Watson – NEW ROUTES, OUTDATED SIGNS 2005

Description

Ian Watson applauds Strætó’s bold redesign of Reykjavík’s bus routes but argues the system’s information design undermines its usefulness. Printed “time charts” are compact but hard to read: passengers must deduce direction, locate adjacent stops, and interpret changing headways (e.g., 20 vs. 30 minutes at evening transitions), tasks that demand local knowledge and mental effort—and frustrate tourists, elderly, or disabled users. The web trip planner is improved but impractical at a stop. Watson recommends practical, low-cost remedies used elsewhere in Europe: stop-specific timetables posted at each shelter and printable online, consistent stop names displayed and announced, and a clear “you are here” marker on timetables. He cautions that digital arrival displays, while attractive, should follow these basics. Implementing these measures would cost little compared with vehicle and labor expenses and would likely boost ridership. Watson cites further resources and identifies himself as a social sciences lecturer contributing constructive criticism.