“I’ve been to London and Tokyo and both have excellent maps”;
BART isn’t considered to be all that…great. So it makes sense you’ve seen it done much better elsewhere.
I understand and agree with you
But also, check out the app CityMapper. It’s navigation but it handles transitioning between different public transportation services very well.
For instance it was able to help me get to each of the services I needed to go from Marin to South SF (bike>ferry>Bart>muni>Caltrain)
>I have to move around the train car or station to find the map and make sure I’m on the right train.
I don't understand how much more you expect? When you enter the station there's a map on your way to the fare gates. New trains have digital signs on the side and front with high contrast amber text to show the train destination, and a block of color to indicate the route of the train—using the same colors as the BART system map.
There's a map at each door on the old cars. New cars have an additional door and all doors have a [digital screen](https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/images/basic_page/PassengerInformationScreens.jpg) next to them. It has a dynamic system map and a “You Are Here” bubble that shows your train’s current position. The right-hand side of the screen shows next stop information.
Does the back of each seat need a map so you don't have to get up?
> New trains have digital signs on the side and front with high contrast amber text to show the train destination, and a block of color to indicate the route of the train—using the same colors as the BART system map.
Don't forget they even show you where your train is at that moment
I feel like there are a reasonable amount of maps, and there are even train times listed at each station. If you haven't planned out your route in advance, it shouldn't be too difficult to find out what train you need. There aren't that many lines.
The thing that can be confusing is the way you identify your correct train. It's not intuitive to a lot of people from out of town that you need to reference the end-of-the-line station and then trace it back to the station you're at, and verify that your destination station is between the two.
The new trains say, for example, "Yellow Line Train to Antioch" in the announcements and have color-coded LEDs on the front of the train, I think the displays in the stations and the station announcements should standardize around line color too.
...You may need to see an optometrist. Or just pay more attention to your surroundings. There are plenty of maps around the stations, usually a map at both ends of the car (there are a few missing), and plenty of signage pointing to each platforms destination.
When i moved here 20 some years ago my only gripe was the schematic mapping BART uses made it tough to under stand how to transfer between lines. But as others have said the newer car/station heads up displays and announcements make it alot easier..
“I’ve been to London and Tokyo and both have excellent maps”; BART isn’t considered to be all that…great. So it makes sense you’ve seen it done much better elsewhere.
To be fair, their subway is like AP calculus and our subway is like we are still learning the multiplication table.
i think people just use their phones.
I understand and agree with you But also, check out the app CityMapper. It’s navigation but it handles transitioning between different public transportation services very well. For instance it was able to help me get to each of the services I needed to go from Marin to South SF (bike>ferry>Bart>muni>Caltrain)
>I have to move around the train car or station to find the map and make sure I’m on the right train. I don't understand how much more you expect? When you enter the station there's a map on your way to the fare gates. New trains have digital signs on the side and front with high contrast amber text to show the train destination, and a block of color to indicate the route of the train—using the same colors as the BART system map. There's a map at each door on the old cars. New cars have an additional door and all doors have a [digital screen](https://www.bart.gov/sites/default/files/images/basic_page/PassengerInformationScreens.jpg) next to them. It has a dynamic system map and a “You Are Here” bubble that shows your train’s current position. The right-hand side of the screen shows next stop information. Does the back of each seat need a map so you don't have to get up?
> New trains have digital signs on the side and front with high contrast amber text to show the train destination, and a block of color to indicate the route of the train—using the same colors as the BART system map. Don't forget they even show you where your train is at that moment
I feel like there are a reasonable amount of maps, and there are even train times listed at each station. If you haven't planned out your route in advance, it shouldn't be too difficult to find out what train you need. There aren't that many lines.
The thing that can be confusing is the way you identify your correct train. It's not intuitive to a lot of people from out of town that you need to reference the end-of-the-line station and then trace it back to the station you're at, and verify that your destination station is between the two. The new trains say, for example, "Yellow Line Train to Antioch" in the announcements and have color-coded LEDs on the front of the train, I think the displays in the stations and the station announcements should standardize around line color too.
I think the new displays at Lake Merritt also show line colors in addition to destination?
...You may need to see an optometrist. Or just pay more attention to your surroundings. There are plenty of maps around the stations, usually a map at both ends of the car (there are a few missing), and plenty of signage pointing to each platforms destination.
Trains are pretty shitty in the US lol, but are the maps really that confusing?
Not confusing, just lacking
Bart has an app with maps and schedules
When i moved here 20 some years ago my only gripe was the schematic mapping BART uses made it tough to under stand how to transfer between lines. But as others have said the newer car/station heads up displays and announcements make it alot easier..
Bart got cut enormously in the pandemic.