MAKING TIMETABLES EASIER TO USE

A description is given of research carried out to ascertain the features that make timetables easier to use. A strictly experimental approach was adopted whereby large numbers of students and members of the public were asked to use various layouts of a typical timetable to write answers to several questions typical of the type asked at enquiry offices in bus depots. The subjects were timed and the answers checked for errors. Both times and errors were statistically analysed to see which timetable format produced the fastest and most accurate answers. The 24 hour clock was found to be the most important hurdle to timetable use and even am and pm caused confusion so the authors labelled their timetable `morning' and `afternoon' and evening journeys'. It was discovered that the fundamental difficulty in scanning the standard 2-dimensional timetable matrix is caused by its long horizontal dimension and that this could be overcome by reversing the time and route coordinates so that the route is represented horizontally from left to right. This reversal consistently produced substantial improvements in both speed and accuracy of timetable scanning. (A) (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00076392
• Corporate Authors:

  Ian Allan Limited

  Terminal House
  Shepperton, Middlesex  England  TW17 8AS
• Authors:
  • SPRENT, N
  • Crawshaw, M
  • BARTRAM, D
• Publication Date: 1982-10

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 440-441
• Serial:
  • BUSES
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue Number: 331
  • Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing, Limited
  • ISSN: 0007-6392

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Comprehension; Consumer behavior; Evaluation and assessment; Experiments; Graphics; Human factors; Legibility; Needs assessment; Passenger information systems; Significance (Statistics); Speed; Timetables
• Uncontrolled Terms: Use; User needs
• Old TRIS Terms: User reactions
• ITRD Terms: 2209: Comprehension; 6440: Error; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 540: Legibility; 6532: Significance (stat); 5408: Speed; 6255: Test; 1186: Timetable; 9084: Use
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00369970
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 28 1983 12:00AM