Better Service Change Signs

[NX Express]

We've all been through it. We enter the subway late at night or over the weekend only to discover that our train will not be traveling to the destination we expect it to. Looking for subway service change notices, we are confronted by a wall of jumbled posters that just leave us scratching our heads. As a result, MTA New York City Transit is rolling out newly designed signs and posters aimed at taking the confusion out of your weekend or late-night train trip.

 

It's all part of a major effort to better inform customers about planned subway service changes necessitated by capital construction and maintenance work in a more clear and concise manner. There will also be a focus on the consistent placement of these materials which, among other improvements, will alert customers to system reroutes before they swipe their MetroCards.

 

There's a fresh, new look to planned subway service reroute communications that will appear in subway stations starting the week of September 13th. Specifically, customers will begin noticing newly designed weekend and weekday comprehensive signs on Thursday, September 16th and Friday, September 17th, respectively.

 

"We are out there on nights and weekends performing the vital work necessary to keep the New York City subway operating safely and efficiently," said NYC Transit President Thomas F. Prendergast. "Performing that work, however, is no excuse for forcing our customers to hunt for service information. With these new designs, we are giving riders the information they need in a format they will understand."

 

NYC Transit performed market research to determine how customers wanted this vital travel information presented. Customers appreciated the elimination of clutter, having all system changes available on a one-sheet format, separate postings for weekday and weekend changes and the clean, bright appearance of the posters themselves.

 

 

What's new on Weekday and Weekend directories:

 

• Easy-to-find, clearly marked locations in stations – both before and after you pay your fare
  
• Comprehensive listing of all subway reroutes in the system
  
• Large subway route icons in color
  
• Icons (sun and moon) plus colors highlight period of day
  
• Quick facts provide time, day and dates of reroutes, brief descriptions of reroutes plus alternative travel options
  

 

What's new on the station-specific signs:

 

• Clear representation of when and where reroutes impact service
  
• Larger type for easier reading
  
• Map visuals to aid in the understanding of complicated service reroutes.
  

 

If there is no service at the station or service is being provided by shuttle buses, new signage will be posted at street level entrances. At station complexes, signs will also be posted close to turnstiles to alert customers if a particular line is not in operation. Signs will also be placed on the columns at platform levels to let customers know they are in the right place to catch the train. Finally, when a reroute is particularly complicated or will be in effect long-term, signs will be posted in train cars.

 

The new effort takes advantage of existing internal database systems which translate these changes to service for travel information on the web and telephone; the use of the same database system for external communications now provides customers with consistent and timely information about upcoming changes to subway service.

 

Look out for these new service notices, which will begin appearing soon.

http://www.mta.info/news/stories/?story=100

[Guest lance25]

While these new service advisory signs will replace the diversion mosaics at some of the larger stations, unless they're all over the stations, they will be overlooked. Based on the picture, you'd have to be standing almost directly in front of the sign to figure out if your train was diverted. At least with the giant pillar signs, you could tell from afar if your line was affected, albeit you had to translate the (MTA)'s convoluted jargon.

[NX Express]

While these new service advisory signs will replace the diversion mosaics at some of the larger stations, unless they're all over the stations, they will be overlooked. Based on the picture, you'd have to be standing almost directly in front of the sign to figure out if your train was diverted. At least with the giant pillar signs, you could tell from afar if your line was affected, albeit you had to translate the (MTA)'s convoluted jargon.

 

Also (at least in some stations) these signs are being installed in the place of the subway maps.

[INDman]

Waste of money, if people just took the time to read the sposters that are already used they would not have a problem.

[Guest lance25]

Also (at least in some stations) these signs are being installed in the place of the subway maps.

That's just brilliant; remove the sometimes hard to read maps and replace them with small-print service advisories. These guys are true rocket scientists. If they can print out these things every week, why can't they make a map showing the diversions, like on Subway Weekender? Wouldn't that make more sense?

[NX Express]

That's just brilliant; remove the sometimes hard to read maps and replace them with small-print service advisories. These guys are true rocket scientists. If they can print out these things every week, why can't they make a map showing the diversions, like on Subway Weekender? Wouldn't that make more sense?

 

[sARCASM]That makes way too much sense for the MTA![/sARCASM]

Seriously, it's probably because they "don't want to waste money putting up new places for the signs to go". :cough: :cough: Then why did they make the new signs?

[mark1447]

These have been up for like 2 weeks and its bs. People who are dumb are not gonna read this bs, but still keep asking workers and others about general orders.

 

I mean even announcements thru the PA, these people don't even hear..

 

ONLINE is another place people don't go to.

 

I noticed a week ago a woman told the they are happy they update service changes for LIRR thru Facebook, and that the should of done something like this a long time ago.. Like hello... MTA.INFO?! Service Alert signs?! etc..

[FamousNYLover]

Especially people who don't speak English.

 

I remember during no bet. 34th St & Atlantic Av-Pacific St, I was at Grand St on Bus, and even it clearly state in English/Chinese, Workers trying to help out, but some Chinese folks couldn't understand and they even ask if there was Bus to Canal St and you have to walk.

 

When I was on with my friend going on Brooklyn Tour Loop on CitySightNY), there was foreign couple who had old subway map and I try to give him the new one, but he refused, so I gave up and via Manhattan Bridge, but we got off at Canal St for Bowling Green.

 

Even with new subway/bus maps, many people will still read the old one.

[Roadcruiser1]

The should really advertise their website on TV. Like how they advertised for the . It should go something like this. "If you don't know about service changes then go on the (MTA)'s website at mta.info. We have been servicing rail fanners and everyone else since 1988, but since you were so stupid, you don't get to know till know".

[FamousNYLover]

Since start of new school years, should remind people and students who went on vacation before-June 27th, 2010 changes.

There could be folks who doesn't know service eliminated like B75, B77, Q79, N28, N17, N65-N67, N93-N95, N28, Bx14, M1 SF, M6,, etc

 

 

To me:

Lots of people gets confuse when they said:

12:01AM SAT to 5:00AM MONDAY.

Instead of to, I would put

FROM 12:01AM SAT UNTIL 5:00AM MONDAY

[mark1447]

Since start of new school years, should remind people and students who went on vacation before-June 27th, 2010 changes.

There could be folks who doesn't know service eliminated like B75, B77, Q79, N28, N17, N65-N67, N93-N95, N28, Bx14, M1 SF, M6,, etc

 

 

To me:

Lots of people gets confuse when they said:

12:01AM SAT to 5:00AM MONDAY.

Instead of to, I would put

FROM 12:01AM SAT UNTIL 5:00AM MONDAY

 

Idk why cant they start is at 12AM not 12:01AM, its like at 12:01AM is the exact time mow workers start working.

[R110B]

Wirelessly posted via (Mozilla/5.0 (Danger hiptop 4.6; U; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/20050920)

 

Idk why cant they start is at 12AM not 12:01AM, its like at 12:01AM is the exact time mow workers start working.

There paranoid of the Fear of Midnight.

[Pakenhamtrain]

For the subway at least why not run a few TV adverts like what we have:

 

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[NX Express]

To me:

Lots of people gets confuse when they said:

12:01AM SAT to 5:00AM MONDAY.

Instead of to, I would put

FROM 12:01AM SAT UNTIL 5:00AM MONDAY

Sometimes, that just uses up valuable space on service change posters; in other cases it's just a matter of logically reasoning...it makes sense to most people anyway.

Idk why cant they start is at 12AM not 12:01AM, its like at 12:01AM is the exact time mow workers start working.

Some people might think that 12AM is midday, not midnight.:confused:

[CTK246]

Pfft...and the MTA wonders why they keep making budget cuts...

[brokecrazy]

12midnight is the END of a MTA day and 1201am is the START of a transit day.

Someone starting work at Midnight is starting work for the day before.

Someone starting at 1205am is starting for THAT calander day.

[Tokkemon]

I have mixed feelings on the new system. I think it is a very good idea to consolidate all the service changes in one place. These were the ones I always read while in the system, those lists of changes that were on the side of the maps. However, to expand the thing to an entire map board side is probably a bad idea. I think, instead of a big list of changes, it should be a big map with the service routes changed (as someone else mentioned above). Show all the routes running, then any shuttle buses etc. Also, use the turnstile posters, the in-train posters, and the station posters as specific to the line and station.

 

The problem with that idea, of course, is money. Every week they would have to be replaced, and that would cost a lot. Ultimately, I think an electronic map system where instead of a big paper map, one could just look at a big screen and see the map relevant to the day of travel. This overhaul wouldn't work everywhere though, because, obviously, crime would be a problem and many stations simply wouldn't need such sophisticated stuff. But at stations like Times Sq, or Grand Central, Fulton St, Columbus Circle, etc., I think these large electronic maps would be awesome.

 

I also think the needs to do a far better job of using alternative media to get people to know about service changes. Imagine sending these "altered maps" to all smartphones and tablets that are connected to the internet the minute one enters the station? If one opts-in to the program, they could receive it automatically. *That* is forward thinking. But the MTA won't do that because the system is designed for 100 years ago.