Priority Areas: Access to Knowledge, Technology
Practice Details: There are many apps that increase the accessibility of wayfinding for visually impaired riders. These apps map indoor and outdoor spaces, including stops and stations, and provide audio and written information to users. Here are a few examples:
- Sound Transit in Seattle, Washington, has implemented GoodMaps, which uses light detection and ranging (LiDAR) mapping technology to create highly accurate 3D maps of large public spaces’ interiors. The GoodMaps app then uses these maps to give real-time, turn-by-turn directions.
- In Washington, D.C., the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) uses Waymap, an app that provides step-by-step directions without relying on Wi-Fi or a cell signal. Waymap created detailed scans of the WMATA stations using lidar technology and station maps. When travelers use the app, positioning technology on their mobile device transmits data to Waymap, which is able to calculate step length and step direction. The app is then able to provide real-time step-by-step directions within WMATA transit stations.
- Several transit systems use the NaviLens app, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City; VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, Texas; and Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) Public Transit in central Iowa. NaviLens works using a system of colorful codes, which look like colorful, simplified QR codes, posted near transit stops and stations. The app uses the phone camera to scan the codes, and then reads off wayfinding information based on the codes it scans. The codes can be scanned from far away, without the code needing to be fully in focus or fully in the camera’s frame.
Why It’s Promising: Turn-by-turn or step-by-step directions increase the accessibility of transit stops and stations by increasing access to knowledge for travelers. While apps are not an appropriate solution for everyone, these apps increase access for many, including blind and visually impaired travelers.
Replication: Systems looking to implement a wayfinding app should consider what features are most important for their riders. Including people with disabilities and older adults in designing improved wayfinding will result in better outcomes.
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