While enjoying Vintage Soul's pictures, I came across some surprises:
1) Brand new Metrobus signs of a new style, as seen in this picture of 5402
(http://www.ttmg.org/photos/tlogan/WMATA_NABI_5402c.jpg)
2) Tyson's Express bus. Who is running that service? It reminds me of a PRTC bus.
Any answers to these questions would be much appreciated! I fell so out of touch with the DC Area Transit Scene... :(
Tysons Express is a common brand used for two different express services: PRTC's Tysons Corner-Woodbridge service and Loudoun County Transit's Tysons Corner-Leesburg service.
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I don't see anything new about that sign
Quote from: NewFlyer9736BCT on February 01, 2011, 08:31:54 PM
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I don't see anything new about that sign
These are the newer style signs that were proposed a while back. I have a few pics of them from the first day of the X9.
how are they different from the other ones? i'm lost...
Are you looking at the bus stop sign??
Old:(http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u341/LIL_J_558/006-1-1.jpg)
New:(http://i518.photobucket.com/albums/u341/LIL_J_558/WMATA_NABI_5402c.jpg)
Are the new signs only along the X9 route? Kind of funny because the old signs match the new paint scheme quite well!
They are only at the stops for the X9 all the way to Capitol Heights.
They're going to be installed regionally starting in probably March; bus stops shared with local transits will have smaller flags for each system underneath the ginormous Metrobus sign </end bias>
I was looking at the bus sign, not the bus stop sign, my bad...
wow, i am a huge idiot lol
yeah I noticed that for a while. it's cool
Quote from: Tristan on February 02, 2011, 02:57:39 PM
They're going to be installed regionally starting in probably March; bus stops shared with local transits will have smaller flags for each system underneath the ginormous Metrobus sign </end bias>
Big and square signs are so 1995. Plus, I think its to decrease the amount of clutter at stops.
Quote from: NewFlyer9736BCT on February 02, 2011, 03:38:26 PM
I was looking at the bus sign, not the bus stop sign, my bad...
wow, i am a huge idiot lol
Yeah, I was looking at the sign on the front of the bus as well, and was thinking, "Either they're talking about that it's at a slight backward angle, or I'm missing something." Apparently, I was missing something. :-)
That new sign design seems to work because the route numbers appear to be in a larger size. Not so sure about what I think of the sign sticking out over both sides of the pole, but I'll reserve judgement on that until I see it live in person.
I don't care for the new signs and think they are a waste of money. The "classic" Metrobus signs are easy to read and more balanced in color. And why waste funding on something like this when WMATA perpetually faces so many cuts?
I think the signs should include the final stop on each route. While the bigger route number and overall increase in readability is nice, the general trend in nearly every city that I can think of that I've been to in the past few years has to INCLUDE that data on its bus stop signs. Also, many other places have all the bus stop signage at a given stop, no matter how many operators, grouped into a single sign or flag somehow. It will be nice to see that happen in DC, too.
I highly agree with you, Oren, and also I wish the phone number and stuff was a bit bigger...but I have to see them for myself.
Is this funded through a federal stimulus grant or something? If not, well...I can kind of understand why the jurisdictions aren't taking WMATA's funding woes seriously (in addition to the 263 new positions they are adding to their payroll)...signs aren't cheap, but it's more palatable and understandable if they are simply replacing torn down signs with these new ones. Are they being tied in with some sort of stop locator thing (like will the nextbus stop number be incorporated into the main sign?
Tristan, why must the other agencies have small flags underneath the Metrobus signs? They have just as much information (if not more) to present as the WMATA signs.
Also I do realize that the bus stop signs need to be refreshed (seriously, how long has this design been out there...they've been using them as long as I can remember!), I have to agree with Fred on spending this kind of money on bus stop signs when they claim the (relatively young) system is falling apart around them...
I think the Nextbus ID is to be integrated better into the new sign design. Still not a reason to change signs that don't need changing IMO, they should just start with the ones that need to be changed (though there is an argument for a uniform sign systemwide).
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on February 03, 2011, 04:26:02 PM
I think the Nextbus ID is to be integrated better into the new sign design. Still not a reason to change signs that don't need changing IMO, they should just start with the ones that need to be changed (though there is an argument for a uniform sign systemwide).
True. Albeit there are a couple of stops with IDs that aren't registered in the system. The westbound stop at Minnesota Avenue for the X9 and U2 doesn't come up and they show the X9 at Bay H and there is no Bay H at Minn Avenue. Goes up to G, then K L M.
I also noticed that fairfax connecter has those style of signs only in Tysons.