This paper studies the memory representations of residents regarding the public transport system in their city. Telephone interviews were conducted with a representative sample of 204 inhabitants in a selected residential inner-city area in Stockholm. Route knowledge questions, recognition tasks, free-recall tasks and estimations of service frequency were used to explore memory representations. The results showed that, in general, residents in metropolitan areas have good knowledge of the public transport options along well-known transport corridors. The memory representation of lesser-known transport corridors tends to be of a poorer quality. In the results presented here, the variables gender, age, employment status, level of education and car availability had no correlation with the quality of the memory representation, but experience increased knowledge. Although frequent users of public transport had a more detailed representation of the system, the less frequent users also had a considerable- and good-memory representation. An explorative hierarchy for representation of public transport lines in the memory is proposed. It is hypothesised that memory representations of a transport line can be affected by the following three factors: the extent to which a line is visible in the urban area, the straightness of the routes and whether or not stops are labelled, for example, by destination area. Simply put, these factors determine how well a person knows a line. It was found that people first remember a commuter train and a trunk bus line, followed by metro lines and suburban buses and finally normal inner-city buses with the poorest anchorage in memory.

One cause of negative attitudes towards public transport may be due to feelings of uncertainty that travellers experience. We argue that these negative feelings are due to a lack of information and that, in public transport, besides the regular service information, information should also be provided that helps to reduce uncertainty, i.e., information which supports the cognitive map of the traveller. This information should confirm that which is already present in the cognitive map, and should provide extra information about the transport system and the area in which it is used. We show the relevance of our argument by using research from several projects. Furthermore, we discuss the needs and wishes of travellers concerning travel information and the ergonomic principles involved in the design process of travel information.

Dynamic at-stop real-time information displays are becoming more and more ubiquitous in modern public transport. Reactions and attitudes towards these systems are very positive. But there is a need to provide a comprehensive framework of the possible effects that these kinds of displays can have on customers. The seven main effects described in this paper are: (A) reduced wait time, (B) positive psychological factors, such as reduced uncertainty, increased ease-of-use and a greater feeling of security, (C) increased willingness-to-pay, (D) adjusted travel behaviour such as better use of wait time or more efficient travelling, (E) mode choice effects, (F) higher customer satisfaction and finally (G) better image. Two studies are presented in this paper. Study I supports and proves that perceived wait times can be reduced by 20% by employing a before-after implementation evaluation study with questionnaires on a tramline. Study II shows the effects of real-time displays on behaviour in the form of adjusted walking speeds, by using a behaviour observation method in a subway station. The effect framework does not claim completeness and many effects are related to each other. However, the framework is a useful basis for designing evaluation studies and provides arguments in favour of at-stop real-time information displays.

This article investigates the effects of real-time information, located at stops and stations, on the public transportation customer. Perceived wait time, feelings of security, and ease of use were considered to be sensitive indicators. The case of newly implemented traveler information on tramline 15 in the Hague, the Netherlands, was used for a before-and-after evaluation study containing questionnaires given to travelers. One month before and 3 months and 16 months after implementation, the same sample of travelers completed in a questionnaire. Further, four orientations of the displays at tram stops, assembled for testing purposes, were evaluated. The main results were that the perceived wait time decreased by 20 percent, while no effects on perceived security and ease of use were found. Displays installed perpendicular to the tracks and separate from the shelter were ranked highest.