Metro News Release

For immediate release: June 15, 2015

First-ever digital touchscreen displays to expand advertising opportunities in 8 Metrorail stations


72" interactive touchscreens debut with enhanced customer information, digital ads

sofi Brandywine Gradschool USA Providence

Today, Metro along with OUTFRONT Media launched a digital advertising pilot program with the debut of large, interactive touchscreens at 8 Metrorail stations.

A first for Metro, the 72” digital flat-panel screens will be wall mounted and feature an interactive HD display. The divided screen will show eight-second advertisements and provide real-time customer information, including train arrival/departure times, station maps and area maps with dynamic navigational guides. 

“We are thrilled to be working with WMATA to install these displays,” said Jeremy Male, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OUTFRONT Media.  “Digital displays  enhance the customers’ journey through way-finding and real-time information, and provide enhanced revenue opportunity for WMATA.   Relevant  and changeable ad messaging based on criteria such as time of day, weather, and other sales triggers is extremely appealing to advertisers.”

Digital advertising displays are being piloted at the following locations:

  • Gallery Place
    • 7th & F Verizon Center Entrance
    • 7th & H Chinatown Entrance
  • Metro Center
    • 11th & G Entrance
    • 13th & G Entrance
  • Farragut North
    • Connecticut Ave. & K St. Entrance
  • Farragut West
    • 18th St. & I St. Entrance
  • Foggy Bottom
     
  • Pentagon
     
  • Federal Triangle
     
  • Capitol South

“We are excited to pilot these new touchscreen displays which provide real-time passenger information in a rider-friendly design, while expanding advertising opportunities throughout the Metrorail system,” said Assistant General Manager for Customer Service, Communications and Marketing Lynn Bowersox. “WMATA advertising generates about $20 million annually in revenues that support bus and rail transportation and help keep fares affordable for riders.” 

Interactive Map
The map is interactive and will display information about a station when the user interacts with the station’s location on the map.

  • On the lower left, customers can select Metro map or Area map to display a full screen map
  • On the Left of the screen, up-to-date train and line arrival/departure times are displayed
  • By touching one of the color-coded buttons on the lower middle left of the screen, customers can select a line, to see all stations that connect to that line

Station Information
Along the bottom of the screen, station-specific information is available, including:

  • Accessibility features
  • Bus connections
  • Parking and car sharing availability
  • Bike rack and bike locker availability 

Advertisers
During the 3-6 month pilot, advertising opportunities are available for commercial ads only. Issue-oriented ads remain temporarily suspended throughout the Metrorail and bus system until the end of the year.

Advertisers for the digital displays already include:

  • Brandywine Valley 
  • Graduate School USA
  • Providence Hospital
  • Sofi

News release issued at 2:01 pm, June 15, 2015.