Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside

255 Pages·2014·10.09 MB·English

ACRP
AIRPORT
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
REPORT 52
Sponsored by
the Federal
Aviation
Administration
Wayfinding and Signing
Guidelines for Airport
Terminals and Landside
ACRP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE* TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2011 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
James Wilding CHAIR:Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (re- VICECHAIR:Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
tired)
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Airport Design Consultants, Inc. Lafayette, IN
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Airports Council International—North America
Peter H. Appel, Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT
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Air Transport Association of America J. Randolph Babbitt, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
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Robert E. Skinner, Jr.
Transportation Research Board Washington, DC
John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation
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Transportation Research Board Victor M. Mendez, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
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Robert J. Papp(Adm., U.S. Coast Guard),Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of
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Cynthia L. Quarterman,Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
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Peter M. Rogoff, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
David L. Strickland, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
Joseph C. Szabo,Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT
Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S.DOT
Robert L. Van Antwerp(Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
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Diamond Bar, CA
*Membership as of July 2011. *Membership as of June 2011.
A I R P O R T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M
ACRP
REPORT 52
Wayfinding and Signing
Guidelines for Airport
Terminals and Landside
James R. Harding
Marshall Elizer, Jr.
Jim Alderman
Matthew J. Frankel
GRESHAM, SMITHANDPARTNERS
Nashville, Tennessee
Susan T. Chrysler
Christopher M. Poe
Laura L. Higgins
Curtis Beatty
LuAnn Theiss
TEXASTRANSPORTATIONINSTITUTE
College Station, Texas
Alison Smiley
Thomas Smahel
HUMANFACTORSNORTH, INC.
Toronto, Ontario
James A. Pangburn
BIGSKY, INC.
Manassas, Virginia
Craig Berger
SOCIETYFORENVIRONMENTALGRAPHICDESIGN
Washington, DC
Tom Esch
MINETASANJOSÉINTERNATIONALAIRPORT
San Jose, California
Subscriber Categories
Aviation
Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2011
www.TRB.org
AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM ACRP REPORT 52
Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in trans- Project 07-06
portation of people and goods and in regional, national, and inter- ISSN 1935-9802
national commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation system ISBN 978-0-309-21346-2
connects with other modes of transportation and where federal respon- Library of Congress Control Number 2011935617
sibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects
with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most © 2011 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems,
to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to
introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Coopera-
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ACRP PROJECT 07-06 PANEL
Field of Design
Angela R. Newland, Broward County (FL) Aviation Department, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Chair)
Hugh A. Johnson,Port of Oakland, Oakland, CA
Kathleen M. McCauley, Massachusetts Port Authority, East Boston, MA
Valquirio S. Mendonca,HNTB Corporation, Boston, MA
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F O R E W O R D
By Marci A. Greenberger
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
ACRP Report 52: Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside
provides an up-to-date single resource for airport operators to consult as they review,
update, enhance, or develop their airport wayfinding and signing plan. The guidelines focus
on four areas of the airport: (1) roadways—both on-airport, and off-airport access roads;
(2) parking; (3) curbside and ground transportation; and (4) terminal. In addition, the
guidelines discuss developing a wayfinding strategy; the use of technology and visual dis-
plays; and color, fonts, and sizes. These guidelines are a handy resource for airport planners,
consultants, and those specifically responsible for maintaining an airport wayfinding and
signing plan and signage.
There has not been a single resource to help airports in their wayfinding and signing strat-
egy and plan that includes both roadways and terminals. The industry came together via the
professional associations to create guidelines that focused on the terminal, but they were last
updated in 2001. The Federal Highway Administration’s Manual of Uniform Traffic Con-
trol Devices (MUTCD), while applicable to airports with respect to roadways, doesn’t
specifically speak to airports or the unique operating environment.
Gresham, Smith and Partners was retained under ACRP Project 07-06 to develop a sin-
gle resource that will update the wayfinding and signing guidelines, and address terminal
areas, curbside and ground transportation, parking and on-airport roadways, and off-
airport access roads. Updates include ADA issues, ensuring compliance with the MUTCD,
and the increase in common use technologies. The result of their efforts is ACRP Report 52:
Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside.
Some elements of the guidelines include: how to develop a wayfinding strategy and an
explanation of “why”; discussion of font and legibility issues; and a number of real world
examples to assist the reader when applying the concepts to their airport.
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research reported herein was performed under ACRP Project 07-06 by Gresham, Smith and Part-
ners (GS&P) in association with Big Sky, Inc., Human Factors North, Inc. (HFN), the Society for Envi-
ronmental Graphic Design (SEGD), and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI).
James R. Harding, SEGD, Director of Environmental Graphic Design for GS&P, was the Project Direc-
tor and Principal Investigator. Contributing authors for this report included the following:
• Marshall Elizer, Jr., P.E., PTOE; Jim Alderman, SEGD; and Matthew J. Frankel with GS&P.
• Susan T. Chrysler, PhD; Christopher M. Poe, PhD, P.E.; Laura L. Higgins; Curtis Beatty, P.E. and
LuAnn Theiss, P.E. with TTI.
• Alison Smiley, PhD, CCPE and Thomas Smahel, CCPE with HFN.
• James A. Pangburn, P.E, P.S.P with Big Sky.
• Craig Berger with SEGD.
• Tom Esch, P.E. with Mineta San José International Airport (via SEGD).
The authors would also like to acknowledge the tremendous input from the following professionals and
organizations whose research, images, and other contributions were instrumental to the successful com-
pilation of these guidelines:
• Richard Bess—Anode, Inc.
• Raymond Bishop—Wilbur Smith Associates.
• Joseph Erhart—Apple Designs, Inc.
• Peter J. Gargiulo—Wayne County Airport Authority.
• David Gibson—Two Twelve Associates, Inc.
• Earlyne Johnson—The Port Authority of NY & NJ.
• Barry Nation—Jones Worley Design.
C O N T E N T S
1 Chapter 1 Introduction
1 1.1 Background
2 1.2 Historical Perspective
3 1.3 Purpose of the Guidelines
3 1.4 Organization of the Guidelines (How to Use)
4 Chapter 2 Signing and Wayfinding Process
4 2.1 Introduction
4 2.2 Analysis
13 2.3 Developing a Wayfinding Strategy
29 Chapter 3 Roadways
29 3.1 Wayfinding Philosophy and Principles
33 3.2 Applicable Federal Standards
35 3.3 Airport Roadway Decision Points
37 3.4 Static Sign Design Elements
45 3.5 Sign Structures and Illumination
47 3.6 Changeable Message Signs
52 3.7 Sign Maintenance
53 Chapter 4 Parking
53 4.1 Considering Parking Users in Design (Human Factors)
54 4.2 Signs and Wayfinding
57 4.3 Sign Categories
69 4.4 Sign Design Elements
72 4.5 Sign Locations, Structures, Materials, and Safety
74 4.6 Sign Maintenance
74 4.7 Accessibility
77 Chapter 5 Curbside and Ground Transportation
77 5.1 Planning for Curbside Signing
77 5.2 Considering Curbside Users in Design (Human Factors)
79 5.3 Signing Areas
83 5.4 Ground Transportation
86 5.5 Sign Design Elements
88 5.6 Sign Locations, Structures, Materials, and Safety
90 5.7 Sign Maintenance
91 5.8 Accessibility
93 Chapter 6 Terminal
93 6.1 Wayfinding Philosophy and Principles
101 6.2 Considering Terminal Users in Design (Human Factors)
105 6.3 Signs and Wayfinding
109 6.4 Sign Categories
113 6.5 Sign Design Elements
149 6.6 Sign Locations, Data Bases, Illumination, Materials, and Safety
159 6.7 Sign Maintenance
160 6.8 Accessibility
180 Chapter 7 Technology
180 7.1 Overview
182 7.2 Systems and Visual Displays
195 7.3 Design Elements
195 7.4 Open System Architecture
197 Chapter 8 Code Required Regulatory and Information Signs
197 8.1 Federal Agencies
198 8.2 Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG)
198 8.3 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
198 8.4 State and Local
199 8.5 Other Code and Regulating Agencies
199 8.6 Regulatory and Informational Signage Required by Federal Regulations
207 Appendix A
212 Appendix B
215 Appendix C
217 Appendix D
219 Appendix E
221 Appendix F
242 References
Note: Many of the photographs, figures, and tablesin this report have been converted from color to grayscale
for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the Web at www.trb.org) retains the color versions.