Center for Urban Transportation Research (USA) – DESIGNING PRINTED TRANSIT INFORMATION MATERIALS 2008

Description

This FDOT/USDOT-funded guide from the Center for Urban Transportation Research compiles best practices for designing hand-held printed transit materials for fixed-route bus services (excluding signage, online tools, rail, and non-English materials). It outlines publication fundamentals—typefaces, recommended sizes (10–16 pt), case, contrast, paper finish, and ADA accommodations—and packaging options (ride guides, pamphlets, system brochures). The guide defines trip-planning stages and the roles of system maps, route maps, and schedules. System map styles (GIS overlay, semi-schematic, full schematic) and design choices for color, legends, insets, landmarks, and transfer points are explained. Route maps should match system colors and show alignments, variations, timepoints, and key stops. Schedules adopt a two-tier approach: Tier 1 detailed tabular timetables (group direction on one page, horizontally aligned timepoints, 12-hour clock with AM/PM distinction, clear day labels, readable spacing) and Tier 2 headway-based summaries for span/frequency. Guidance covers frequent-service handling, concise user instructions, checklists, design trade-offs, and references a technical memorandum for details.