Mixed Reality Futures for Connected Transit
Date Posted: November 17, 2020
Posted In: COVID-19 Updates, Ideas,
by Rose Hung and Stephanie Truong, Gensler
How can we design digital-physical experiences for public spaces that provide a safe, frictionless way to interact with the city?
The Context
As rideshare services and other mobility innovations proliferate, transit ridership is declining nationwide. In large metropolitan markets — including New York and Chicago — transit ridership is at its lowest level since 2005. Despite adding new stations, Los Angeles metro is failing to attract new customers. Concerns with efficiency and safety, along with increased access to tech-enabled transit alternatives such as Uber and Lyft, are motivating an increasing number of people each year to seek out other means of transportation. With the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, the city of Los Angeles is hoping to provide assurance and incentive to its riders. With all this in mind, transit systems must focus on new and novel ways to optimize rider experience.
Augmented reality (AR) has the capability to create a frictionless, connected system for all transit users. Through a digital platform, we can map out the full user journey and provide a safe, integrated, and accessible user experience.
What We Did
We explored how AR can enhance the passenger experience and support the ridership of LA’s public transit system. To begin, we held a brainstorming and visioning session with City of Los Angeles, LADOT, FAST, Metro OEI, The Bloc, CivicConnect and other entities to gather information and feedback on user types, the current passenger journey, pain points, and opportunities. We then designed a user interface for an AR platform integrated with The Bloc and the 7th Street metro station in Los Angeles. After refining the platform features, we filmed a visualization of our AR interface at The Bloc to further demonstrate our concept.
The Results
AR has the capability to create a seamless, connected system for all transit users. Through the digital platform, we can map out the full user journey and provide a safe, integrated, and accessible user experience. Creating a digital space provides the instant resources that travelers need to navigate their journeys and destinations, creating a customizable experience for each rider.