BIA.studio has undertaken a major overhaul of the MBTA signage system which will dramatically improve the wayfinding experience for transit users. The key elements of the new project include:
- Complete photographic survey of every sign on the system (subway, commuter rail and ferry resulting in over 8500 photos of every sign on the system)
- Development and refinement of a new signage communication system
- New Signage Guidelines Manual addressing all modes of transit as “one system”
- New Digital Sign Manual with a station-specific focus
- New Software Application developed for sign design and fabrication: BIA’s SignMaker™
- Inclusion of ADA-compliant Tactile Braille signage
- Creation of a complete end-to-end solution for design and fabrication of signage
- a new paradigm for how signage will be made in the future
When complete, the project will allow every sign on every mode of transit- including subway, commuter rail, bus and ferry-to be designed from one interface, assuring that the new communication system is correct, clear, and consistent. The MBTA is the first transit agency in the country to embrace this technologically innovative approach, of which the newly opened Science Park/West End Station on the Green Line is the first pilot station to open with the new signage system.
