This report summarizes and presents the results of a high-level analysis conducted by the ETS Advisory Board (ETSAB) of the City of Edmonton's wayfinding system in conjunction with the City's Transit System (ETS). This report provides recommendations for ways to correct some of the wayfinding problems identified during site visits. The Walk Edmonton Program Coordinator presented the status of the project to the board at the September 24th AGM.
Members gathered at the entrance to City Center Mall on the northwest quadrant of the intersection of 100th Street and 102nd Avenue. At the entrance across from the AGA gallery there are misleading, outdated and inaccurate directions for the location of the nearest universally accessible entrance. A member of the private building's security approached us casually and showed the team the universally accessible entrance on the northeast quadrant of the intersection of 102 Avenue and 99 Street.
At the time of the site visit, three stops in the transit center were unused. Apart from the large mural on the outer wall of the transit centre, wayfinding elements are missing. With the understanding that the City of Edmonton is undertaking a review of its wayfinding strategies, the issues presented in this report can help ETS improve communication with users and potential users of the transit system.
Likewise, in the vicinity of the Winspear Center, there are no visible or recognizable landmarks indicating the existence of an entrance to the LRT station or any sign indicating that this is a universal access.
Inaccurate and outdated information
Lack of Accessible Signage
Lack of Security Strategies at Transit Stations
Lack of Wayfinding Tools
At the Churchill LRT station, there is a map indicating exits and pedestrians, but unfortunately it was in a bad location, easy to miss, and partially blocked by an ATM (Figure 4-9).
Font size seems inadequate for users with visual impairments
Universal Design Definitions and Guidelines
Universal Design emerged from earlier concepts of barrier-free, accessibility, and adaptive and assistive technologies, and also integrates aesthetics into its core considerations. Universal Design has received more attention in recent years, given the increasing aging of the population, longer life expectancy and modern medicine that increases the survival rate of those with significant injuries, diseases and birth defects. Considering that population aging is a reality in Canadian cities and regions, the City of Winnipeg took a proactive approach and in 2001 became the first Canadian municipality to adopt a Universal Design policy.
The City of Winnipeg's Accessibility Design Standard provides the 3 accessibility requirements for implementing the Universal Design Policy and is intended to apply to both public spaces and employees within spaces funded, owned, leased or occupied by the City. The standard provides rationale and requirements for: general access and circulation, general information and communication systems (including acoustics and signage), general amenities (including waiting and queuing areas, and seating), general context specific requirements, exterior design standards (exterior access and circulation, exterior amenities and specific requirements of the exterior context, such as transit facilities and passenger loading areas), and interior design standards. To the Board's knowledge, the City of Edmonton does not have a specific Universal Design policy, although the Wayfinding Pedestrian Design Standard accommodates some accessible designs.
National Disability Authority (NDA) .6 In the following paragraphs, the seven principles and their guidelines are presented according to the ACZ.
Equitable Use
Flexible in Use
Simple and Intuitive Use
Perceptible Information
Tolerance for Error
Low Physical Effort
Size and Space for Approach and Use
Universal Design and Wayfinding
I turn right at the bronze statue and my destination is the blue door on the right. This report focuses on wayfinding strategies and tools at physical locations in the city and at ETS facilities, and excludes wayfinding strategies on digital devices. Interactive maps can be used in place of outdated central wayfinding signs at LRT stations.
The screen permanently displays advertisements; however, it can also be used for transit and other wayfinding purposes. At the top there are twelve square buttons and at the bottom there are two blue buttons. When the accessible button is pressed, the screen scrolls down as shown on the right side of the image, so that all options on the screen are accessible.
Three options are available on the blue panels: Retail directory, Office directory and Enterprise Rent-A-Car; as shown in Figure 7-3. Additionally, the following options are available on the 12 square buttons: Building Map, Food, ATMs, Restroom, Lease, Security, Greenery, Local Sports Schedule, Neighborhood Map, Parking, POT (Pedway System) and Transit; as shown in Figure 7-4. If the “Neighborhood Map” option is selected (on the screen in Figure 7-4), a map of the downtown area will be displayed, including your current location and major destinations in that area.
Selecting the “Security” option (on the screen in Figure 7-4) will display a map showing the location of security personnel. The map includes your location and relevant information such as security desk numbers, as shown in Figure 7-10. The map includes your location, parking location and how to get there, as shown in Figure 7-11.
If the "Food" option is selected (on the screen in Figure 7-4), a list of restaurants and related businesses in the mall will appear on the screen, as shown in Figure 7-12. If either option is selected, additional details and a wayfinding map will be displayed. This option allows the user to select a destination by name with the screen shown in Figure 7-15.
Additionally, Figure 7-13 shows a detail of the legend as an example of all the comprehensive information on the map, which even includes future walkways and outdoor connections. Information similar to that currently available on the city's transit trip planning website could be provided.
Potential Solutions for Edmonton’s Transit System
- Viable Options
Use of recognizable, visible, and conspicuous transit landmarks and a consistent brand
Ideally, these recognizable signs should be placed at the location of the transit station entrance and should indicate whether the entry points are universally accessible. Wayfinding signs should be designed so that there is consistency in all aspects of the design, such as color scheme, font size and font, symbols and themes. The wayfinding system should also use the same type of sign or icons to identify the transportation service provided (i.e. LRT vs. bus stops).
The Vision BRT system in the Toronto area is a good example, where bus color, service icons, station design, and even the right-of-way sidewalk are unique to the system.
Use Universal Design
This requires that all segments of the population be considered to ensure that the wayfinding system is available to serve everyone. Developing a tracking system that is not accessible to some vulnerable users and will require future fixes and improvements will be more costly than incorporating Universal Design from the start.
Identify Universal Accesses for ETS Services
Wayfinding Information Accuracy, Updates, and Quality
The quality of the information also relates to the real intention of what ETS wants to communicate to the users and especially those who are less familiar with the system. The correct information can really help the user find their destination, the nearest route to a bus transfer or an element of the transit system. It is recommended to use these places to provide directional signage and tools (ie, in the future, interactive maps and devices may also be provided in joint efforts with advertising companies), as well as adding art to create a more pleasant environment.
Provide wayfinding tools onboard transit vehicles
Use of technology
Moreover, these interactive maps should also be placed at key locations such as government buildings, shopping malls, etc. Partnerships can be set up to utilize the existing interactive devices in shopping malls and enable them to provide signage information and other transportation services. information (in Toronto, this type of interactive device enables several functions, including accessing real-time transit information, conducting origin and destination searches in the neighborhood and in the mall, identifying parking locations, etc.). The following key general recommendations summarize the solutions provided in section 8.1 and proposed to address the signage issues identified in this report.
Uniform, Consistent, and Predictable Wayfinding Practices
Universal Design