Cain – DESIGN ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE TRANSIT INFORMATION MATERIALS 2004

Description

A November 2004 CUTR study used mall-intercept testing with 180 Tampa Bay participants to evaluate how printed transit materials support trip planning. Subjects completed system-map and route-map/schedule tasks across 16 design variants testing seven elements (layout, schedule alignment, day scheduling, time formatting, POIs, road detail, legend). System maps performed well: mean route-identification was 1.92/2, 93.6% identified both routes, and mean time was 95s. Route map/schedule tasks were weaker: mean score 6.39/8, mean time 234s; 73.2% located all four stops but only 55.6% identified all four times and nearly half failed to pick required bus times. Major errors arose in stage 4–5 (finding correct schedule section, AM/PM, day tables) and in switching between map and schedule. Separating day-specific schedules (Saturday on a separate sheet) significantly improved time selection. Vertical alignment increased accuracy but was less preferred. Recommendations: separate day schedules, clearer AM/PM and transfer/POI labeling, larger fonts, co-locate map and schedule, explore alternatives to tabular timetables, develop prototypes/manuals, and provide public instruction. Demographic and procedural factors (gender, ethnicity, age, education, income, interviewer, timing) influenced performance; two-thirds reported increased confidence and ~18% said they’d use transit more.