Transit: Viva answers
Viva is a transit system, part of the York Region Transit authority, that runs buses north of Toronto. The bus fleet of Viva consist of some of the newest buses to run in Canada. They set themselves apart from your average transit buses with their LED schedule displays at each stop (which are 90% accurate to the minute), clean buses and shelters, honour system ticketing (no need to display a ticket unless a ticket agent checks), and voice announcements in the buses.
Just to put this into perspective, the newest TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) buses have none of those qualities, except perhaps the odd clean bus in the morning.
The most interesting item for me was the voice announcer - although very close, it didn't sound human. I wasn't quite sure that it wasn't a recording until it bumbled on "...York Region Transitt Routes." It raced through "Transit" and the 't' was emphasized too much.
I wanted to know more about this system. How was the TTS system implemented? Was it based on VoiceXML (a perfect application for it, by the way). Given that the Viva website didn't explain the process, and I wanted to know more about the Viva system in general, I sent the following questions (responses lie underneath):
1) The voice in the VIVA bus sounds like it is generated dynamically using some kind of TTS (Text-To-Speech) engine. Is it VoiceXML based? Who developed it for VIVA?
The voice used on the Viva buses is TTS and was developed by INIT (Innovation and Technology) out of Germany.
2) How do the VIVA stops know that the bus is no longer 'Due' and has passed? Is there a wireless receiver that obtains a signal from the bus?
Viva buses are equipped with a transmitter that sends departure information to the Control Centre after leaving a Viva stop. Control
Centre then sends converted information to the VMS display at the Viva stop.
3) I noticed that the VIVA system along Highway 7 crashed last week, and the displays went blank for the whole day. What happened?
A bug during a software upgrade caused this problem. It was subsequently repaired over the weekend.
4) Why are the metal benches in VIVA shelters sloped? They are uncomfortable to sit on.
The benches in Viva shelters were sloped to prevent people from loitering in the shelters.
5) Why were VIVA bus shelters not covered in tinted glass? Not only do they provide no shelter at all from the sun, but the glass design doesn't seem to be able to provide any shelter during cold winter months.
Unlike other transit shelters, the new Viva shelters contain a fare vending machine. The fare machine is inside the shelter so that passengers can use it under cover. The large opening in the front of the shelters is intended to make it easier for people to use the fare machine while others are moving into and out of the shelter.
Tinted glass was not considered for safety reasons.
Since when did sloped benches deter loiters? No wonder no one sits on them... they're more uncomfortable than the vertical cement posts that protect the shelters from vehicles. Give me a break!
As for the shelter design, you can take a look at a Viva shelter from this album.
The trick with creating structures for public use is to balance design and utility, creating a useful yet attractive space. These shelters were not built with the public in mind, that's for sure.
Just look at the positioning of those glass panes. If the wind is blowing towards the front of the shelter in winter, the snow may hit the glass panes, but the huge gaps and slope will funnel it right into the shelter. That, combined with the angled steel benches, and you're standing in the worst structure around. Even the TTC bus shelters, of which the newest batch are advertising hubs, shield you better from the elements. I wouldn't sleep in those if I was homeless.
Next are the glass panes themselves. This time, picture a hot sunny day, with no clouds in the sky and the sun beating down on you. Again, Viva bus shelters offer no shelter at all, with crystal clear glass being all that stands between you and the summer glare. Go to any shelter and I can almost guarantee that the people there are actually hiding behind the metal ticket machine, rather than cooking themselves in those glass terrariums.
The Viva folks seem concerned about safety, but I don't think they have tried hard enough to cater to their customers in this case. Surely, adding a strong tint to the upper half of the windows would not compromise the safety of those inside the shelter. You can still see the person's feet and you can damn well hear any screams or yelling from the giant openings, if it ever came to that. Tinting barely affects visibility from the inside-out, so the excuse that people's field of view would be compromised is just weak.
I wasn't expecting such a timely and detailed response in the first place, so I guess I have to give Viva praise for that. They could stand for some improvement in their other areas though.
If you're interested in learning more about the brains behind much of Viva's transit innovations, take a look at INIT's website.
Just to put this into perspective, the newest TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) buses have none of those qualities, except perhaps the odd clean bus in the morning.
The most interesting item for me was the voice announcer - although very close, it didn't sound human. I wasn't quite sure that it wasn't a recording until it bumbled on "...York Region Transitt Routes." It raced through "Transit" and the 't' was emphasized too much.
I wanted to know more about this system. How was the TTS system implemented? Was it based on VoiceXML (a perfect application for it, by the way). Given that the Viva website didn't explain the process, and I wanted to know more about the Viva system in general, I sent the following questions (responses lie underneath):
1) The voice in the VIVA bus sounds like it is generated dynamically using some kind of TTS (Text-To-Speech) engine. Is it VoiceXML based? Who developed it for VIVA?
The voice used on the Viva buses is TTS and was developed by INIT (Innovation and Technology) out of Germany.
2) How do the VIVA stops know that the bus is no longer 'Due' and has passed? Is there a wireless receiver that obtains a signal from the bus?
Viva buses are equipped with a transmitter that sends departure information to the Control Centre after leaving a Viva stop. Control
Centre then sends converted information to the VMS display at the Viva stop.
3) I noticed that the VIVA system along Highway 7 crashed last week, and the displays went blank for the whole day. What happened?
A bug during a software upgrade caused this problem. It was subsequently repaired over the weekend.
4) Why are the metal benches in VIVA shelters sloped? They are uncomfortable to sit on.
The benches in Viva shelters were sloped to prevent people from loitering in the shelters.
5) Why were VIVA bus shelters not covered in tinted glass? Not only do they provide no shelter at all from the sun, but the glass design doesn't seem to be able to provide any shelter during cold winter months.
Unlike other transit shelters, the new Viva shelters contain a fare vending machine. The fare machine is inside the shelter so that passengers can use it under cover. The large opening in the front of the shelters is intended to make it easier for people to use the fare machine while others are moving into and out of the shelter.
Tinted glass was not considered for safety reasons.
Since when did sloped benches deter loiters? No wonder no one sits on them... they're more uncomfortable than the vertical cement posts that protect the shelters from vehicles. Give me a break!
As for the shelter design, you can take a look at a Viva shelter from this album.
The trick with creating structures for public use is to balance design and utility, creating a useful yet attractive space. These shelters were not built with the public in mind, that's for sure.
Just look at the positioning of those glass panes. If the wind is blowing towards the front of the shelter in winter, the snow may hit the glass panes, but the huge gaps and slope will funnel it right into the shelter. That, combined with the angled steel benches, and you're standing in the worst structure around. Even the TTC bus shelters, of which the newest batch are advertising hubs, shield you better from the elements. I wouldn't sleep in those if I was homeless.
Next are the glass panes themselves. This time, picture a hot sunny day, with no clouds in the sky and the sun beating down on you. Again, Viva bus shelters offer no shelter at all, with crystal clear glass being all that stands between you and the summer glare. Go to any shelter and I can almost guarantee that the people there are actually hiding behind the metal ticket machine, rather than cooking themselves in those glass terrariums.
The Viva folks seem concerned about safety, but I don't think they have tried hard enough to cater to their customers in this case. Surely, adding a strong tint to the upper half of the windows would not compromise the safety of those inside the shelter. You can still see the person's feet and you can damn well hear any screams or yelling from the giant openings, if it ever came to that. Tinting barely affects visibility from the inside-out, so the excuse that people's field of view would be compromised is just weak.
I wasn't expecting such a timely and detailed response in the first place, so I guess I have to give Viva praise for that. They could stand for some improvement in their other areas though.
If you're interested in learning more about the brains behind much of Viva's transit innovations, take a look at INIT's website.
posted by Matt at 10:08 p.m.
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