A Study on the Universal Design of Rapid Bus Transfer Space

Abstract

(Background and Purpose) As the living range of the metropolitan area has been distributed from Seoul to the Gyeonggi-do, various conflicts such as transportation and environment are increasing. As the use of public transportation increases, roadside bus shelter with rapid bus transfer spaces are crowded. Problems such as congestion on pedestrian streets and design guidelines did not apply to rapid bus transfer spaces. Due to bus waiting passengers flocking to a certain time zone, inconvenience and confusion in finding directions and obtaining information for users are caused. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to derive problems from the user's point of view and in the aspect of universal design so that the quality of rapid bus transfer space can be improved in the future. (Method) Two of the wide-area bus transfer spaces in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do were surveyed to identify problems and suggest improvement directions in terms of Universal Design. First, we classified users who commute between Seoul and Gyeonggi-do and conducted 'Be the Customer' during rush hour to draw obstacles. Secondly, we classified rapid bus transfer spaces in Gangnam and Sadang areas, which are the most boarding and unloading areas connecting Seoul and Gyeonggi-do based on Universal design components and conducted case studies. (Results) The lack of guidance facilities needed for the use of rapid bus transfer space confused users in recognizing and using bus transfer space, and the queueing was adding to the narrowness of pedestrian space, which is a basic element of transportation for people. A unified design should be built based on design guidelines due to the difficulty of recognition by users who move between region to region. Also, it should be composed of distinctive colors and designs and equipped with convenient facilities that can be used comfortably in the atmosphere. Also, information signage and pictograms should be displayed so that transfer space can be easily recognized, and visual, auditory, and tactile directions should be provided to resolve the confusion. (Conclusions) Through this study, this conclusion was drawn by identifying it as an element of the universal design of rapid bus transfer space. First, despite the Seoul Metropolitan Government's standard design guidelines, different designs were applied to each region, which made it more inconvenient for users to recognize the transfer space. Second, due to the increased number of rapid buses, loads of information was provided in the transit space, causing a lack of visual awareness and inconvenience in waiting, getting on and off. Through this, the rapid bus transfer space needs to communicate with a unified design guideline in the future, and it should be effectively applied to the rapid bus transfer space with the direction pursued by Universal Design.