By Kathy Chouteau
BART and other Bay Area transportation agencies’ transit maps and signage are getting easier to navigate.
On Dec. 12 at the El Cerrito del Norte Station, BART, Bay Area transit agencies and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) unveiled new transit maps and signs aimed at conveying information that’s “clear, predictable, and familiar across service areas and county lines,” according to BART.
The new transit map informs riders about key destinations on the Bay Area’s rail, bus and ferry network.
With the event, a Regional Mapping & Wayfinding project evaluation period was launched during which Bay Area residents and visitors can share their feedback about the test signs and maps installed at BART’s El Cerrito del Norte Station. In late December, test prototype signs and other communication materials will also be installed at the Santa Rosa Transit Mall/Downtown Santa Rosa SMART station. Those unable to visit the El Cerrito or Santa Rosa locations can provide their feedback here.
Sue Noack, vice chair of MTC’s Regional Network Management Committee and Pleasant Hill City Councilmember said that transit in the Bay Area and elsewhere is still suffering the effects of the pandemic. She said the maps and signs are “tangible examples of the work MTC and the transit agencies are doing together to make the Bay Area’s system simpler, easier to use and more affordable.”
Bob Powers, BART general manager, emphasized that the project is a collaborative one across regional transit agencies that are experimenting and innovating together. He said the transit maps and signage will move away from a disjointed look to an easier one for riders looking to move from point A to B.
“Whether a rider is traveling by bus, rail, ferry, or a combination, the signs, maps, screens and other communication systems will be consistent and easy to identify across all nine Bay Area counties,” said BART. Riders can engage with the test materials during their journeys, according to BART, with the public feedback helping to inform the project’s next stage and expansion to other locations in 2025 and 2026.
The Regional Mapping and Wayfinding Project is led by MTC in collaboration with BART and more than 24 Bay Area transit agencies as well as transit riders and Bay Area cities and counties. It’s a first-of-its-kind project and part of a broader effort in the Bay Area Transit Transformation Action Plan, to make Bay Area transit easier and more convenient for all riders.
