Modernizing transit for four NC cities

Background

The existing transit websites were outdated, hard to maintain, and disconnected from real-time data. Riders had no reliable way to navigate across cities, and non-technical transit staff couldn't update schedules without going through a developer. Budget and timeline were tight, and each city had its own brand identity that needed to be preserved.

My role

I started by doing the research myself: I bought bus tickets and rode routes across the four cities to experience the navigation pain points firsthand. Riding the buses also gave me direct access to other transit users, and I used that time to interview riders and learn about their experiences navigating the system. I also crafted a survey that was distributed through the transit systems' social media channels and collected over 130 responses from real riders. That combination of field research and survey data gave me a clear picture of where the biggest UX gaps were and informed the information architecture and design of all four sites. From there I collaborated with transit leads in each city, built a clickable prototype, and designed a CMS-driven system so non-technical staff could manage schedules and content independently. I also integrated all four sites with Google Maps for real-time arrival data.

Outcomes

• ·Conducted field research by riding bus routes across all four cities to identify navigation pain points firsthand
• ·Collected 130+ rider responses via a social media survey to inform UX and information architecture
• ·Launched transit planning websites for all four cities
• ·Integrated real-time service updates with Google Maps
• ·Managed 150+ bus routes across four transit systems
• ·Enabled non-technical staff to manage schedules independently