![]() The steep incline from the airport - approximately 40 metres (130 ft) downhill to Luton Airport Parkway station - presented engineering challenges to building any heavy rail link over the short distance to the airport terminal. Several schemes were considered, including a 2007 proposal to replace the shuttle buses with segregated tracked transit conveyors, and in 2015, a heavy rail spur link to the airport was also being considered. The shuttle bus was considered to be unsatisfactory, and proposals were developed to replace the bus service with a new rail link. Although the new station was closer to the airport (1 mile (1.6 km) to the west), it was still necessary to run a shuttle bus transfer service. Luton Airport Parkway railway station opened in 1999, providing rail connections to central and south London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton on the Thameslink route, as well as the Midland Mainline routes to the East Midlands. A shuttle bus service operated from Luton railway station, to convey rail passengers 2 miles (3.2 km) from Luton town centre to the airport terminal. Although the Midland Main Line passed within 1 mile (1.6 km) of the airport, there was no dedicated railway station and public transport connections to Luton Airport were limited. Luton DART opened to passengers on 10 March 2023 with a limited service of four hours per day, and will eventually run 24 hours a day.įrom the 1950s and 1960s, Luton Airport experienced an increase in business as a result of the growing package holiday market. The line replaces the shuttle bus service, with the aim of reducing road congestion and reducing journey times from London St Pancras to the airport terminal to 32 minutes. DART is an acronym for Direct Air-Rail Transit. The characters in Helvetica Neue are more distinctive than Avant Garde, yet still not a good signage typeface.The Luton DART is an airport rail link in Bedfordshire, England, which connects Luton Airport Parkway station and Luton Airport using a Cable Liner automated people mover system. Learn more from this article about Wayfinder Sans Pro.įor the platform map, Helvetica Neue Bold and its condensed form are being used. Recognizable characters from a good range of distances and lighting conditions. ![]() Choosing a typeface for transit map is quite similar to highway signs. TypefaceĪvant Garde in various forms is being used in most signages, including the train map… Some signs even uses different weights for the same line. The train map is not as challenging, while it is very unfortunate the Orange line twists at both ends of the shaded area. The use of bold typefaces distracts viewers from seeing that. For one, the routes are unnecessarily rugged. It is very difficult to perceive the contour of each line from the platform map. But we may easily tell from the results that easily recognizable routes with obvious turns and maximum space between each line are preferred. I haven’t done a scientific research like the one from MIT. And adopted a hexagonal grid in the second version. ![]() My first attempt was to use the same 30, 150, 210, and 330 degree grids to echo the DART branding. While the seemingly random branching points (probably in part due to lack of space) diluted the effect. On the platform map, with the exception of the vertical lines, there is no obvious grid system, everything goes! On the train map, I believe there is a conscious attempt to use the 30, 150, 210, and 330 degree grids, catching on the DART logo pattern. DART system is relatively simple, lines branching out from a few downtown station. Grid provides visual consistency, which makes it easier for viewers to understand the system. They must have been lost in the maze-like twists and magically reappearing routes on the map. They knew Fair Park station was on the Green line, but still, they couldn’t find it on the map, they had been looking up and down, yet still missed it and the train that would have taken them there. I remember helping out a couple on the platform. I’ve encountered quite a lot of riders looking at the maps confused at almost every station… Platforms and trains are the points of immediate needs riders may have to decide to embark or disembark in seconds. Some of my closest travel companions may know that I have an affinity towards transit maps, so when I tried to ride the Dallas DART rail platform, it was barely comprehensible and left much to be desired! What does a DART rider desire? Staying in a place with public transit is my preferred choice when possible. Recently I’ve been taking a break from San Francisco and staying in Dallas. Pointing the DART in the right direction: quick UI fixes for a new easy to comprehend transit map
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