Bus sign design challange

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I has been said: Auckland's public transport system is not the best. However, in the last year or so a number of improvements have been made to make catching the bus or train more convienent.

In particular, the installation of computerised display signs at bus stops makes it easy to know how long you will have to wait for the next bus. These signs consist of a four line led matrix display with another smaller display showing the current time.

Bus sign behaviour

I ride on the bus most days and I find it funny the way that people tend to crowd around these signs. As you approach the bus stop during rush hour, you see a large gathering of people all gazing upwards, counting the minutes.

Part of the reason people are staring at the sign is the way the information is displayed. The first three of the four lines of text cycle through pages of bus information. You may have to wait for the sign to change several times before the latest information is displayed.

The fourth line displays a continuously scrolling message "Call Max on 0800 123 123 for bus and ferry information".

Communication goals

Let's think about what the signs are trying to achieve. A viewer will want to know the following pieces of information.

  • The current time in hours and minutes
  • A list of buses arrival times each with the route number and destination, ordered by time to arrival (smallest to largest)
  • A time in minutes indicating how far away that bus is
  • An indicator to show that a bus has been delayed

The sign also has to meet these requirements

  • Provide information via an electronic voice for the visually impared
  • Be visible day and night
  • Be accurate and reliable

Improvements

Another problem is the length of time it takes to change pages. This way too long. About 8 seconds. In the worst case you may have to wait for almost 30 seconds before the first page is displayed again.

This is a waste of space for a message that never changes. This information could be painted on the sign using normal methods and would free up another line of text for more information.

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