Regional Network Management Council releases new signage designs for Bay Area transit operators

The Regional Network Management (RNM) Council has greenlit the first set of transit wayfinding design guides that are being created to unify the look of the signs and maps used by Bay Area transit agencies. These assets are set to be used everywhere, from individual bus stops across the region to major transit hubs where multiple systems converge. The council notes that these design guides are intended to make it easier for riders to identify key information quickly by delivering guidance that is clear, predictable and consistent across service areas and county lines.

The council—made up of the executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and general manager-level representatives of Bay Area transit agencies—says this action is a finalizing step in the region’s new transit network identity and offers transit stop sign guidelines that MTC and agencies can use in the near-term while guidance for all transit stops and stations is refined and finalized.

The Regional Network Identity Design Guide defines a consistent look and feel for the Bay Area transit operators, finalizing designs first introduced in January 2024 and used throughout the test locations at El Cerrito del Norte, Calif., Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station, the Santa Rosa Transit Mall and Santa Rosa, Calif., downtown Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit station.

The Network Identity Design Guide includes specifications for the colors and symbols that should be used, as well as the hierarchy of how information should be presented, across all transit wayfinding materials.

The Transit Stop Signage Design Guide provides guidance to agencies for designing, installing and maintaining transit stops—typically bus stops—using a new regional design that the council says works across rural, suburban and urban environments while accommodating stops with many routes, special services or who are served by multiple transit agencies. Consistent signage at the Bay Area’s approximately 21,000 transit stops is expected to improve legibility for riders and is intended to reduce long-term design, fabrication and maintenance costs for transit agencies. 

“The Regional Mapping and Wayfinding Project is a standout example of regional cooperation,” said RNM Council Chair Bob Powers. “Putting customers’ interests first is the cornerstone of our Transit Transformation Action Plan to increase ridership by making transit faster, cleaner, more comfortable, more convenient and easier to navigate.” 

MTC will use these two design guides for future pilot, or test, locations around the region. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency already used the designs to make signage improvements at the Castro Muni Metro station and other agencies with time-sensitive sign replacement projects also are considering using the new guidelines in the near term, with assistance from MTC as needed. These prospective projects include:

• BART: Installing bus bay numbers at transit hubs 
• County Connection with WestCAT and Tri Delta Transit: Testing new sign designs at three-agency shared stops in Martinez, Calif.
• SolTrans and WestCAT: installing new signage for 2026 service restructures 

An update to the comprehensive regional transit connections map, which enables riders to discover key destinations they can reach on the Bay Area's extensive bus, rail and ferry network, also was released.