wayfinding

New signs and other wayfinding elements have been installed along the routes from O’Hare’s baggage claims in Terminals 1, 2, and 3 to the 'L' stop.

The low quality of wayfinding and information design throughout Metra stations and onboard the trains is totally inexcusable.

It can years to learn all of these rules of thumb but here's a shortcut, with some street name history thrown in for good measure.

This isn't a wish list. These are five standard features of most bus networks in Europe.

Last month, colorful new wayfinding signs were installed near all of the access ramps for The 606, aka the Bloomingdale Trail. They point trail users to the nearest off-ramp and access park. The relatively small text on the signs is a little tricky to read if you're cycling past them at a moderate pace, but they're a welcome addition to the trail. They'll help people become more familiar with the street names in the four neighborhoods the elevated greenway passes through.

A new "Walk To Transit" initiative by the Chicago Department of Transportation will target 20 CTA stations for a slew of simple pedestrian infrastructure upgrades. People walking to several Blue Line stations on the west side and along Milwaukee Avenue, along with stations on the south and north sides, will see safety and usability improvements like re-striped zebra crosswalks, curb extensions, repaired or widened sidewalks, and new signage.