Skip to main content

Muni Metro Debuts New International Wayfinding Standards

Muni Metro Debuts New International Wayfinding Standards
By Mariana Maguire

Photo of subway station fare gates with new overhead wayfinding signs depicting east, west directions and destinations for trains, and modes of accessing the platform such as elevators, stairs and escalators

New subway signage showing new directional wayfinding and accessible exists. 

When the Muni Metro subway reopened on May 15, 2021, customers noticed some changes at the Castro and Church stations: new overhead wayfinding signage more clearly identifying station exits and indicating where those exits lead, and new cardinal (north, south, east, west) directions, which now indicate where trains are headed instead of the former “inbound/outbound” directions.  

These stations – along with Powell Station, which will be updated soon – are part of the Metro Enhancement Project to improve the customer experience by providing better travel information, clearer wayfinding, cleaner stations and safety improvements. Treatments depend on the station, but enhancement elements include paint, lighting and accessibility improvements. The project began with the Castro and Church stations because those are easier to update than the shared BART stations. Powell is next in line in preparation for the opening of Central Subway. Looking forward, the aim is to improve all Muni Metro stations once additional funding can be identified. 

Customers may also see cardinal directions on digital signs in other subway stations. This is a separate effort that is part of Muni Customer Service upgrades. 

The Need for Change 

When the Muni Metro subway system was built in the 1980s, all rail routes funneled downtown along Market Street, making the “inbound” (generally towards downtown) and “outbound” (generally away from downtown) directions easy to navigate. In 2006, when the T Third Muni Metro line combined with the K Ingleside, the new combined route traveled into downtown from two different directions, making Muni Metro’s traditional “inbound/outbound” orientations less effective. 

In 2012, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) – the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area – adopted regional transit wayfinding guidelines and standards, and the SFMTA began working with other transportation agencies on a long-term plan for regional wayfinding integration and standardization, so that customers can navigate different systems in similar ways using route end destinations (last stops), station exit signage and accessibility information. 

The development of Central Subway also pushed SFMTA to think critically about wayfinding and directional improvements to the Muni subway system, including the use of cardinal directions (north, south, east, west). Once the Central Subway is complete, the T Third Street route will realign to run north-south between two major job, population and commercial activity centers within the city, calling into question the concept of what is “inbound” and what is “outbound.” 

For San Franciscans who are accustomed to Muni, wayfinding may not pose much of a challenge. The inbound/outbound directions may even hold a nostalgic charm, including for this author, having grown up in the Sunset District riding the N Judah. 

But with the growth of Muni and other regional transit systems, it’s important to make navigating the Muni Metro subway more efficient and effective with proven best practices for wayfinding, route directions and accessibility. 

Next Steps 

There are still many steps to fully update the Muni Metro subway that tie together with SFMTA’s new, soon-to-be-rolled-out Muni Customer Information System, long-term Metro map and permanent signage updates and more. The SFMTA also needs support to identify additional funding to continue implementing this project in all Metro stations. 

Tell us what you think about SFMTA’s efforts to update and upgrade our wayfinding to regional and international standards, and let us know if you support the completion of these efforts throughout the Muni Metro system. Write to TellMuni@SFMTA.com with the subject “Metro wayfinding enhancements.” 



Published July 23, 2021 at 05:29AM
https://ift.tt/3xZ8iwJ
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

150 Years Ago Today – The Cable Car is Born

150 Years Ago Today – The Cable Car is Born By Kelley Trahan August 2, 2023, marks the 150th anniversary of the world’s first successful cable railway, born right here in San Francisco. To celebrate the occasion, we bring you the story of Andrew Hallidie and the very first cable car company, the Clay Street Hill Railroad.  Andrew Hallidie (1834-1900) was a pioneering inventor and entrepreneur who changed urban transportation. In 1852, at the age of 18, Hallidie emigrated with his father from the United Kingdom to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush. His father, an engineer and inventor, had a wire rope patent that played a crucial role in his son's future success.   Portrait of Andrew Smith Hallidie in 1890. Inspired by his father's wire rope business, Hallidie developed a steel cable mineral mine hauling system in 1857. About a decade later, he designed a wire rope aerial tramway for transporting materials over mountainous terrain. Then, after a stint in bridg...
Post a Comment
NEXT

Shared Spaces are Here to Stay. Permit Renewals are Due January 15, 2023.

Shared Spaces are Here to Stay. Permit Renewals are Due January 15, 2023. By Anne Yalon Shared Spaces, amongst many other benefits, allows our residents and families to enjoy safe and social outdoor dining. Seen here are the the owners of Tio Chilo’s Grill and their children in the restaurant’s parklet on 24th Street in the Mission.  San Francisco’s popular Shared Spaces program allows merchants, restaurants and arts and culture organizations to use the curbside, sidewalk and other public spaces to conduct local business activities and stay afloat. What emerged as an economic lifeline during the pandemic is making San Francisco’s streets more energized, engaged and activated. Many of the Shared Spaces parklets have become central gathering places for the local community. “ Our parklet makes me feel like when I go to Mexico, where outdoor seating is everywhere. People end up joining their friends in our parklet. It is a space for our customers and our community," said Liz V...
Post a Comment
NEXT

Tenderloin Streets Transform During COVID-19

Tenderloin Streets Transform During COVID-19 By Kimberly Leung COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted people who live and work in the Tenderloin. As a result, the SFMTA has been working closely with District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney’s office, other city departments, the Tenderloin Traffic Safety Task Force and community members to address the public health issues and unique challenges in the neighborhood through innovative interventions.    The Tenderloin is home to many of our most vulnerable communities including historically marginalized groups such as people with disabilities, residents of SROs and supportive housing and limited-English proficient communities. With every single street in the Tenderloin on the city’s High Injury Network -- the 13 percent of San Francisco streets that account for 75 percent of severe traffic injury collision and fatalities -- thi...
Post a Comment
NEXT