{"id":5509,"date":"2015-02-19T07:15:12","date_gmt":"2015-02-19T14:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/?p=5509"},"modified":"2015-02-18T23:36:52","modified_gmt":"2015-02-19T06:36:52","slug":"5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things ETS could improve for new users"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">Whether you\u00a0just moved into town or have never taken public transit before, riding\u00a0Edmonton\u00a0Transit System (ETS) can be stressful. It&#8217;s unfair to expect any rider to understand how things work and confusion\u00a0will eventually occur. A mistake during a trip can cause an hour delay, lots of grief, and in the long run, encourage people to not take\u00a0transit &#8212; not a good business model. It should be in our interest to make minimize these errors if we want to make our streets less congested and a pleasant time for everybody.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Here are just a few things that ETS could improve to make life just a little easier:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><b>1. Ticket Validation<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.edmonton.ca\/transportation\/validating_machine.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"101\" height=\"200\" \/>The honour system used in Western Canadian rail transit where stations do not have ticket surveillance is strange especially for those coming from Toronto or Montreal. A common mistake that occurs for new users is skipping the validation\u00a0booth\u00a0right after purchasing\u00a0tickets from\u00a0the machines. These folks get dinged by transit cops at the end of their ride and the fines can be heavy if luck is against them. Conversely, when the\u00a0vending machine produces previously validated tickets, new riders can\u00a0accidentally purchase several pre-validated tickets, resulting in an expensive ride. In the meantime, ETS\u00a0could bring\u00a0more attention to validating tickets\u00a0after purchase. This could be done through message, design, or location. Could the validation slot be installed in the vending machine itself?<\/p>\n<p>In the future, turnstiles that accept tickets and smart cards could potentially\u00a0resolve this.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2. Express Buses (e.g. Route 100)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is common to see people try\u00a0to get off the bus during a non-stop section of an express\u00a0route. This can become stressful for unaware passengers on buses like Route 100, where there are no stops for nearly ten kilometres between West Edmonton Mall and Downtown. For\u00a0instance,\u00a0I saw\u00a0a child\u00a0breakdown into tears because\u00a0the bus driver refused to stop along the route thinking that\u00a0they could get to school. Part of the problem is that the route map provided is not clear\u00a0in demonstrating the non-stop service. In the following image, the top diagram illustrates unnecessary and distracting information that could confuse riders on first glance. The map below it shows the same route, but the graphic\u00a0is simplified to avoid misinterpretation.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-5875 size-full alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/WEMbusroute100.jpg\" alt=\"WEMbusroute100\" width=\"392\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/WEMbusroute100.jpg 392w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/WEMbusroute100-300x259.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 392px) 100vw, 392px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Another\u00a0way to soften this problem\u00a0is to\u00a0turn some of the express routes into bus rapid transit (BRT) routes. In the case of Route 100, some\u00a0stops could be removed Downtown and added to\u00a0124 Street, 142 Street, and\u00a0Meadowlark. That way, the bus can service\u00a0more neighbourhoods\u00a0without increasing the number of stops it has to make.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>3.\u00a0Directionality (e.g. Route 4)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Riders can benefit from knowing which direction buses are going. From the University of Alberta, new riders are told to take\u00a0Route 4 to get to West Edmonton Mall. However, some people will take the wrong Route 4 and head the opposite direction towards Capilano. If ETS\u00a0could use 4W or 4E for the bus names\u00a0(or something similar), it would\u00a0do wonders.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/1.2017127.1381569617!\/httpImage\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/16x9_620\/li-whyte-bus-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>4.\u00a0This Bus Stop Sign<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Found on the Northeast corner of\u00a0107 Street and Jasper Avenue:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/11004824_10100558631136725_1339396485_n.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-5878 alignnone\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/11004824_10100558631136725_1339396485_n.jpg\" alt=\"11004824_10100558631136725_1339396485_n\" width=\"498\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/11004824_10100558631136725_1339396485_n.jpg 498w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/11004824_10100558631136725_1339396485_n-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lots of people end up missing their bus at this corner\u00a0because\u00a0the sign does not draw any attention. Worse, the most important information presented here reads like fine print. Instead, the sign should read in large, black capital letters at eye level, &#8220;BUS STOP CLOSED AFTER 10PM&#8221;, accompanied with a bus symbol\u00a0behind a large\u00a0X. It may not catch everybody&#8217;s attention, but I&#8217;m willing to bet it would catch more.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5. Visibility and Wayfinding<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This issue has been\u00a0<a title=\"Design and the City: The LRT and the \u2018Flying E\u2019\" href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2014\/03\/06\/design-city-lrt-flying-e\/\">previously mentioned<\/a>\u00a0in our blog by Jeff Robson:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Signage at LRT stations in Edmonton is often excessively detailed, visually busy, inconsistent, and not to be understood quickly. In short, it is many things that signage should not be. Differentiating LRT signage from its wheeled counterpart is important in not only communicating the difference in\u00a0travel options and experiences, but also increasing visibility for transit users with low visual acuity.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That said, I\u00a0definitely support the idea of reintroducing the &#8216;Flying E&#8217; design to replace\u00a0the existing signage\u00a0at\u00a0LRT stations!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4128\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4128\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/03\/edmonton_4thst.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4128\" src=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/03\/edmonton_4thst-600x450.jpg\" alt=\"Existing LRT logo at Bay-Enterprise Station. Photo credit: Mack Male, 2011.\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/03\/edmonton_4thst-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/03\/edmonton_4thst-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/03\/edmonton_4thst-940x705.jpg 940w, https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2014\/03\/edmonton_4thst.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4128\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Existing LRT logo at Bay-Enterprise Station. Photo credit: Mack Male, 2011.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>Have any other suggestions on improving ETS? Share your ideas in the comments below!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u00a0just moved into town or have never taken public transit before, riding\u00a0Edmonton\u00a0Transit System (ETS) can be stressful. It&#8217;s unfair to expect any rider to understand how things work and confusion\u00a0will eventually occur. A mistake during a trip can cause an hour delay, lots of grief, and in the long run, encourage people to not<a href=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;5 things ETS could improve for new users&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8111,"featured_media":5881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transit"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 things ETS could improve for new users - Spacing Edmonton<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Paul Giang\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/\",\"name\":\"5 things ETS could improve for new users - Spacing Edmonton\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/ETS-bus.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-19T14:15:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#\/schema\/person\/5c568d4ad3a9e6a81f55f1a6b7e94b5f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/ETS-bus.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/ETS-bus.jpg\",\"width\":620,\"height\":405},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"5 things ETS could improve for new users\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/\",\"name\":\"Spacing Edmonton\",\"description\":\"Canadian Urbanism Uncovered  |  Edmonton Architecture, Urban Design, Public Transit, City Hall, Parks, Walking, Bikes, Streetscape, History, Waterfront, Maps, Public Spaces\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#\/schema\/person\/5c568d4ad3a9e6a81f55f1a6b7e94b5f\",\"name\":\"Paul Giang\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8dad202f181ce90ee1809ba23cac7aa7?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8dad202f181ce90ee1809ba23cac7aa7?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Paul Giang\"},\"description\":\"Paul Giang grew up exploring Edmonton's landscape, which led him to become an ecologist and urbanist. After studying in Montreal and India, he came back to Edmonton to rediscover and share what he loves about the city. Contact: paulgiang@spacing.ca\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/author\/paulgiang\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"5 things ETS could improve for new users - Spacing Edmonton","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Paul Giang","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/","url":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/","name":"5 things ETS could improve for new users - Spacing Edmonton","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/ETS-bus.jpg","datePublished":"2015-02-19T14:15:12+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#\/schema\/person\/5c568d4ad3a9e6a81f55f1a6b7e94b5f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/ETS-bus.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2015\/11\/ETS-bus.jpg","width":620,"height":405},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/2015\/02\/19\/5-things-edmonton-transit-improve-new-users\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"5 things ETS could improve for new users"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#website","url":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/","name":"Spacing Edmonton","description":"Canadian Urbanism Uncovered  |  Edmonton Architecture, Urban Design, Public Transit, City Hall, Parks, Walking, Bikes, Streetscape, History, Waterfront, Maps, Public Spaces","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#\/schema\/person\/5c568d4ad3a9e6a81f55f1a6b7e94b5f","name":"Paul Giang","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8dad202f181ce90ee1809ba23cac7aa7?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8dad202f181ce90ee1809ba23cac7aa7?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Paul Giang"},"description":"Paul Giang grew up exploring Edmonton's landscape, which led him to become an ecologist and urbanist. After studying in Montreal and India, he came back to Edmonton to rediscover and share what he loves about the city. Contact: paulgiang@spacing.ca","url":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/author\/paulgiang\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5509"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5894,"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5509\/revisions\/5894"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/edmonton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}