At the January 16 meeting of the Wharf District Council, Evan Rowe, MBTA Director of Revenue and Elizabeth Winters Ronaldson, MBTA Deputy Director of Advertising introduced plans to install Digital Urban Panels (DUP) at several MBTA transit stations including the Aquarium station located in the Wharf District.
The DUPs are double-sided screens displaying information prior to entering the station. They will be positioned over the station’s entrances.
The DUPs will provide real-time message feeds to better serve riders with information: Real Time Train Information, Maintenance & Service Alerts, Weather Alerts, Delays, MBTA Public Service Announcements, Emergency Alerts, System Construction Updates, Special Event Updates & Directions, and Advertisements.
The presentation included screen specifications, types of information to be displayed, installation timelines and how similar technology is being used in other major transportation hubs across the country.
DUPs are currently located in five locations in Boston: Back Bay, Broadway, Haymarket, Kenmore and Prudential. An additional six locations were approved in December 2017: Airport, Broadway, Courthouse, South Station, Tufts Medical and World Trade Center.
The MBTA filed applications for permits for three new locations and additions to two existing locations: Arlington, Aquarium, Back Bay, Haymarket and Park Street. The MBTA has been reaching out to the communities and holding public meetings to provide information and get feedback from the neighborhoods.
Other cities with similar programs include New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC and Miami.
The double-sided screens are 56.3 x 31.7 inches (size in mount is 59.8 x 34.6 inches). The screen resolution is 1920 x 1030 @ 120HZ, with typical power consumption: 820 W. The mount material is aluminum.
Installation of the screens is expected in late April to early May.
Does anyone know when the escalators and escalators will be fixed at the aquarium T stop??!! They haven’t worked since the storm/flooding on Jan 4th! This is an issue for anyone covered under the ADA!! Come on MBTA.