Bergamo, Italy launches a network of wayfinding totems with dynamic transport information

On 21 September 2015, Giorgio Gori, the Mayor of Bergamo, Italy, officially presented the new network of information totems installed in the area around Piazzale Marconi, the largest transport interchange in the city of Bergamo. The project was sponsored by ATB Mobility, and delivered with the support of Steer Davies Gleave.

The ultimate goal for the project was to facilitate the use of the different public transport services available in Piazzale Marconi. Thanks to the wayfinding system implemented on the signs, the public can now easily access the latest information on transport services and move confidently through the interchange and to the key destinations in the surrounding area.

Before proceeding to the design, the project team conducted a study to determine the direction of pedestrian flows, to establish the optimal positions for the structures and to define the information requirements for each sign. A total of five totems were then installed. Two of them have static information bearing maps of the intermodal hub and urban services departing from Bergamo train station; the other three also include a digital element providing dynamic information such as urban and rural bus times, tram timetables and regional rail services and connections to the local airport.

The system also supports the display of a range of live information: road traffic conditions on major roads and highways of the city, public transport fares and special offers, average waiting times (e.g. taxis, luggage storage, etc.), availability of rentals (bike sharing, car sharing, bike and car rental, etc.), local initiatives and events as well as weather conditions. The totems also include Wi-Fi beacons for the free public Wi-Fi network.

The system is based on the "E015 Digital Ecosystem", a digital networking environment for the development of integrated software applications, supported by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Lombardy Region, the Province and the city of Milan and EXPO 2015. The “E015 Digital Ecosystem" has the objective of promoting the standardisation and dissemination of information on shared and interoperable protocols.
EXPO 2015 has contributed to the project by integrating the technology platform of services for the event (Expo Service Delivery Platform) and making it accessible to all partners.

During the opening ceremony, Alexander Redondo, President of ATB, reiterated that "with this project ATB continues in investment policy and the development of services, confirming its position as a leading company in the local area in the field of mobility". Stefano Zenoni, Councillor for Mobility for the city of Bergamo, emphasised how the information totems have turned Piazzale Marconi into an “intermodal hub, until now, never fully realised. The signs will create the largest open-air station at the confluence of rail, bus, tram, rural buses and taxi services”.