Transit riders in Metro Vancouver will have another way to plan their trip, while riding on the public transit system.

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TransLink announced today it is installing over 50 state-of-the-art touch-screen kiosks on the SkyTrain stations of the Expo Line and Millennium Line, West Coast Express stations, SeaBus terminals, Park and Ride locations, and bus loops.

These dynamic touch screens — similar to the wayfinding screens increasingly found at shopping centres — allows commuters to plan their trips, view live transit schedules, see upcoming departure times, be alerted to updated on the network, and receive emergency messages and notifications.

This new network of screens comes at no cost to TransLink, as the complete cost of purchasing, installing, maintaining, and operating the kiosks is covered by TransLink’s advertising contractor Lamar, which will be able to display advertising on the screens when it is not being used by transit riders.

“We see this as a real win-win for TransLink and our customers,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond, 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.”

During serious emergencies, the public transit authority will be able to take over the entire screen and use the device to alert commuters of issues or delays.

The first screen has already been installed at Surrey Central Station, and the remainder will be rolled out over the coming months and through early 2020.

This is all part of the public transit authority’s to improve its communication systems with passengers.

TransLink is also already in the process of installing 140 new dynamic next train digital signs on all station platforms of the Expo and Millennium lines and 140 new digital information signs outside station entrances.

Additionally, 1,000 new speakers are being installed on the Millennium Line, the old speakers on the Expo Line are being enhanced, and 320 new speakers are being installed at designated station entrances.

Other improvements entail 1,200 new CCTV platform cameras to improve safety and security and another 265 new track cameras to reduce delays when track intrusion alarms are triggered.

There has been a significant focus on improving passenger amenities recently, including the gradual introduction of free Wi-Fi across the entire transit system from 2020 to 2025 — completely funded by Shaw — and installation of free public washrooms at major transit hubs.

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