Regional Mapping & Wayfinding Project
Implementation Updates
Santa Rosa City Council
September 10, 2024
1 Today's meeting
• Project context and status
• Goals & schedule
• Focus on the prototypes
• Prototype designs
• Prototype evaluation
• Pilot projects
• Next steps
2 Project context and status
Wayfinding includes…
Identity
Directional signage
Accessibility
Maps
Information
and schedules
Digital tools
3 Project context and status
Part of the Transit Transformation Action Plan
I. Fares and
Payment
Simpler, consistent,
and equitable fare
and payment
options.
This project
II. Customer
Information
Make transit easier
to navigate and
more convenient.
III. Transit
Network
Transit services
managed as a
unified, efficient, and
reliable network.
IV. Accessibility
Transit services for
older adults, people
with disabilities, and
those with lower
incomes are
coordinated efficiently.
V. Funding
Use existing
resources more
efficiently and secure
new, dedicated
revenue to meet
funding needs.
4 Project context and status
Goals & schedule
Make transit journeys easier to understand
to retain existing and attract new riders
• Better information for customers
Dependable, predictable, and familiar
• Better operations for
transit providers
Standard wayfinding parts, applications,
and guidelines
• Better outcomes for the region
Health, equity, sustainability, and economic
vitality
Phases 1 & 2
Project
development,
harmonization &
business case
Completed
•User research & outreach
•Regional map prototype
•Business case
•Map examples
•Tier development
Phase 3
System
development
Funded
We are here
•Regional standards
•Prototypes
•Pilot projects
•New mapping database
Phase 4+
Full implementation
5 Unfunded
•Expand new wayfinding
system regionwide
Project context and status
Phase 3 iterative design process
Wayfinding context
• Current practices
• Stakeholder needs
Design standards
• Network identity
• Signage family
Prototypes
• El Cerrito del Norte BART
• Santa Rosa Transit Mall
&S M A R Ts t a t i o n
• Powell St. (design test)
Pilot projects
V1
standards
Pilot projects
2025-262023 2024
Prototype
design standards
V2
standards
El Cerrito &
Santa Rosa
Context We
are
here
Powell St.
6 Prototype design
Regional Network Identity elements
1. Colors
Golden yellow, light blue, dark
blue
2. Modal icon design
Rail, bus, ferry
3. a) Modal icons are the
most important symbols
b) Transit agency logos
deprioritized
Light blue
Golden yellow
Dark blue
1 3b
3a
2 7
Prototype design
New sign family
The regional network identity creates a
design language for prototype wayfinding signs.
Vehicular
Facility
Beacon
Pedestrian
Facility
Beacon
Vehicular
Entrance Marker
Entrance
Monolith
Facility Entrance System Info Unit
Street / approaching the facility
8 Entrance Inside the facility
Prototype design
Location overview
Prototype locations selected
because...
• Served by a variety of transit
agencies
• Offer transfers between bus
and rail modes
• Located within or near
Equity Priority Communities
(El Cerrito & Santa Rosa)
Santa Rosa Transit Mall
& SMART station
El Cerrito del Norte
BART station
Powell St
BART & Muni
(design test)
9 Prototype design
Santa Rosa Transit Mall & SMART Station
Designs subject to change per agency feedback and forthcoming permitting processes. V09-10 Pedestrian
navigation sign
Downtown
Santa Rosa
SMART
Old
Courthouse
Square
N
0.5 miles / 12 min walk
Santa Rosa
Transit Mall
Santa
Rosa
Plaza
10 Prototype design
Santa Rosa pedestrian signage
4th St & Wilson St, southeast corner
Along 3rd St, before the
underpass
Designs subject to change per agency feedback and forthcoming permitting processes. V09-10 11 Prototype design: Santa Rosa Transit Mall
Customer information
N
Santa Rosa Ave
BS t r e e t Transit Mall
Bus bay markers
Bus information
System info units
Entrance Monolith
Designs subject to change per agency feedback and forthcoming permitting processes. V09-10 12 Prototype design: Santa Rosa Downtown SMART
Threshold markers
Wilson St
3rd St
4th St
Station
N
Pedestrian Beacons
Designs subject to change per agency feedback and forthcoming permitting processes. V09-10 13 Prototype design: Santa Rosa Downtown SMART
Customer information
Wilson St
Station
4th St
N
Platform signs
Fare threshold
sign
System info
units
Designs subject to change per agency feedback and forthcoming permitting processes. V09-10 14 Prototype evaluation objectives
15 Performance
Indicators
Design Effectiveness
• Functionality
• Form and aesthetics
• Accessibility
• Scalability
• Identity/ brand
Traveler Benefits
• Trip impacts
• Transit attitudes
• Travel behavior
Operator Experience
• Operations
• Costs
• Skills
• Cooperation
Goals
(Near-Term)
Wider audience, more
inclusive, more
accessible
Better travel experience
More cost effective, ease
of maintenance and
implementation
Goals
(Long-Term) Retain and increase ridership
Public engagement prioritization
16 Transit customers
• On-site
• Equity Priority
Communities (EPC),
especially people with
disabilities and limited
English proficiency
• Frequent travelers
• Potential users
Stakeholder groups
• On-site
• City staff
• Disability and other
community advocates
• Transportation
advocates
• Online
• City elected
representatives
• Mobility service
providers
Transit operators
• On-site
• Technical staff
• Operational/ frontline
staff
• Online
• Large/inter-regional
operator managers
• Small/local operator
managersMTC groups
• Project’s Accessibility
Working Group
• RNM Customer Advisory
Group On-site: includes recruitment or in-person surveys, e.g.
Online: includes open surveys or information distribution, e.g.
Prototype evaluation methods
17 DefinitionMethod
10-12 people at both sites undertaking pre-designed wayfinding tasksTest journeys Weekday pm peak, weekday interpeak, & weekend day intercept surveys at both sites
Intercept surveys
Open house/tours for any operator/city over 2 days per siteOrganized site tours Guided tours for 10-12 selected stakeholders at each siteAccessibility site tours 2x 10-12 person staff group interviewsFrontline staff groups Arranged signage fabrication factory visit for operatorsFactory demonstration Open survey at MTC’s websiteOnline surveys
Open survey link in digital wayfinding proof of conceptDigital wayfinding: survey 4-6 people per user group for onsite web app testing at El Cerrito Del Norte
Digital wayfinding: moderated
user group testing
The next stage: pilot projects
18 • Purpose
o Gather agency and public feedback at a wider scale for final set of regional standards
o Evaluate coordination among operators for sign design, installation, and maintenance – particularly those with many shared bus stops • Pilot approach
o 2025: Test customer experience at complex transfer stations Implement at total of 9 stations around the region
Santa Rosa sites would receive full build-out of new wayfinding signs o 2026: Test experience on end-to-end bus lines in Sonoma & Solano Counties o 2025+: Advance agency-funded capital projects using new standards Next steps
2025+
Implement new wayfinding at 9 complex stations around the region 2026+
Implement new wayfinding on selection of bus lines in Sonoma/Solano Counties
2027+
Expand new wayfinding signs and maps throughout the region Fall 2024
Install prototypes and conduct evaluation to inform V1 Standards Spring 2025
Release V1 Standards for pilots and agency-led projects Pilot
projects
19 Thank you
20 • Any questions? Contact information
Gordon Hansen (PM)
[email protected]
Project website:
https://mtc.ca.gov/operations/transit-regional-network- management/regional-mapping-wayfinding