CASE STUDY
45% of riders still struggle to navigate BART.
Redesigning wayfinding so riders stop getting lost.
The hidden cost of confusing transit navigation
Jan 2025
Report in
7.15%
Ridership increased by
4.15 million
Total trips
Over 162,000 daily riders
Bart is a critical transit system for
Work, school, and home
Helping commuters get to
45% of riders still struggle with navigation
Missed stops, wrong trains, and unclear exits waste time.
Confusion creates anxiety, especially for new or occasional riders.
Unintuitive wayfinding discourages people from choosing public transit.
This isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a trust issue.
Reduced ridership growth
Higher car dependency
Increased traffic congestion
Why is navigation so difficult?
I rode BART 15+ times over 3 weeks, documenting every moment of confusion. From Fruitvale to Embarcadero, I photographed signs, timed how long decisions took, and watched where other riders hesitated.
Many ads are distracting, and the signage is tiny.
Red marks distract; blue ones indicate signs.
Lack of onboard navigation support
Text is too small and overloaded with information.
The complicated lines and small text (Left) make the map hard to read
Poor exit signage wastes time
New riders and tourists struggle the most, relying on trial and error to find the right way out.
Over 4.15 million trips per month, yet exit labels are unclear, inconsistent, or missing at key stations.
Unclear exit signs. Take "B2 exit" to the right at the blue mark.
Riders experience stress, delays, and uncertainty, making public transit feel unreliable.
How to make Bart experience more intuitive?
To address these issues, I designed a wayfinding system that enhances clarity, confirmation, & consistency.
Inspired of the best transportation system
Metro stations from New York, Japan, and London
I tested paper prototypes with 5 riders at Embarcadero station.
The numbered system clicked immediately — one rider said, "Wait, that's it? Blue line, stop 12?
I interviewed 3 riders about their worst BART moments.
One rider told me:
“BART feels a lot riskier because the maps aren't as clear, it's a lot less efficient (it takes me like an hour to get to Fruitvale Station from Walnut Creek!) and the trains come much less frequently, so if you miss a train or get on the wrong one, you're screwed.” - Ch.
"Which platform? Which train? One look."
Colors tell you which train. Numbers tell you which stop.
Station names are hard to remember. Numbers aren't. Now riders just need to know: Blue line, stop 12.
Before: Which train? After: 'Blue line, Platform 2, Stop 10..'
You're at stop 12. Dublin is stop 18. Count down and you'll know when to get off.
"What's easier to remember: 'Embarcadero, West Oakland, Lake Merritt, Fruitvale' — or 'Blue, Platform 2, Stop 9'?"