:55 2008. For the record, when I exited said S4 at Park Road (since it was one of those bizarre, surreal rides), the destination reading had been changed to the normal Federal Triangle. Weird. |
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| (99481) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 17:55:43 2008, in response to Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by Scrabbleship on Sun Jun 1 14:23:55 2008. Probably just a mistake on the part of the bus operators. The way WMATA has their route numbers/destination codes setup allows for total flexibility. Unlike other transit agencies, the route designation and destination operate independently of each other. I always liked this because as routes change WMATA doesn't have to make changes to the signs on the buses, except in cases of a new destination, like the National Harbor. The route portion can display up to 4 alpha-numberic and/or special characters. The destination portion displays all of WMATA's destinations and P/R messages.That said, when a WMATA bus operator puts up a sign he/she must enter the route designation and the destination code separately. Here's some examples of the flexibility of WMATA's signs.     This one I don't get at all.  The one seemed to be upset   |
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| (99483) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by PATransit on Sun Jun 1 18:27:47 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 17:55:43 2008. HOBB SPECIAL? WOLF TRAP? wtf lol I didnt know they had white colored signs |
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| (99490) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 18:47:38 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by PATransit on Sun Jun 1 18:27:47 2008. That sign on 4212 was some sort of experiment about 3-4 years ago. It's hard to tell in the photo, but it also had a destination sign on the drivers side. 4212 was delivered with the hard-to-read vultron signs like it's sisters and all have since been retrofitted with the orange signs. I don't know what the HOBB was, but the bus was doing a charter. Wolf Trap is a performing arts center in NoVA (Vienna) and WMATA operate shuttles when they have events there. |
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| (99495) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by Dr. Casca on Sun Jun 1 18:56:20 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 17:55:43 2008. LACMTA does the separate route number/destination thing too...always found that weird...--Dr. C |
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| (99497) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by Thehat on Sun Jun 1 19:00:53 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by Dr. Casca on Sun Jun 1 18:56:20 2008. When I worked for Academy, I put ADD in the run box of a NJT NovaRTS. |
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| (99538) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by flyerD40LFR9710 on Sun Jun 1 20:13:03 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 17:55:43 2008. Just the other week, many buses that were assigned to the Air Show shuttles at Andrews had sign problems. Somebody thought it was a good idea to program in Air Show information into each of the buses Clever Devices system which screwed up the database. Most of the buses assigned were out of Montgomery, Bladensburg, and such and the signs had said NOT IN SERVICE no matter what you did. Even setting the signs manually did nothing. Some buses had working signs, but the route numbers were screwed. For example, a few buses had 383 (83), 292 (C2), 552 (Z8). The problem was fixed a week or so after the show. Yeah. I've seen my share of weird sign readings. As for the National Harbor one, there still hasn't been an NH1 route programmed into the Clever Devices system as its own route. It's under the TTT thing. I still have no idea what the heck is with TTT. |
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| (99590) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 22:51:40 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by flyerD40LFR9710 on Sun Jun 1 20:13:03 2008. I didn't go to the air show this year, but in the past I've seen the buses display various things like "NOT IN SERVICE", "SHUTTLE", "0" and even "AAFB" and "AAFB SHUTTLE". Once on a red line outage, I saw some of the shuttle buses display "RED SHUTTLE". |
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| (99593) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 22:54:43 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by Dr. Casca on Sun Jun 1 18:56:20 2008. I think it's the way to go. Now, it was odd in era of curtain destination signs. WMATA buses carried four-curtain signs which I think was a bit much. |
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| (99601) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by mr_brian on Sun Jun 1 23:03:38 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by Dr. Casca on Sun Jun 1 18:56:20 2008. I remember seeing LACMTA "NOT IN SERVICE" buses but with the route numbers still be displayed when I was out in LA in '03.NYC will never catch on. |
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| (99617) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by The Port of Authority on Sun Jun 1 23:35:42 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by mr_brian on Sun Jun 1 23:03:38 2008.  
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| (99619) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 23:41:57 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by The Port of Authority on Sun Jun 1 23:35:42 2008. I think NYCTA needs this type of setup more than any agency. |
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| (99718) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by R36 #9346 on Mon Jun 2 17:42:51 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 23:41:57 2008. Then again, many NYCTA routes have one or more endpoints which are unique to the route. Then there are corridors where multiple routes serve the same terminal areas, but have different ways of getting there (i.e. the Flushing-Jamaica corridor: Q17 via 188th, Q20/44 via Main, Q25/34 via KissPar, Q65 via 164th).You may recall that Green Bus Lines received 50 Orion 5's built to WMATA specs, including the Vultron signs. I once saw a dest. sign reading list for the signs. Like their WMATA counterparts, they used a separate Route/Dest configuration. The driver had to enter one code for the route, and another for the destination. |
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| (99738) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by WayneJay on Mon Jun 2 19:01:08 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by R36 #9346 on Mon Jun 2 17:42:51 2008. Then again, many NYCTA routes have one or more endpoints which are unique to the route. Then there are corridors where multiple routes serve the same terminal areas, but have different ways of getting there (i.e. the Flushing-Jamaica corridor: Q17 via 188th, Q20/44 via Main, Q25/34 via KissPar, Q65 via 164th).You may recall that Green Bus Lines received 50 Orion 5's built to WMATA specs, including the Vultron signs. I once saw a dest. sign reading list for the signs. Like their WMATA counterparts, they used a separate Route/Dest configuration. The driver had to enter one code for the route, and another for the destination. I agree that NYCTA routes largely does not have lots of "shared" terminal points. Even with those TA routes with different branches... those could be programmed in not much different from the current setup. The difference is that the route number would come separately, which again allows for more flexibility. Yes, I quite familiar with the WMATA rejects. Yes, the B/O has to enter the route and destination separately, which I guess it does make a bit more work for the B/O. However, when route changes (and new routes) are made, as long as the destination already exists the TA wouldn't have to update the signs on all of the buses. My point is that currently when NYCTA creates a new route or make destination changes to an existing route, they have to update the signs on all of the buses. If the route number and destination had separate codes they would only need to update the signs when new destinations were added. |
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| (99740) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by The Port of Authority on Mon Jun 2 19:36:41 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Mon Jun 2 19:01:08 2008. Yes, I quite familiar with the WMATA rejects. Yes, the B/O has to enter the route and destination separately, which I guess it does make a bit more work for the B/O.Was that the reason why GBL replaced the Vultron signs on the Orion Vs with Luminator Horizons? |
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| (99763) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by WayneJay on Mon Jun 2 21:12:36 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by The Port of Authority on Mon Jun 2 19:36:41 2008. Was that the reason why GBL replaced the Vultron signs on the Orion Vs with Luminator Horizons?Those vultron signs were hard to read day or night. WMATA replaced all of theirs too. I'm guessing GBL may have done it for the same reason. |
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| (99792) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by flyerD40LFR9710 on Mon Jun 2 22:45:09 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Sun Jun 1 22:51:40 2008. The ones that get me are when an operator forgets to blank out the P/R codes. I've seen my share of J2s and such with EXPRESS P/R messages after coming off the J7/J9 runs. |
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| (99886) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by R36 #9346 on Tue Jun 3 14:34:09 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Mon Jun 2 21:12:36 2008. Not really. Those Vultron signs were difficult to maintain, and they were frequently broken.Though I wonder who, between the two of them, changed theirs to LED first. I'm thinking it was Green. |
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| (99888) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by R36 #9346 on Tue Jun 3 14:42:21 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Mon Jun 2 19:01:08 2008. Now, another question. Would the B/O have to manually navigate the menus to find letters other than A through F? I doubt that it would be easy to display a route like BxM7A in the separate route/dest. format.I suppose that the existing format is what the veteran operators are used to. Then again, the destination sign is programmed by the FAREBOX! How would they manage to do that if they went to seperate route/dest. codes? |
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| (99899) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by Kriston Lewis on Tue Jun 3 15:54:28 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by Dr. Casca on Sun Jun 1 18:56:20 2008. If only they found a way to deal with that awkward space before the route number. |
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| (99952) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by W.E.S. on Tue Jun 3 20:55:51 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by R36 #9346 on Tue Jun 3 14:34:09 2008. Yep, Green did. Infact Fairfax Connector which got some of the WMATA rejects had their Vultron signs replaced before WMATA did theirs. |
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| (99973) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by WayneJay on Tue Jun 3 22:36:57 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by R36 #9346 on Tue Jun 3 14:42:21 2008. In the case of the BxM4A/4B and BxM7A that would be a problem because they're five characters and the WMATA setup can only accomodate four characters for the route. I haven't actually paid close enough attention to them keying in the route code. Often when a bus arrives at a starting point as NIS or another route, I have noticed that the bus operator manages to put up the next reading pretty quickly. I'm guessing it's not too cumbersome. If they get a qwerty keyboard type of screen, then I see how it's a rather easy and quick task.You make a good point about the TA now using the farebox to enter route codes. I actually think NYCTA's codes makes sense. Unfortunately they have a lot of overflow with Manhattan routes. So, yes, I guess this wouldn't work for the TA, if they wanted to continue setting the destination sign from the farebox. |
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| (100053) | |
Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings |
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Posted by flyerD40LFR9710 on Wed Jun 4 13:26:50 2008, in response to Re: Weird WMATA Sign Readings, posted by WayneJay on Tue Jun 3 22:36:57 2008. WMATA would have a time if they integrated the farebox into the destination sign. They already had problems when they integrated it into the Orbital AVL system. In theory, if the operator logs into the farebox, the radio would register it and log into the system. Last September, the day after Labor Day, the radio system had konked out meaning the fareboxes wouldn't work as well. Since then, I believe they seperated the two components. Also, the Clever Devices system sets up the signs automatically. As for NYCMTA, how does their logins work. I know we use 6 digit route codes. |
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