“This isn’t the biggest thing that has ever been done by the MBTA, but it’s really important to us that [the information is] visible to our customers,” said David Block-Schachter, the T’s chief technology officer. “We want our customers to know that we are working for them, and this type of information can improve everyone’s experience.”

Officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said Wednesday that they plan to throw the switch this week on an LED signboard at the busy transit hub that will alert riders to the arrival of buses bound for the Orange Line’s Ruggles Station.

Passengers waiting patiently for a bus at Dudley Station in Roxbury will no longer be left guessing when their ride will arrive.


For now, just one of the LED boards will light up with information about buses coming and going to the station. In the weeks to come, officials from the transit agency plan to turn on signs at the other berths at Dudley, as well.

“We want to make sure we have enough of a period of time that there are no issues,” Block-Schachter said.

David Barker, deputy director of operations technology at the MBTA, said the addition of bus arrival information at the station was easily done using existing technology.

The LED signboards were already at Dudley, but have been primarily used to alert passengers about emergencies or to make other public service announcements.

In 2012, the T introduced train arrival information on LED signs at South Station as part of a pilot project. They eventually rolled out the project systemwide, most recently along the Green Line’s D branch, and stations between Kenmore and Lechmere.

“We know how successful these countdown signs have been throughout the heavy rail [train] system, and how effective they are,” said Barker.


The sign information at Dudley is one part of a larger strategy by the MBTA to bring service information about buses and other modes of transit to as many customers as possible, according to officials. That plan includes the installation of digital screens that will feature both advertisements and bus and train service alerts.

“In the future, we envision real time bus information will be shown on large digital panels that will be installed as part of our advertising contract,” said T spokesman Joe Pesaturo in an e-mail.

Steve Annear can be reached at steve.annear@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.