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    1. Technology
    2. Passenger Info
    3. Signage and Displays

    SMART awards Connectpoint three-year contract for solar-powered real-time passenger information displays

    June 17, 2021
    Connectpoint and SMART will be working together to upgrade hundreds of bus stops along various SMART bus routes across the region.
    Related To: Connectpoint®, Inc.
    Connectpoint
    Connectpoint 60cb646de8ee2

    SMART, southeast Michigan’s regional public transit provider, has awarded Connectpoint®, a three-year contract for the installation and management of Connectpoint Digital Bus Stop® 13-inch displays. 

    The contract was awarded to Connectpoint following a competitive bidding process. 

    Connectpoint and SMART will be working together to upgrade hundreds of bus stops along various SMART bus routes across the region. With Connectpoint’ s ePaper digital displays, hundreds of bus stops will now provide riders with real-time departure and schedule information, as well as service alerts.  

    The digital ePaper displays are remotely managed by Connectpoint’s personalized content management system, CPAM®, which allows SMART to control each individual sign through one integrated platform. CPAM was specifically designed for transit use which makes operating the system easy to use on the back end and easy for riders to understand. CPAM can be accessed from any mobile device for on-the-go changes and performance visibility and can be converted into an emergency message system. 

    Connectpoint will be installing new poles for each display with a solar panel kit attached. The ePaper display can last up to 30 days on a single charge due to its low energy consumption, making it suitable for all conditions, and contributes to SMART’s eco-friendly mission. 

    This is Connectpoint’s second project for SMART. The company has already deployed 60 of the larger 32-inch displays, installed in enhanced shelters along the agency’s successful FAST routes, which travels along three of Detroit’s busiest corridors, Gratiot, Woodward and Michigan, offering limited stops to connect suburbs and downtown quickly and easily.   

    “We are delighted that our initial deployment of 32-inch Digital Bus Stops have been well-received by SMART riders, and as a result, the agency is installing hundreds of our 13-inch displays to reach more passengers,” said Rick Wood, CEO, Connectpoint. “Our digital bus stops are the most technologically advanced ePaper displays in the transit industry, providing reliable real-time information to improve a rider’s transportation experience 24/7.” 

    “Our riders want more bus stop amenities, and by adding the 13-inch ePaper digital signs to hundreds of stops is one step to improve their experience,” said Robert Cramer, deputy general manager at SMART. “Connectpoint has been a great partner on the FAST shelter screens, and we’re excited to use the smaller stop-mounted signs to bring real-time information to many more stops in our system.”