These street sign artists are helping Philadelphia commuters answer an age-old question: Where’s the bus?
The sign is akin to a Band-Aid on a public transportation network plagued by infrastructure issues and financial turmoil, as well as a resource for people who don’t have access to a smartphones.
While waiting for a bus earlier this year, two Philadelphia street artists who rely on public transportation diagnosed an all-too-familiar ailment: I have no idea when the bus will be here.
“No one knows when the bus is coming,” one recalled saying.
“We should really make something.”
Earlier this month, their brainchild — a solar-powered e-reader mounted into a street sign that provides bus arrival information — went live on the northeast corner of Broad Street and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia, along bus Route 64.
The device pulls real-time arrival times from publicly available data (the same dataset that feeds SEPTA’s app), according to artist Make It Weird, who engineered the rig and asked to remain anonymous because their work meanders into a legal gray area.
Their creation is inconspicuous; to passersby, it could be a road sign graffitied with a lanky bird and stalky flowers. Commuters might get closer and see it reads, “This data is unofficial. … Do not contact SEPTA.”
“We have a fundamental issue with funding transit in Pennsylvania,” Make It Weird said. “We, as citizens, often make excuses for real quality-of-life improvements that could be made by saying, ‘Well, SEPTA doesn’t have money, so quit complaining.’ We’re just saying, ‘This could be better.’”
The sign is akin to a Band-Aid on a public transportation network plagued by infrastructure issues, financial turmoil, and an ever-constricting budget, as well as a resource for people who don’t have access to a smartphone with unlimited data or SEPTA’s app, said Make It Weird and collaborator Bird, the alias for the artist whose signature statuesque and slender pink bird appears on the sign.
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“Accessibility is something that’s hugely important to me,” Bird said. “It comes from a really large place of privilege that people always assume that everyone has a phone or can look something up, and that’s just not the case. Trying to provide that kind of accessibility for everyone — I think it’s an important place to start.”
Late last month, a prototype of the device near South Philly’s Benna’s Cafe caught the attention of Conrad Benner and wound up on Streets Dept’s Instagram.
The video has garnered more than 8,500 likes; the comments section is filled with fire emojis and clapbacks at SEPTA. One commenter wrote, “This is a sincere public service. Artists are extraordinary. Septa should hire them.” Another said, “Hopefully, it doesn’t find the same fate as Hitchbot did.”
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“I’ve been really appreciative of how many people think it’s cool,” Make It Weird said. “I’ve been also really appreciative of how many people say, ‘Yeah, other cities are doing this.’”
Digital screens that feed real-time tracking information have already popped up in other major cities, like New York City and Minneapolis. But Philadelphia has been slow to adopt the tech: While a five-year, $6 million contract to install iPad-sized trackers mounted to bus stops was publicized last year, SEPTA spokesperson Kelly Greene said in an email that none of the screens have been deployed yet, citing cybersecurity.
“We recognize the importance of real-time bus tracking for our customers and will provide an update on this initiative as soon as possible,” Greene said.
Make It Weird started making goofy and whimsically mock street signs in June; all their signs are configured to meet the federal standards, they said, which helps their art meld with the monotonous “No Parking” and “Tow-Away Zone” verbiage. (One sign near City Hall said, “Stop Parking, Ride SEPTA: Fund Public Transit, Sell Your Car,” in the ubiquitous, red Highway Gothic sans-serif font. Another triptych read, “Go Birds,” “F— ICE,” and “Free Palestine,” quoting Hannah Einbinder’s bleeped Emmy acceptance speech.)
The Route 64 sign is the first in hopefully a series of 10, all featuring collaborations with other Philly artists who don’t drive.
“Transportation for all,” Bird said.
Make It Weird said, “And it’s just fun.”