Most large transit agencies have a map that shows just their rapid transit services, which are usually rail. One good test of how an agency thinks about bus rapid transit is whether they include it on their rapid transit maps. Los Angeles County MTA’s rapid transit map, here, does include the Orange Line, which is exclusive right of way but is hampered by signal delays. But they don’t show their non-exclusive Metro Rapid product at this scale, which makes sense to me. Continue Reading →
Branding
Bus Rapid Transit: Some Questions to Ask
There’s been lively comment on the last several posts about Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), including its recent history in America and elsewhere, the usefulness of the term, and the suspicions that it raises.
Still, “Bus Rapid Transit” is not going away. So as you consider new BRT proposals that arise in your community, possibly as alternatives to a rail project that you’d prefer, here’s a wise bit of advice I was once given about conversing with people who have differing viewpoints and incomplete information:
Don’t state a judgment. Ask a question. Continue Reading →
Bus Rapid Transit and the Law of Multiple Intentions
In recent posts on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) I’ve been dealing with the widespread feeling among US transit advocates that BRT proposals are designed to serve the interests of people who want transit to be cheap to build and don’t care whether it works. But of course, there’s a contrasting stream of intention also built into BRT, well described by commenter Alexander Craghead: Continue Reading →
Paris Rapid Transit: The Four Levels of Nomenclature
A continuation of this post.
The core branding idea of the Paris RER is a really powerful one. Here’s
how it used to be presented, as a consistent citywide product
(click to enlarge; full-size map here):
Paris: Do We Have Enough Logos Yet?
A lot has improved about transit in Paris since I was last there in 1991, and certainly since I lived there in 1986. But I’m having trouble finding any positive angle on the partial re-branding of the crucial commuter rail and long-distance metro service, the RER. Because Paris does everything on such an operatic scale, the new RER brands may offer a useful parable about the perils of agency-centered communications, especially in an era where European public transit operating companies are expected to act like private businesses. Continue Reading →
Welcoming Guests to Your City: A Reader’s Checklist
On my post on failed welcoming, commenter Pantheon suggested an excellent checklist for transit agencies who want to care about newcomers to their city:
Berlin: Seen Through a Bus-Wrap
Vienna: Even Perfect Integration Isn’t Perfect
As part of my Europe tour, I thought I’d give some attention to things that even the best European systems have trouble getting right.
Frequent Network Maps: An Obvious Idea That Took Forever to Happen
If you know San Francisco at all, take a look at Steve Boland’s new map of its high-frequency “main lines.” It’s quite deservedly copyrighted, so I’ve shown just a taste of it here.
When Expansion is Dilution
My post on crowdsourcing bus stop design included a pitch for the importance of branding in making a particular quality of service visible. I cited the obvious example of the Los Angeles Metro Rapid, the region’s network of frequent and relatively fast buses. Integral to the Rapid product was a distinctive logo, colour scheme, and on the first lines at least, shelter design.