The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority plans to introduce a network of digital signs throughout the Metrorail and Metrobus systems that will display service information and advertising.
If the project proceeds on schedule, Metro plans to start piloting the new signs by the end of this year. Signs that display advertising could appear by the end of 2010.
The new signage, dubbed The Metro Channel, will supplement existing signs at all Metrorail stations. Each station will include between five and 11 of the new signs. Additionally, WMATA hopes to place a sign in each rail car, bus and select bus shelters, according to a WMATA press release.
WMATA does not yet know the cost of the system and will not pay for the installation or operation of the new signs, according to Cathy Asato, a spokeswoman for the agency.
"The cost to implement this will be [covered] by the contractor," she said. "The [operating] cost will be offset by the ad revenue."
Advertisers have not had the opportunity to buy ad space on the signs yet, she said.
"We haven't put out a formal request for proposal yet," she said. "We expect this to be a pretty popular advertising space."
Asato said the signs onboard buses and trains will provide connecting train and bus information. All signs will inform riders about arrival information and service disruptions and will also display the time, weather and news, according to the press release.
Dana Fleishaker, a sophomore in the Kogod School of Business, said The Metro Channel is a good idea if WMATA does not fund it.
"If this was costing more, then it would not be worth it," she said. "However, because no cost is incurred, it's a good idea in theory."
Matt Genebach, a junior in the School of Communication, said he likes the idea.
"The Metro needs an aesthetic overhaul," he said. "I like the weather idea."
WMATA has not identified which stations will be included in the pilot program yet, but the new signs would be spread throughout the system, Asato said.
"The pilot program will include stations in all three jurisdictions [D.C., Maryland and Virginia]," she said.
Metro will use feedback received from various advisory groups during the pilot program to develop a final design for the system, according to the press release.
The new signs on board trains will be more reliable than the ones currently found in newer Metrorail cars, which frequently do not display the train's location information, Asato said.
"These will be run on a separate network," she said.
