The Many Languages of Transit Platform Signs

The blog Greater Greater Washington reports that the D.C. Metro is considering a change to the way it labels platform signs. The way things are now, Metro signs show a line's terminal station. So if you're riding the Blue line from downtown D.C., you can choose between heading toward Franconia-Springfield in one direction, and Largo Town Center in another. That's great if you're going to one of those two stations, or if you use the Metro everyday, but otherwise it's not terribly intuitive.

Metro is studying a change toward a more directional format. Instead of heading toward Largo, you'd be heading eastbound. And instead of going toward Franconia-Springfield, you'd be heading westbound. That makes things a bit clearer for those with a general sense of where they're going. But again, if the goal is to make things simple for novice riders, the directional system has the potential for confusion, too.