The City of Valparaiso’s Transit Department has introduced six digital signs, placed throughout the city at major bus stops, including the downtown Michigan Avenue transfer station, HealthLinc, Town & Country, Housing Opportunities, ValPLAYso and the Harre Union at Valparaiso University. The new solar-powered signs, made by Soofa, provide route and real-time bus arrival data, along with local news and events,” said Beth Shrader, Valparaiso’s Transit and Planning Director. “The Soofa signs make riding the V-Line even more convenient. We encourage people to go car free and see how easy it is to use Valpo Transit,” she said.
The Soofa signs are being used by smart cities coast to coast to keep riders and the public informed of transit and other news. In addition, the signs detect foot traffic, providing insight into the use of public space in Valparaiso. They feature a cloud-based content management system which makes it easy for the City to provide valuable news in real time. The signs are funded primarily through a transit signage grant through the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. Ultimately, ad space on the signs may generate additional funding to support transit.
The colorful Soofa signs feature new City of Valparaiso branding. Valparaiso Transit offers three public transit options currently, including the V-Line intracity bus, the South Shore Connect Shuttle to and from the Dune Park South Shore Train Station, and the ValpoDash express commuter bus from downtown Valparaiso to downtown Chicago. To learn more about each service, including schedules and tickets, visit ValpoTransit.com.