The project will improve the customer experience of existing transit passengers and seeks to attract new transit passengers by piloting a harmonized system of transit service information wayfinding…

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) was awarded a $20,989,232 Formula Grant from the Federal Transit Administration's (CFDA 20.507) Federal Transit Formula Grants program on February 15, 2025. The grant will fund a project to improve the customer experience of existing transit passengers and attract new ridership in the San Francisco Bay Area by piloting a harmonized system of transit service information, wayfinding signage, and maps. Specifically, the funds will be used for the fabrication, installation, and/or refurbishment of signage at nine regional transit hub facilities across seven Bay Area counties. The signage will include facility markers, station identification, maps, markers for fare-paid areas and station amenities, real-time departure screens, bus stop markers, line diagrams, wayfinding signs, and platform-side identification. This project aims to provide clear, high-quality transit information to passengers through improved physical and digital signage.

Activities

These funds will be used for the fabrication and installation and/or refurbishment of signage at two sets of pilot sites around the BAY area in accordance with the new regional mapping and wayfinding standards prepared as part of earlier stages of the regional mapping and wayfinding project. The first pilot includes signs at nine regional transit hub facilities: dublin/pleasanton (alameda county) EL cerrito DEL norte (contra costa county) larkspur (marin county) powell (SAN francisco county) millbrae (SAN mateo county) SAN jose diridon (santa clara county) suisun-fairfield station (solano county)vallejo transit center ferry terminal (solano county) santa rosa transit mall smart station (sonoma county) the following types of signs will be installed refurbished or replaced as part of this project:facility markers and station identification signssigns containing map posters of the region nearby areas and the facilitymarkers indicating entrances and exits of fare-paid areasmarkers indicating station amenities such as information displays or fare-pay machinesdigital status screens with real-time departure predictionsbus stop route markers and bus stop BAY numbersbus schedule panelsline diagrams inside station facilitieswayfinding signs showing the direction of station facilities and exitselevator directoriespedestrian route markers (for long pedestrian routes connecting station facilities)track and platform identification markersplatform-side station identification signs and line diagramsthe second pilot will include fabrication and installation of signs at a series of bus routes in sonoma and solano counties. This will include replacing bus stop markers at approximately 500 bus stops between the two counties and adding tactile information for increased accessibility. At some of these stops there will also be the refurbishment of existing or the addition of new bus schedule cases. These signs will largely be attached to existing bus stop posts although small numbers of stops may need replacement posts or other special mounting.

Expected outcomes

Improvements in customer satisfaction efficiency and transit ridership.

Intended beneficiaries

Current and future transit passengers will benefit.