Multi-Modal Access Guides
Directions to Specific Destinations
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TDM
Encyclopedia
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
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Updated
March 7, 2007
This chapter describes how to produce a Multi-modal Access Guide, which provides concise directions to a particular destination by walking, cycling, driving and public transit.
Description
A Multi-Modal Access Guide (also called a Transportation Access Guide) is a document or set of documents that provide concise, customized information on how to access a particular destination by various travel modes, with special consideration of efficient modes such as walking, cycling and public transport. Such a guide typically includes:
· A map of the area, showing the destination, major roads, nearby landmarks, the closest rail station or bus stops, and recommended cycling and walking routes.
· Information about transit service frequency, fares, first and last runs, and public transportation schedules if possible; plus phone numbers and web addresses for transit service providers and taxi companies. For Events that start and end at specified times, include transit schedule information. Your Internet site can have links to transit and taxi websites.
· Information on how long it takes to walk from transit stations, downtown area and other reference locations to your site. (e.g., “We are twenty minutes by bus from the airport, and five minutes by bike from downtown”).
· Information on how to reach the destination from major transportation terminals (bus and train stations, airports, ferry terminals, etc.). For example, a Guide might include information on airport shuttle services and transit access.
· Access arrangements for people with disabilities on public transport routes and at train stations (Universal Access).
· Travel-time Maps can be used to indicate the time needed to travel from a particular origin to a destination, and compare accessibility by different modes (Lightfoot and Steinberg, 2006).
·
Estimated travel time from nearby cities and
towns (“We are about 45 minutes from downtown
· Availability of Bicycle Facilities, including secure bike parking, showers and change facilities.
· Automobile Parking availability and price.
· Improving wayfinding signage at destinations (AIGA, 2005; Muhlhausen, 2005).
Multi-Modal Access Guides can range from a simple map printed on the back of business cards or event invitations, to a special brochure, map, Internet page or comprehensive information packet. This information can also be incorporated into other printed documents, including business cards, invitations, letterhead, brochures and catalogues. They can be included in welcome kits provided to new employees, with information on telework and flextime policies as well as travel options. An Access Guide packet may include bicycle and transit maps, or information on how to obtain such maps. Some Guides intentionally exclude information on automobile access and vehicle parking options to discourage driving.
Multi-Modal Access Guides should be designed for various types of visitors, which may include staff, customers and clients, tourists, conference attendees, delivery services, and people with disabilities. Different versions of the Guide may be needed to accommodate different types of users, including special versions for people with disabilities, who speak a different language, who travel by a particular mode, or who travel from a particular area.
Developing a Multi-Modal Access Guide can be an opportunity to identify ways to improve mobility options to your destination. For example, while gathering information for a Guide you might find that it is currently difficult to walk from a nearby transit station to your site because sidewalks are in disrepair, that a shelter is needed at the closest bus stop, or that there is no secure place for visitors to store a bicycle. Guides should be revised as access options change (hopefully for the better).
How It Is Implemented
Multi-Modal Access Guides are usually developed by facility managers, local planners or a Transportation Management Association. This information can be incorporated into existing documents, such as brochures and invitations. All staff who work with clients and visitors should be familiar with multi-modal access options so they can advise callers on how to arrive by various modes. Staff who produce information materials, such as invitations and catalogues, can have standard multi-modal access information ready to incorporate into documents as needed.
Travel Impacts
Multi-Modal Access Guides can increase use of alternative modes and reduce automobile travel. Travel impacts vary, depending on conditions, including the quality of alternative modes and the degree to which inadequate information and encouragement limits their use. One case study found that a high-quality Access Guide resulted in a 17% shift from automobile to walking, cycling or transit as employees’ primary commute mode (RTA, 2003). This probably represents the higher end of travel impacts, since it applied when a worksite location was moving; smaller impacts are likely when Access Guides are implemented at existing worksite. Relatively large impacts may be achieved if Access Guides are implemented as part of comprehensive TDM programs that include a variety of improved travel services, incentives and marketing activities. For more information on the travel impacts of improved user information see TDM Marketing.
Table 1 Travel Impact Summary
|
Objective |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Reduces total traffic. |
2 |
Supports use of alternative
modes. |
|
Reduces peak period
traffic. |
2 |
" |
|
Shifts peak to off-peak
periods. |
1 |
May include information on flextime. |
|
Shifts automobile travel to
alternative modes. |
2 |
Supports use of alternative
modes. |
|
Improves access, reduces
the need for travel. |
3 |
" |
|
Increased ridesharing. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased public transit. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased cycling. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased walking. |
2 |
" |
|
Increased Telework. |
1 |
May include information on
telework options. |
|
Reduced freight traffic. |
1 |
May include information on
delivery options. |
Rating from 3 (very
beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
Benefits and Costs
By improving travel options and supporting use of more efficient travel modes, Multi-Modal Access Guides tend to support virtually all TDM objectives. Their cost is usually limited to the financial cost of producing this materials, and some of these costs can often be incorporated into existing document and website production budgets. Access guide production costs are often repaid many times over for a particular organization (e.g., business or campus) if they result in even a small reduction in automobile trips and parking demand.
Table 2 Benefit Summary
|
Objective |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Congestion Reduction |
2 |
Supports use of alternative
modes. |
|
Road & Parking Savings |
2 |
" |
|
Consumer Savings |
2 |
" |
|
Transport Choice |
3 |
" |
|
Road Safety |
2 |
" |
|
Environmental Protection |
2 |
" |
|
Efficient Land Use |
2 |
" |
|
Community Livability |
2 |
" |
Rating from 3 (very
beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
Equity Impacts
By improving travel options, Multi-Modal Access Guides tend to help achieve equity objectives. They can be particularly beneficial to people with disabilities and other non-drivers.
Table 3 Equity Summary
|
Criteria |
Rating |
Comments |
|
Treats everybody equally. |
2 |
Supports use of alternative
modes. |
|
Individuals bear the costs
they impose. |
2 |
" |
|
Progressive with respect to
income. |
3 |
" |
|
Benefits transportation
disadvantaged. |
3 |
" |
|
Improves basic mobility. |
3 |
" |
Rating from 3 (very
beneficial) to –3 (very harmful). A 0 indicates no impact or mixed impacts.
Applications
Multi-Modal Access Guides can be implemented by virtually any type of organization, but are particularly appropriate for TMAs, businesses and Campuses which attract large numbers of visitors, and are located in areas with diverse travel options.
Table 4 Application Summary
|
Geographic |
Rating |
Organization |
Rating |
|
Large urban region. |
3 |
Federal government. |
1 |
|
High-density, urban. |
3 |
State/provincial
government. |
2 |
|
Medium-density,
urban/suburban. |
3 |
Regional government. |
2 |
|
Town. |
2 |
Municipal/local government. |
2 |
|
Low-density, rural. |
2 |
Business Associations/TMA. |
3 |
|
Commercial center. |
3 |
Individual business. |
3 |
|
Residential neighborhood. |
3 |
Developer. |
3 |
|
Resort/recreation area. |
3 |
Neighborhood association. |
2 |
|
College/university
communities. |
3 |
Campus. |
3 |
Ratings range from 0 (not
appropriate) to 3 (very appropriate).
Category
Multi-Modal Access Guides Increase Travel Options
Relationships With Other TDM Strategies
Multi-Modal Access Guides support and are supported by a wide range of TDM strategies, including Transit Encouragement Programs, Walking and Cycling Encouragement, Nonmotorized Transportation Planning, TDM Marketing, Commute Trip Reduction programs, Special Event Transport Management, Tourist Transport Management, Parking Management, Campus Transport Management, Transit Oriented Development, Location Efficient Development and New Urbanism.
Stakeholders
Multi-Modal Access Guides development usually involves local planners, facility managers, transit agencies and user groups (e.g., a local cycling organization).
Barriers To Implementation
Common barriers include a lack of leadership and funding, and ignorance by top decision-makers about alternative modes.
Best Practices
Multi-Modal Access Guides should be concise and easy to use. Consider the needs and abilities of different types of visitors. Survey visitors to determine how they currently travel, what they know about their transport options to your site, and any transportation barriers they face.
Stakeholders should be involved in developing a Multi-modal access guide. Produce a draft guide. Ask stakeholders to review it and suggest improvements. These stakeholders may include:
· Staff who will use and distribute the guide, such as receptionists, personnel managers, sales staff, event organisers.
· Users, such as employees, clients, customers, delivery vehicle drivers, event participants, and others.
· Staff and visitors with disabilities.
· Public transport operators and the local planning officials.
Use graphic images as much as possible, including maps and symbols with bright colors. Coordinate the Guide with local wayfinding information, for example, by using the same symbol on maps and directional signs.
Provide phone numbers or web addresses for public transit and local taxi companies. A variety of Guides may be needed to accommodate different groups. Be sure to update the Guide as needed.
Be as specific as possible. Provide information on which
train or bus to take, where to get off, and which street to walk on, and where
to turn. For example write, “Take the Yellow line to Victoria Station (call
567-8910 for schedule and fare information). Trains run every 5 minutes on
weekdays, and every 15 minutes weekends and evenings. We are a 5-minutes walk
from Victoria Station. Use the
Provide encouragement. Incorporate information about using alternative modes such as walking, cycling and transit, and the benefits that result, including financial savings, reduced stress and increased physical exercise (TDM Marketing). Highlight appropriate fare discounts. For example, a Multi-modal Access Guide to a medical center might remind visitors of discounts available to seniors, while a Guide to a recreation center might remind visitors of discounts available to students.
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Wayfinding Is Not Signage: Signage Plays An Important Part Of
Wayfinding – But There's More By John Muhlhausen, Signs of the Times magazine Even though signage plays an important role in wayfinding, the process doesn't rely exclusively on signs. The term "wayfinding" was first used in 1960 by architect Kevin Lynch in The Image of the City, where he referred to maps, street numbers, directional signs and other elements as "way-finding" devices. This narrow description may explain the current misunderstanding that wayfinding is essentially the same as "signage." The two terms are not synonymous. Signmakers deal with designing, fabricating and installing signs. However, wayfinding used to navigate unfamiliar environments, doesn't rely exclusively on signs. This distinction gained acceptance in the early '70s when researchers discovered that, to understand how people find their way, they first need to understand the underlying process. Architect and environmental psychologist Romedi Passini articulated spatial problem-solving in his books, Wayfinding in Architecture and Wayfinding, People, Signs and Architecture, which he co-authored with wayfinding planner Paul Arthur. Passini and Arthur described wayfinding as a two-stage process during which people must solve a wide variety of problems in architectural and urban spaces that involve both "decision making" (formulating an action plan) and "decision executing" (implementing the plan). People who find themselves in unfamiliar environments need to know where they actually are in the complex, the layout of the complex, and the location of their destination in order to formulate their action plans. En route to their chosen destinations, people are helped or hindered prior to their visit, the building's architecture and signage. The physical environment, including positive effect in how users perceive the wayfinding system--if it seems easy to use or not. Faulty sign design can cause navigation problems in unfamiliar environments. Some signs lack "conspicuity," or visibility, because lettering lacks legibility when viewed from a distance. Others contain inaccurate, ambiguous or unfamiliar messages; many are obscured by obstructions or contain reflective surfaces, which hinder comprehension. Consequently, many people don't read signs--often it's easier to ask for directions. Because wayfinding problems aren't confined to signs alone, they typically can't be solved by adding more signs. Instead, such problems can be unraveled by designing an environment that identifies logical traffic patterns that enable people to move easily from one spot to another without confusion. Signs cannot be a panacea for poor architecture and illogical space planning. Four Elements Wayfinding needs are best resolved during initial planning stages through a collaborative effort by all design professionals--architects, designers and signmakers--to address a project's total environmental communication. The primary generator of environmental communication, architecture delineates spatial organization, destination zones and information sequencing--factors that spell wayfinding's success or failure. Effective architectural wayfinding clues, provided by roads, building layouts, corridors and lighting, furnish cognitive maps that allow people to quickly grasp the environment. To furnish architectural clues: · Clearly identify arrival points. · Provide convenient parking and accessible walkways located adjacent to each public entry. · Locate information desks within each public entry visible from the front door. · Place elevator lobbies so they can be seen upon entering the building. · Use consistent lighting, floor coverings and architectural finishes in primary public corridor systems. · Situate memorable landmarks along corridors and at key decision points. · Design public waiting areas that are visually open to corridors. · Distinguish public from non-public corridors by using varied finishes, colors and lighting · Harmonize floor numbers between connecting buildings. Graphic Communication Graphics, such as signs, color coding, maps, banners, brochures and Websites, provide orientation, direction, identification and regulatory information. To achieve effective graphic communication: · Standardize names for all buildings, services and destinations, and display them consistently on all graphics applications. · Use easily understood "plain" language. · Size messages and signs appropriately for viewing distances. · Select letterforms and color combinations that comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines (see New Face to ADA). · Furnish generous spacing between letters, words and message lines. · Provide standardized "you are here" maps of the project that include an overall map of the complex and more detailed maps of specific areas. · Train attendants to mark individualized paths on hand-held maps for lost or disoriented visitors. · Place maps at all parking exits, building entrances and major interior decision points. · Orient maps with building layouts, such as denoting on maps that "up is ahead." · Establish consistency in sign placements and graphics layouts. · Code areas by using color and memorable graphics. · Use established pictographs with words to facilitate comprehension of written messages. · Establish a floor numbering system that relates to a building's main entry and indicate on directories which floors are above and below grade. Audible Communication Audible communication, as interpreted through verbal instructions, PA systems, elevator chimes and water fountains, plays an important role in wayfinding. Recognizing that 50% of the American population is functionally illiterate (according to a recent study published by the U.S. Department of Education) and that another 15% possess other perceptual or cognitive impairments, audible communication fills an important role in any wayfinding solution. To establish effective audible communication: · Install audible sounds at signaled intersections to indicate safe times to cross the street. · At all public entries and information desks, provide attendants trained as professional greeters who are thoroughly familiar with the facility. · Furnish self-help telephones at all information desks. · Provide patient-transport personnel whose purpose is to guide visitors to their destinations. · Standardize names for all buildings, services and destinations, and use them consistently in verbal communication. · Equip elevators with audible chimes. · Position audible landmarks, such as water fountains, at waiting areas. · Employ audible signs to help locate information desks, elevators, rest rooms and other key destinations. Tactile Communication Tactile communication, achieved by raised letters, Braille, knurled door knobs and textured floor coverings assists all visitors, not only the disabled. To incorporate tactual devices into a wayfinding system: · Establish "shorelines" and "trails" between major destinations and information areas using materials having differing resiliency's, such as concrete and carpet. · Install "rumble strips" at the landings of stairs and escalators. · Furnish knurled door knobs at all non-public doors. · Provide a raised star symbol on elevator control panels to indicated the ground floor. · Supply raised letters and Grade 2 Braille at elevators and on signs identifying permanent destinations. · Install interactive audio-tactile maps at public entrance lobbies. Consistent Clues Architects, designers and signmakers must work together from the beginning of a project to create a total environmental statement that provides consistent clues. So, the next time a client asks for wayfinding signage. tell them that wayfinding is not signage – it's more. |
Examples and Case Studies
To find examples of Multi-Modal Access Guides, simply perform an Internet search on “directions, map, bus”.
Business Card
Information
Figure 1 illustrates a simple transit access direction map printed on the back of business cards used by RTA employees.
Figure 1 Business Card Map
This illustrates transit travel directions printed on the back of business cards.
Roads and
Traffic Authority Relocation (www.rta.nsw.gov.au/trafficinformation/downloads/rtamobilitymgtcasestudy_dl1.html)
In
late 2001 staff of the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority were
relocated from offices in the
To
track changes in transport use and time spent commuting, an electronic survey
was issued to all staff prior to and after the relocation. In addition, an
anonymous random selection telephone interview survey was conducted prior to,
and after the relocation to gauge staff opinions and attitudes towards their
new travel and transport arrangements and the kits.
These
results indicate significant (16.7%) shifts from car to sustainable transport
as the priority commute mode for staff who relocated to