Clemmow – THE COMPREHENSIBILITY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT TIMETABLES 1981

Description

This two‑year 1981 study by Simon Clemmow examined how timetable design affects public transport use and comprehension. Preliminary interviews found many users relied on memory or staff, citing unreliable services and hard‑to‑read displays; about 77% used a finger to aid reading. Through pilots and controlled testing (416 interviews, balanced ANOVA), the research showed typographic and layout choices strongly influence accuracy and speed. Twelve‑hour formats were generally read faster than 24‑hour; a specific 12‑hour style (hours·minutes with separate am/pm column headings and full‑point separators) yielded the best performance. If 24‑hour is used, a simple four‑digit presentation is preferred. Integrating a vertical route diagram beside the matrix reduced errors for effective 12‑hour layouts, and explicit departure‑time lists produced faster answers than conventional matrices. Practical recommendations included coarser time granularity (5–10 minutes), clear date stamps, and improved production methods; industry constraints (decentralized production, printing costs) slow adoption despite benefits from photosetting and computer storage.