Following your nose can be a great way to get creatively lost on a bike and find things you weren’t looking for. But it can be a less than successful strategy if you’re just trying to get from A to B on time – and especially while safe new networks are still in the process of being built and connected.
That’s why it’s good to know Auckland Transport is currently trialling some new way finding designs for cycleways. (Ed note: ‘Wayfinding’ is the technical term for the whole range of possible clues and strategies to help people orient themselves and discover routes and destinations – from good old maps and signs and signposts, to almost subliminal pointers written or drawn on the ground, plus smart use of landmarks and other commonly understood features).
New wayfinding is being rolled out to replace any old signs that need to be replaced across the Auckland region, so the time is ripe to way, er, weigh in on this. Specifically, AT would like to hear what you think of the new designs as seen on the Grafton Gully Cycleway.
As AT tells us:
Signage at the top of Grafton Gully cycleway (click to enlarge)
Many elements are considered when finalizing wayfinding – and getting feedback from the people who will use it will prove invaluable to the process. AT has adopted best practice from around the world in developing the new wayfinding signage currently on trial on the Grafton Gully Cycleway.
It is used to help people to get to where they want to go irrespective of whether they have lived in Auckland all their life or it is their first day here. The objective for it is to be intuitive, systematic, useful and easy to understand
Specifically we are looking for feedback on:
content – have we provided the right information.
location – are they located where they can be seen and at the right junctions
size of sign
size of text
But we really want to hear any thoughts you may have or suggestions on how we can improve it. We want to get this wayfinding right, which is why we are taking the time to ask people first.
What do you think? The estimated times are useful – but shouldn’t they specify whether they’re for bikes or pedestrians? Are any major destinations missing, or mis-calculated/ mis-directed/ mis-labelled? (Would you instinctively take Grafton Gully if headed to Auckland hospital, for example? Do you know where Beach Rd is?)
Do the maps usefully show what a person consulting a map needs to know? What do we think about the NYC-subway style designations for the cycling routes? What other information would you like to see, or how could it be presented differently?
Heaps to consider… and we’re as interested as AT is to hear what you reckon, so as well as filling in the quick survey, please do share your thoughts below.
— Thanks to Scott Winton at AT for text and photos!
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What do you think? The estimated times are useful – but shouldn’t they specify whether they’re for bikes or pedestrians? Are any major destinations missing, or mis-calculated/ mis-directed/ mis-labelled? (Would you instinctively take Grafton Gully if headed to Auckland hospital, for example? Do you know where Beach Rd is?)
