Why are so many metro transit agency websites so awful/ugly?

tdawg · #1 Posted **Dec 3, 2015, 3:51 PM**

I'm obsessed with rail transit maps and was just looking at some of the websites of the largest agencies in the U.S. including Chicago's CTA, New York's MTA, and Atlanta's MARTA and they all have one thing in common—horribly designed and ugly websites. LA, Boston, and San Francisco are only marginally better looking. London is about the best example I can find of a well designed transit site. As a designer, I would honestly consider doing pro bono work for our local (NYC) transit site just so that it's not so embarrassing. What are your favorite examples of either ugly or beautiful transit agency websites?

1Boston · #2 Posted **Dec 3, 2015, 5:05 PM**

Yeah, just looking at the NYC mta website now, it looks like a cheap online shopping site where I'd probably get a virus from clicking on anything. Paris has a pretty ugly one as well. I really like montreal's (http://www.stm.info/en) website.

Busy Bee · #3 Posted **Dec 3, 2015, 5:14 PM**

The simple answer I think is that American transport agency websites are indicative of a larger lack of a culture of excellence in both the priority transit receives in this country in terms of funding and a larger American "fuddyism" when it comes to public infrastructure. The lack of sophistication and thoughtfulness in design of the transport environment: "after the fact" planning of public transport lines and connectivity, outdated uninspired utilitarian rolling stock as well as things like highway infrastructure that is completely derived and executed by engineers with a distinct artlessness as that situations natural outcome. Many other nations and countries view their public infrastructure as a "face" of their societies and take great pride in making sure design is a top priority, many times employing design competitions which is a phenomenon we unfortunately experience very little of in the US. So in my opinion the connection between this lack of funding and a culture of excellence in this nation directly translates to the everyday user experience like a website interface. I lightly entertain the idea that politics and administrative incompetence could possible be to blame as well, i.e. some officials brother in law or political pal getting the web development gig, but I think it's simpler than that. My gut tells me many transit administrators don't know the difference between good and bad design, and at the same time trying to accomplish something that should be a much greater cultural priority with inadequate funding.

Hope this makes sense.

ardecila · #4 Posted **Dec 3, 2015, 7:09 PM**

^ I agree with most of your points about transit systems in the US.

However, I honestly don't think any of the web design examples given are that bad. SFMTA's website looks identical to Transport for London's and STM's... I'm not seeing the quality difference. The only difference that TfL (and LA Metro) seem to employ illustrators to create stylized illustrations. But that's a decision independent of web design.

The developed world seems to be standardizing on a transit website format that puts the trip planner first and foremost, often to the exclusion of maps and diagrams. Service status information is also front and center.

That's not to say there aren't terrible websites out there... most of the second-tier cities in the US have terrible websites. But so do many international cities. ATAC Roma's website is miserable. Maybe that's to be expected for Italy... but Wiener Linien (Vienna)'s website used to be equally bad before they launched their current website, which is merely boring.

electricron · #5 Posted **Dec 3, 2015, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdawg

What are your favorite examples of either ugly or beautiful transit agency websites?

Transit agencies websites are ugly because they are meant to be functional, not pretty.

cityscapes · #6 Posted **Dec 3, 2015, 10:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by electricron

Transit agencies websites are ugly because they are meant to be functional, not pretty.

Functional doesn't have to be ugly and ugly isn't always functional. They should be functional and pretty. It isn't that hard since many transit websites do accomplish this.

scalziand · #7 Posted **Dec 4, 2015, 5:41 AM**

WRTA's isn't too bad, IMO.

http://www.therta.com/

Swede · #8 Posted **Dec 4, 2015, 8:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by scalziand

WRTA's isn't too bad, IMO.

http://www.therta.com/

They really hid the trip planner though. That's what really should be the big thing up front when the page loads.

Looking around the US transit agencies' websites... woah. Is this the 90s?

Seriously. It's not that hard. Look at good ones and just copy the ideas.
Stockholm (SL)
London (TfL)

guppyflyer · #9 Posted **Dec 4, 2015, 1:47 PM**

Denver's RTD website is pretty good. I find it both attractive and functional.

Swede · #10 Posted **Dec 4, 2015, 2:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by guppyflyer

Denver's RTD website is pretty good. I find it both attractive and functional.

That one looks modern and like it's aimed at people who actually use transit.

tdawg · #11 Posted **Dec 4, 2015, 3:31 PM**

Denver's is pretty great!

mousquet · #12 Posted **Dec 5, 2015, 6:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swede

That one looks modern and like it's aimed at people who actually use transit.

I forget about website designing gadgets, assuming the latest HTML standard, the very common and universal set of tools supported by any browser allows some fairly user-friendly designs like this without any annoying flash stuff or anything too exotic.

Keep in mind, the most essential for transit agencies is to provide some convenient phone applications anyway.

seaskyfan · #13 Posted **Dec 5, 2015, 7:11 PM**

The Denver one is like the Google home page of transit websites. Great they were able to keep it so clean.

Our local one in Seattle isn't too bad but they definitely went with the "more is better" idea - http://metro.kingcounty.gov

NorthernDancer · #14 Posted **Dec 7, 2015, 7:34 PM**

The worst part of many American transit websites is the ugly black/white, sometimes even blurry, PDF maps of the transit routes. And the lack of ability to get a route schedule for any stop along the route.

Riise · #15 Posted **Dec 7, 2015, 9:15 PM**

Calgary Transit's new website is rather good.

mrnyc · #16 Posted **Dec 8, 2015, 11:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorthernDancer

The worst part of many American transit websites is the ugly black/white, sometimes even blurry, PDF maps of the transit routes. And the lack of ability to get a route schedule for any stop along the route.

pdf format is so you can use it off line. all routes i have ever used had schedules.

its true that most transit websites still range from terrible to just ok.

NorthernDancer · #17 Posted **Dec 8, 2015, 8:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnyc

all routes i have ever used had schedules.

I mean that you cannot select any stop along the desired route and get the schedule for that stop. That seems to be the case for most American transit sites, or at least the ones I've looked at.

Something like this:

http://ttc.ca/Routes/6/Northbound.jsp

clicking on a stop leads to this:

http://ttc.ca/Schedule/schedule.jsp?..._at_College_St

As far as the maps go, they can keep PDF versions, but the blurry black and white PDFs with the small, hard to read font aren't very good. I much prefer simplified colour schematics:

http://ttc.ca/Routes/6/RouteDescription.jsp?tabName=map

They're much easier to read.

Streamliner · #18 Posted **Dec 8, 2015, 8:59 PM**

San Diego's MetropolitanTransit System website just got an overhaul. Design-wise I think it's very good. Haven't had a chance to use it properly yet but it seems pretty functional as well.

http://www.sdmts.com/

Swede · #19 Posted **Dec 9, 2015, 9:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mousquet

I forget about website designing gadgets, assuming the latest HTML standard, the very common and universal set of tools supported by any browser allows some fairly user-friendly designs like this without any annoying flash stuff or anything too exotic.

Keep in mind, the most essential for transit agencies is to provide some convenient phone applications anyway.

Yeah HTML5 ftw!

Agreed about the phone apps, those are essential. Preferably agencies will have their own while also using an API to make it possible for others to build apps.

Ryanrule · #20 Posted **Dec 9, 2015, 3:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdawg

I'm obsessed with rail transit maps and was just looking at some of the websites of the largest agencies in the U.S. including Chicago's CTA, New York's MTA, and Atlanta's MARTA and they all have one thing in common—horribly designed and ugly websites. LA, Boston, and San Francisco are only marginally better looking. London is about the best example I can find of a well designed transit site. As a designer, I would honestly consider doing pro bono work for our local (NYC) transit site just so that it's not so embarrassing. What are your favorite examples of either ugly or beautiful transit agency websites?

Old people in charge.