Your Transit Systems Identity and Wayfinding
 

How well does your transit agency brand the transit system? How do they make it recognizable for locals and tourists? How easy is it to spot your city's bus stops, transit stations and subway entrances (if applicable)? Does your city use a certain architecture or design to make stations distinctive?

Branding in Ottawa revolved around the Transitway for the last 35+ years. Here were the distinctive features;

Bus stop
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7294/8...b1d8c9e1_b.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gerarddonnelly/8741130757

Transitway logo
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...itway_logo.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:O...itway_logo.png

Red Pipping used for nearly all Transitway stations
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/74/21...ed78cf2c1f.jpg
http://spacing.ca/ottawa/2010/02/23/baseline-25/

With the Confederation Line set to open in 2018, OC Transpo worked on a new branding strategy a few years ago revolving around the "O" for OC Transpo and O-Train. Here is what they came up with;

New bus stops
https://i2.wp.com/www.westsideaction...ize=1000%2C768
http://www.westsideaction.com/new-oc...ing-rolls-out/

O-Train station entrance featuring the lightbox containing the station name and illuminated red "O"
https://ottawa.ca/sites/default/file...iam_street.jpg
https://ottawa.ca/en/rideau-street-r...lhousie-street

The above ground station designs will feature the roof sweeping towards the entrances, wood inlays in the ceilings and a sort of lattice screen around elevators that protrude over the roof.
https://ottawa.ca/sites/default/file...imisi_02_0.jpg
http://www.octranspo.com/images/file.../Pimisi_01.jpg
http://www.octranspo.com/images/file...Tunneys_01.jpg
http://www.octranspo.com/images/file...Bayview_02.jpg
http://www.octranspo.com/images/file...ns/Lees_01.jpg
http://www.octranspo.com/ready4rail

Unfortunately, Bayshore is a pretty typical bus stop sign. Too small and doesn't stand out so it's easily lost to unfamiliar users expecially on shared sign posts.

Unfortunately, Bayshore is a pretty typical bus stop sign. Too small and doesn't stand out so it's easily lost to unfamiliar users on shared sign posts.

Wayfinding signs? Must be nice.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.93560...7i13312!8i6656

vancouver translink uses a Blue T sign at stops ans stations

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/wp-conten..._Bridgport.jpg
vancitybuzz

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ntrance_01.jpg
wikimedia

http://www.officemb.ca/wp-content/up...inal_001A2.jpg
officemb.ca

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bzwh4ecQCB...rfrontsign.jpg

https://media1.fdncms.com/thecoast/i...ansit_plan.jpg
Source

Not where I live but city I work :

https://youtu.be/ig4Z6EL_KU4

Since Vancouver's been done, I'll do Winnipeg.

These are the old school, most common bus stops found at local stops:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3583/3...a81a02c77b.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thetra...7626614719079/

Then these are the ones that tend to dominate high-traffic routes and major exchanges, complete with a "next bus" display:
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/C6EXJK/univ...ada-C6EXJK.jpg
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/arch.../t-218185.html

But it looks like this is the newer version of the high-traffic, major exchange bus stops. In terms of branding, white background is regular service, while yellow is express:
http://greenactioncentre.ca/wp-conte...er-225x300.jpg
http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/show....php?p=7343261

The BRT system has a distinctive branding (note the RT circle logo at the top, in place of the striked-through T)
http://winnipegtransit.com/assets/77...ing_RRB_62.jpg
http://winnipegtransit.com/en/major-...nsit/stations/

I will add though for Vancouver, that the bus stop example at the top is more common of transit exchanges. I include it because I much prefer signs that have bus destinations on them too, not just the number. On the street, this is the model that is being phased in right now:

https://i1.wp.com/buzzer.translink.c...2015-12-01.jpg
http://buzzer.translink.ca/2015/12/n...-bus-a-breeze/

So speaking of branding, the orange background is for "B-Line" buses, which is the branding for limited-stop, high-frequency service. White is regular bus service, and dark blue is for night buses, that largely run radially from downtown between 2-5 am.

Vancouver has some buses that share the same number but split off and go to different destinations, like 17 Oak/UBC, which run along the same route for a while then split off and go east and west. This seems strange. Why not pick new numbers?

Most passengers are likely using the main trunk of the route, not the branches. In Thunder Bay and Toronto, they use letter suffixes to denote which branch the bus will end up on at the end of the trunk route, so instead of "3 City Hall" and "3 Waterfront" you'd have "3C City Hall" and "3W Waterfront". That way you can list just the route number without the name and it's still clear which route it will end up once it gets to the end of the trunk.

Thunder Bay's bus stops are green (can't link image here) and only have a four digit number, you have to use the app to know which buses go to it unless it has a panel attached (which just has a piece of paper with a spread sheet in it, nothing fancy).

These were supposed to be rolled out at busy stops and terminals but it never happened, the prototype stands alone at the waterfront transit centre three years later:

https://i.cbc.ca/1.2927569.142193232...t-map-sign.JPG
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunde...gers-1.2927564

I didn't think/can't find any mention of the 17 going to UBC, but I know other examples of what you're talking about. I don't know, I think it's weird too, but I did notice in the new Southwest Area plan that they're planning on splitting these into two separate routes there, so hopefully that continues.

I take one such route regularly, and it leads to so much confusion. Literally every single time there will be at least on person asking questions and mad that the bus isn't going to where they wanted it to go.

St. John's offers very few bus shelters and even less information. Most stops are only marked by this sign:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3350/...2a2225d6_b.jpgoldmanreadingwhilewalking by No Name D, on Flickr

You get all your information from the app.

The places that do have an actual shelter look like this (the fake iron structure in front of the central block):

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/685/3...81db54c9_b.jpgViews from Anywhere by Loops666, on Flickr

The portion of 17 that goes to UBC is now a portion of 14.

I think it is quite common. Victoria has it. Saskatoon had it. Usually it when only some buses do not go all the way to the end of the route.

This 17 Oak/UBC route is just weird. http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/akojevnikov/r017.pdf

What is reasonable and more common is to short tern a route. For Example a route down Broadway may say Alma (if it only going as far as Alma) and then say UBC if it going beyond Alma all the way to UBC.

The other thing that is nice about Vancouver:
- Same route number for both directions (just the name changes).
- There is some signage that points to the stations. You go a block or two away from a station and there are street signs pointing you to the nearest station.
- At major exchange points, schedules are in plastic tubes on the signage. Makes it easy to check on the next time.
- Some streets and locations have digital signage with when the next bus will depart. They should do more of this.
- There is a numbering convention for buses.

The numbering convention is:
- 0-100 Vancouver
- 101-149 Burnaby
- 150-199 Coquitlam / Port Moody / Port Coquitlam
- 200- North Shore
- 300- Surrey
- 400 - Richmond
- 500 - Langly
- 600 - Delta
- Cxx - Community local shuttle buses
- Nxx - Special night time only route

Cobourg :haha:

https://www.cobourginternet.com/imag...s-Aug-1200.jpg

That's why I was confused. This is the 17 I've always known: http://infomaps.translink.ca/Route_D...s/139/r017.pdf

Also, there are places where different directions have different numbers??

Mississauga Transit recently divided its network into "MiLocal" and "MiExpress", and changed its name to "MiWay." I think I prefer the old name. The pronounciation of "Mi" ("My") in MiWay is different from Mississauga so it doesn't actually make sense. And maybe the new name sounds too much like BiWay also. Even logos looks looks similar.

http://miwayblog.ca/wp-content/uploa...y_LOGO_RGB.jpg

https://cdn.torontolife.com/wp-conte...-c-default.jpg

That UBC thing is just weird.

I am not aware of any routes where different directions have different numbers. However there are a lot of routes. Might be something in the subburbs.

This is what's needed for many of the routes in Lethbridge. Even during peak hours, many of the buses are nowhere near capacity.