Sunday, May 08, 2005

How do you like your PIDs?

Tram stop PIDs display arrival information in route number order, much like this:


An alternative is to display information in arrival time order, like this:



I much prefer the latter.

Particularly when the trip can be made on several routes (eg many within the CBD) the route number matters less than time to the next tram. In streets used by many routes, you also do not have to wait for the display to scroll to identify which tram will come next.

Listings in order of departure time are common at airports, where a single CRT may list details for ten or more services. Such displays are also used at Spencer Street Station for country services but are equally suitable for metropolitan trains.

Though abbreviated airport-style displays do not fully substitute for the existing display banks (with a seperate screen for each line) at major station entrances, they have a role in providing concise information at smaller station entry points without requiring large banks of screens.

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