Insights from Will Herzog, SEPTA’s Manager of Wayfinding
SEPTA last replaced its bus signs in 2012 but it wasn’t part of a larger systemwide change. My team and I saw the launch of the New Bus Network as an opportunity to fully incorporate SEPTA’s modernized bus system into signage.
The process of creating bus signage is deceptively simple. Signs are a tool for translating complex information about a transit system to riders and helping them understand how they can best use it. There are also legal requirements related to accessibility intended to support people with vision and mobility barriers that dictate how high a sign must be and other placement factors. The more user-friendly signs can be means the more opportunities they will create for riders to explore the system’s 100+ routes.
SEPTA is laser-focused on enhancing the customer experience and ensuring it’s consistent and reliable. The Wayfinding team ensures that riders are at the front of every decision whether you’re planning your trip to arriving at your station to getting to your destination or whether you have a stroller or mobility device and making sure every aspect of your journey is designed for you.
Here’s how we are improving SEPTA’s 50,000 bus signs at more than 13,000 bus stops during the next 10 months with that perspective in mind.
They’re easier to see.
Each sign is topped with a black and white bus logo that is printed on reflective material that catches the light and stands out from a distance which makes it easy for riders and bus operators to spot.
The decision came from more than 300 public meetings where SEPTA heard reports about faded or damaged bus stop signs.
Riders told us bus stops needed to be easier to find. This design offers maximum safety for riders and maximum visibility for bus operators and other motorists.
They’re easier to navigate.
There is zero room for error when it comes to how information on a sign is presented. This is particularly true today when SEPTA is launching a generational transformation of the bus network that will provide more access to more people.
The new signs list the street name of the stop which matches the stop name on SEPTA’s website, app, and timetables and detailed route information about where the bus is going. The sign also lists when a bus has multiple possible destinations. And each bus route number is inside an oval which serves as a visual cue for a bus route.
Red = Frequent.
SEPTA’s Frequent Bus Network (routes arriving every 15 minutes or faster from 6AM to 9PM on weekdays with enhanced service on weekends) is displayed in bright red on signs, digital displays, and maps so that it pops out against the black and white and riders can quickly see which buses come with little wait time around the clock.
Using red wasn’t an arbitrary decision. The color is the industry standard used across other transit agencies for high-frequency buses.
SEPTA previously marked low- and medium-frequency lines with black and teal but riders told us it was too many colors. We listened.
They’re vandal-proof.
SEPTA’s old bus signs stayed up for about three times longer than their lifespan. They were made from direct substrate printing ink and aluminum and many faded or were covered with graffiti. The new signs are made from vinyl so they’re easier to clean. They’re designed for over 10 years of outdoor life unlike the old signs. They’re also installed with tamper-proof fasteners and riveted to the poles to prevent theft.
They’re easier to read.
The bus signs are printed in the “Roboto” font used throughout SEPTA’s system so they match the website and digital apps. The font is clearer and more legible and the signs are in sharp black and white so the letters stand out.
Let Will and his team know what you think! Email your thoughts to [email protected].