Neighborhood News Feeds Make Waiting for the Bus More Enjoyable in Everett, MA

Just four miles north of Boston, the city of Everett has spent the last several years upgrading public transportation systems and investing in cutting edge initiatives to improve the way its community members get around.

In partnering with Soofa, Everett furthered its commitment to being a leader in smart transportation.

Source: BostonBRT.org

Soofa Signs are strategically located along Broadway at the city’s most used bus stops, delivering real-time bus arrival times to neighbors and visitors. Soofa Signs compliment the city’s recent deployment of level boarding platforms, which make boarding the bus as quick and easy as stepping into an out of a subway car.

Soofa is the neighborhood news feed that connects communities with screens that everyone can see, and anyone can use. The top 75% of the screen displays curated content from the community, the city, or local businesses while the bottom 25% shows real time transit arrival times.

Everett has embraced public transportation as a crucial element in building a sense of community and improving the experience of citizens in the outdoor public realm.  Nearly 1/4 of Everett's commuter population takes public transportation as their primary method for getting to work.

With the deployment of Soofa Signs, the city gives riders much needed real-time arrival information paired with local community content that inspires and informs.

Waiting for the bus is made more enjoyable and informative with Soofa Signs at each stop. With relevant information rotating every two minutes, transit riders will learn about local events, business offerings and specials, and see what’s happening from City Hall (from community meetings to updates on new developments and community enhancements).

“We’re excited to partner with Soofa to deploy “smart cities” elements such as these signs into the Everett streetscape. Being able to communicate more directly with our residents and visitors, sharing with them cultural information as well as practical information such as bus arrivals, will help to expand the vibrancy of our downtown.”

- Mayor Carlo DeMaria I

The energy in Everett is palpable. From the grand opening of the Encore casino on June 23, the expansion of the Blue Bikes network on June 17, and the continued growth of new mixed use developments and opening of new businesses like breweries and distilleries, Everett is the place to be. Soofa Signs will help people learn all that Everett has to offer, revealing to passerby the best local events, the unique local businesses nearby, and where to go on foot, on bike, and by bus.