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| The Port Authority of NY & NJ needed a system that would quickly and efficiently allow passengers to determine which AirTrain to take in order to reach their desired destination. The signage needed to be easily read at a distance, and detailed messages needed to be built in such a way that international visitors could easily understand them. |
DSE 2010 Apex Gold Award - Transportation: The Port Authority of NY & NJ
NOMINEE: The Port Authority of NY & NJ, New York
NOMINATING COMPANY: Tightrope Media Systems, St. Paul, Minn.
CATEGORY: Transportation
PROJECT: Digital signage provides ready information to AirTrain monorail passengers
OVERVIEW
The Port Authority of NY & NJ recently deployed hundreds of digital signage players throughout its AirTrain monorail system that travels between the terminals, rental car facility, long term parking, and the train and subway systems at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
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| In order to provide up-to-the minute information, Tightrope Media Systems had to modify its Carousel content management software to interface directly with SCADA, the Port Authority’s supervisory control and data acquisition system. |
The company uses Carousel by Tightrope Media Systems to deliver information to passengers about which train is going to which terminal, the route it is taking, which doors are opening, when the train will be arriving and more. Additionally, interactive kiosks powered by Carousel were installed at key locations to guide passengers to their ultimate destinations.
OBJECTIVES
The objective was to build a system that would quickly and efficiently allow the passengers to determine which AirTrain to take in order to reach their desired destination.
When a passengers steps onto the platform, he needs to quickly decide which side of the track to board. Depending on the train, it could be headed toward the terminals, to the parking lots — or the passenger might find himself going around in circles via the “Inner Loop” train, which travels counterclockwise and only makes stops at the terminals.
Utilizing printed documents and LED screens that could only offer limited information, it was difficult for a passenger to quickly determine which train to take. Digital signage was the perfect solution.
CHALLENGES
In order to provide up-to-the minute information, it was apparent that Carousel would need to interface directly with SCADA (the supervisory control and data acquisition) system in use by the Port Authority. Response would need to be nearly instantaneous, and it was clear that modifications would need to be made to Carousel in order to work as intended with the AirTrain system.
The signage system also needed emergency override capability for unforeseen conditions. Additionally, the signage needed to be designed in such a way as to be easily read at a distance, and detailed messages needed to be built in such a way that international visitors could easily understand them.
SOLUTIONS
On a screen mounted just above the boarding doors, the viewer sees the route, destination and services available at each stop. In an effort to guide all passengers more effectively, there was a balance between pictorials and verbiage. Terminals, parking lots and other stations are all color coded and consistently used throughout the airport.
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| As the trains travel between stations, AirTrain sends out real-time train status updates via XML data, which then triggers various graphics to appear on screen. |
As the trains travel between stations, AirTrain sends out real-time train status updates via XML data, which then triggers various graphics to appear on screen. It was necessary to devise a naming convention that would link the XML train data to the associated graphics. By conforming to a standard naming document, The Port Authority was able to proceed writing the XML data, while Tightrope Media Systems was simultaneously creating graphics and making custom changes to the software.
RESULTS
Not more than 10 minutes into the testing of the system, AirTrain passengers exited the train and immediately turned to the digital displays for information. At this time, the system had not yet officially been launched. There were no advertisements or instructions. The passengers intuitively knew what to do with the information provided — in fact, they were drawn to it.