Transit riders deserve a better transit hub and the RTA must do better for them.
RIDE along with our rider-led grassroots organizing arm, the Coalition for Quality Transit are campaigning for a Better Rider Experience Downtown (BRED). Specifically, we are asking for the following by the end of March 2020
- Shelters must be placed at all stops in the main transfer area.
- Install way-finding signage to help riders navigate the downtown transfer center, as well as the system as a whole at both individual stops and at strategic locations in the transfer area. Currently, it’s a challenge for a rider at the transfer center who is not already extremely familiar with the RTA/JeT system to figure out where particular buses stop and how to get to different parts of the region. Installing high-quality way-finding signage that displays the location of different bus bays as well as regional transit system maps at RTA and JeT stops in the hubs will lower that barrier for new riders and create an easier experience for existing riders.
- Ensure a more dignified transit rider experience with additional investments in cleaning the transfer area and direct communication with riders. Specifically, ensure power-washing at least four to five times a week in the transfer area sidewalks and hire an additional RTA outreach position to directly communicate with riders about delays and answer general questions in person at the transfer hub and other key areas throughout the RTA system.
We ask the RTA to implement or begin the implementation of these items by the end of March 2020 – whether the hub is still in the temporary Duncan Plaza location or back at Elk Place. This will clearly demonstrate to riders that their experience is a top priority of the RTA.