Sprent, Crawshaw and Bartram – MAKING TIMETABLES EASIER TO USE 1982

Description

Transport organizations can influence patronage through the clarity and presentation of timetables; attractive, comprehensible information has been shown to increase bus and train use. Hull University researchers conducted controlled experiments (timed tasks with error analysis) to identify layout features that improve timetable usability, focusing on information extraction rather than basic legibility. Key findings: the 24‑hour clock significantly increased errors and solution times (p<.01), and even 12‑hour timetables caused confusion between am/pm—replacing am/pm with headings like “Morning/Afternoon/Evening” reduced mistakes. Layout changes that labeled axes, relocated bus numbers, added a simple strip‑map, bold separators, and clearer missed‑stop symbols aided comprehension—particularly for the general public. Long horizontal scans in standard matrix timetables produced misalignment errors; reversing the matrix (routes horizontally, times vertically) ‘‘squared’’ the layout and consistently improved speed and accuracy. Light tracing lines reduced misalignment but slowed scanning. The authors propose a reflected format as a near‑ideal design, with further refinements likely from future research.