A Better Transit Experience
User experience is a vital consideration in planning and designing large transportation facilities whose primary purpose is moving large volumes of people efficiently and safely. Universal design in transportation offers a path to achieving a travel experience that is favorable for all people.
Designers traditionally considered the needs and capabilities of the average user. Therefore, most transportation systems today work well for some – the “average” person – but inadvertently create barriers for others, including the 61 million people in the U.S. today with a disability and their families, colleagues, and caregivers traveling with them.
Today, a shared commitment on the part of cities, transportation agencies, and designers to serve all members of the public equally is a prudent investment in transit infrastructure. Incorporated at the earliest stages of a project’s development, universal design elements seamlessly integrate with the design intent while defying the stereotype that accessible design is unattractive, added later, and expensive.
These suggestions for universal design in transportation consider issues confronting multiple disability groups:
People who are blind or have a visual impairment.
Wayfinding
- Directional and information signage that is easy to read and understand
- Enhanced lighting at signage, key facility elements, and pedestrian routes
- Tactile ground surface indicators
- Directional floor graphics
- Underfoot detectable platform edge warnings
- Tactile maps
Pedestrian street/vehicular way crossing
- Reduce crossing width (Bumpouts)
- Audible Pedestrian Signals (APS) at crosswalks
Fare/ticket machines
- Instructions and information accessible to and independently usable by persons with vision impairments
Comfort areas for service animals
Digital wayfinding Apps
People with mobility limitations.
Elevators
- Centrally located
- Cabs that are easy to enter and exit
- Audible floor designators that provide voice direction
Seating in waiting areas (Bus Platform and Kiss and Ride)
Slopes on accessible pedestrian routes
- 4% max. for the running slope
- 5% max. for cross slope
- Handrails on both sides of 4% or steeper running slope
Reduce travel distance between accessible amenities
Curb ramps
- Eliminate by raising/lowering sidewalk crossing
- Verify flush transition between paving materials
Reduce pedestrian street crossings distance (Bumpouts)
Transition from vehicle to platform
- Ramp from bus to platform: greater than 5% slope provide 5 ft long level runout
- Ramp with less than 5% slope, provide 4 ft long level runout
Fare/ticket machines
- On an accessible route
- Controls and instructions within reach and vision range
Accessible parking location & design
- 10% of all parking spaces to be accessible
- 20% of all accessible parking to provide an 8 ft access aisle
Pedestrian street/vehicular way crossings
- Bumpouts
People who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Wayfinding
- Directional and information signage with enhanced lighting
- Directional floor graphics
People with cognitive disabilities.
Wayfinding
- Directional and information signage with enhanced lighting
- Directional floor graphics
Fare/ticket machines
- Easy to understand/intuitive operation instructions.
People who are both deaf and blind.
Wayfinding
- Directional and information signage with enhanced lighting
- Tactile ground surface indicators
Platform edge warnings with color-contrasting truncated domes
Pedestrian street/vehicular way crossings (Reduce/provide APS)
Fare/ticket machines
- Instructions and information accessible to and independently usable by persons with vision impairments.
These suggestions for universal design in transportation offer a path to achieving a travel experience that works better for everyone, including people with disabilities, people traveling with people with disabilities, and people without disabilities.
Written by John H. Catlin, FAIA (1947-2023) and Robert Zimmerman