Trip-planning touchscreens now installed at 54 TransLink hubs and stations

A network of dynamic touchscreens that provide public transit riders with helpful trip-planning information has grown to 54 locations at major TransLink hubs across Metro Vancouver.

TransLink states it has completed the installation of the touchscreens at select SkyTrain and West Coast Express stations, SeaBus terminals, bus exchanges, and park-and-ride facilities.

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

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Notifications such as service delays or elevator maintenance can also be displayed on these touchscreens.

This project of installing the touchscreens first began in Spring 2019. The entire cost — acquiring the equipment and installation, and the ongoing operational and maintenance costs — are completely covered by TransLink’s advertising contractor Lamar. There is zero cost to the public transit authority, with Lamar recovering its costs by displaying advertisements when the touchscreens are not in use by passengers.

Touchscreen at a SkyTrain station. (TransLink)

“Getting our customers information in the right time and the right place is a priority for us at TransLink,” said Steve Vanagas, the vice president of customer communications and public affairs for TransLink, in a statement.

“These digital touchscreen kiosks give our customers access to real-time information as they are moving through the system. It’s a technology upgrade that helps make journeys simpler, more seamless and more informative.”

These touchscreens are just one of many projects and strategies under TransLink’s multi-faceted Customer Experience Action Plan of introducing new and improved passenger amenities and creature comforts onto the public transit system.

TransLink states its future communications improvements include better transit alert texts and audio announcement upgrades, and expanding real-time digital information displays.

Other major passenger experience improvement strategies include a major upgrade to the Compass and fare gate system and the introduction of public washrooms.

You might also like:
• TransLink to explore new Compass system, public washrooms, and bus shelters
• TransLink putting big new emphasis on customer service moving forward
• TransLink to build multi-stall public washrooms at six busy locations
• TransLink to double bus service, including 9 new Bus Rapid Transit lines
• Bike Bus: TransLink retrofits 4 buses by removing seats for bike racks
• TransLink planning $216-million upgrade of Compass and fare gate system