Anyone that has visited City Hall recently might have a noticed several new high-tech informations kiosks placed throughout the building. They're about the height of a person, feature a touchscreen interface and are able to provide a wealth of information about the building and its services.
The City enlisted the help of two tech firms—Calgary-based YouRhere and Transit Screen, a company that operates out of the United States—to assist with the project. The former created the transit screen that's located close to the building's entrance. The unit provide real-time information on transit services like the TTC, Go Transit and Bike Share Toronto.
Each kiosk also has a variety of accessibility features built-in—the electronic directory, for instance, is able to lower its menu when someone in a wheelchair attempts to operate it—and both support a variety of languages, including English, French and Spanish.
"The City has been focusing on enhancing customer service and providing smart transportation information to residents and businesses for some time," says Natasha Hinds Fitzsimmins, a spokesperson for the City of Toronto. "The introduction of the Interactive Electronic Directory and Transit Screen technology pilots at City Hall is a key component of that work."
According to Fitzsimminis, the City plans to test each of the kiosks over the course of the next year. During this time, it will look for ways to refine the information that each unit provides and solicit feedback from the general public. Once that process is done, it will hold a competitive bid process to find a company that will the necessary transit data and units.