I figured that it'd be nice to let people know when the bus is supposed to be there. So, I installed a 28" display on a monitor stand, installed the stand on my window frame, turned the monitor to face the bus station, and show the up-to-date arrival time in a very big font (the buses have GPS; the Pi gets the real time info from the local transit authority).
This is in Montreal. Some info here [0]. And a little video [1].
[0] https://greg.technology/#bus [1] https://youtu.be/pc16oPb5zW0
Btw, from some experience spending cold winters looking at it, it flickers a lot by having so many screen changes, making it tiring to see the screen change so much. L'AUTOBUS - SERA - LA - DANS - 5... - MINUTES - GREG . - TECHNOLOGY. It would be easier on the eyes if it changed less often.
Thanks so much anyways!
Agreed on timing, it could be better. I'll consider skipping some of the words + make them appear slower. Thanks for the suggestion!
No, just kidding, I am in France but the idea is awesome. Simply fantastic.
P.S. does the transit authority offer an API or is this prone to breaking when they change their page layout?
[edit: I just read about the rumor on your webpage. Clarifies.]
As many other transit authorities, the STM [0] offers "GTFS" data (a standard feed format for transit info) [1].
Mucking around STM's public site, you'll also see the schedule information go by if you inspect the network requests. From what I've seen, their API endpoints are stable, reliable and fast. I've had to do ~2 updates in >1 year of service.
[0] http://stm.info/en [1] http://www.stm.info/en/about/developers
[ edit: that rumor is just a rumor :-) ]
Lots of people use app so when the bus is about to arrive the bus station will suddenly get busy and full of people.
I wanted to do something similar to try and reinvent the old/ugly/hard-to-parse televisions scattered around the DC metro.
Awesome public service with the Pi bus times though, love it!
Nicely done. Hopefully the construction there will end soon, too.
Also, paper schedules have been part of all stops here for a long time. Considering that the buses are pretty reliable, the paper schedule typically does the job. And you can always use the transit authority's website or one of the many mobile apps to see if there's an unexpected delay.
Well, I just don't recall when I saw a public transport stop that does not have the digital sign here in the Netherlands. The paper version is always provided as well. But I suspect that it works like this in large cities only.
In any case, one of the neat things about the Pi sign is that it works for everyone (whether you have a phone or not), and is part of the urban landscape. You can use your phone for more important things, or just leave it alone a few minutes while you wait. :)
