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Ann Arbor, 2023.08-2024.01
Detour Toolkit
A passenger communication guide informing bus service operators how to effectively redirect riders when detours arise.
Introduction
Detours occur frequently in Ann Arbor due to construction projects and circumstances outside of TheRide's control. However, these events should not deter riders from using the bus service, and passenger communication should offer recourse to assist riders in adapting their travels to the detours.
While detours may inevitably disrupt some travels, the Toolkit aims to reduce rider abandonment by improving basic text and graphic communication standards and streamlining information distribution.
Intended for internal use within TheRide, this 30+ page document instructs service employees on the syntax, tone, and steps to effectively communicate detour information to riders.
Question
how might we
optimize TheRide’s
detour alerts to improve
rider experience?
Each summer, Ann Arbor undergoes a number of construction projects that impact roads and forces detours for local bus services.
With over a million boardings each year, these detours impact a significant number of TheRide’s ridership experience, and our research has found that the service is ill-equipped to communicate detours with their riders.
Explore
We conducted interviews, distributed questionnaires and performed on-site observation to further explore the identified issues.
Then we compiled our investigative research into a journey map shows the impact of detours on a rider’s typical experience with TheRide.
Through this mapping, we pinpointed major issues in the accessibility of existing detour communications. The primary areas needing improvements are:
(1) the difficulty in deciphering text announcements;
(2) a lack of visual communication for spatial information;
(3) a passive alert system that requires users to actively search for alerts.
Solution
To address the gaps, our team aimed to redesign the current alert ecosystem to better retain ridership during detour instances. We rewrote the language, redesigned flyers, and improved touchpoint access to enhance informational clarity and center the rider’s experience. This process was supported by comparative user research with the existing and our modified system.
We organized our redesigned text and images into a responsive text alert system that changes dynamically depending on the platform in which the information is being displayed.
Testing
We asked Urban Tech students:
What percentage of riders they thought could correctly interpret each text.
On Average, Urban Tech students stated that they thought only 32.5% of riders could correctly interpret the current long form text,
compared to 72.5% of riders with the improved long form text.
Urban Tech Students only had a 50% success rate determining if a specific stop was closed with the current system,
they had a 90% success rate with the improved system.
Delivery
The final product is the Detour Toolkit manual, a 30+ page guide for TheRide's staff on communicating detour information to passengers. It details the language, tone, and methods for crafting alert messages, designing flyers, and distributing them. The manual contains a checklist and flyer templates in the appendix. Future plans of the project are to refine this toolkit in collaboration with the transit agency for enhanced internal application.
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