June 22, 2015 — CHK America CEO, Rick Wood announced the company has completed another customer information project for Capital Metro’s MetroRapid BRT, improving signage and wayfinding along the new Guadalupe and Lavaca corridor in Austin, Texas. The project includes the fabrication of urban poles, directional signage and service information panels for 20 bus stops along the new transit corridor.

In April, CHK America completed the design of static wayfinding signage at Capital Metro’s 42 MetroRapid stations. This information supports the agency’s digital, real-time information with easy-to-read, printed map and frequency information. Upon that successful implementation, CHK continued its work providing improved signage at the stops along the new Guadalupe and Lavaca corridor, which serve as central transfer locations. The new wayfinding information will help riders to transfer more easily between Local, Express and MetroRapid services.

“This new corridor is a significant part of the plan to give riders essential downtown access,” said Rick Wood, President and CEO for CHK America. “The wayfinding and trailblazing tools we have created for the entire MetroRapid system improves the customer experience, simplifying complex information and making it easier for them to use the service.”

A key element in developing this project was CHK America’s well researched, “Psychology of Wayfinding” philosophy which utilizes clear and concise customer information to reduce a rider’s cognitive load, making it easier to navigate any transit system, no matter how complex. The designs utilize the company’s proprietary “8 Second Rule” to provide decision-making tools that will help first time and regular riders navigate a system with minimal confusion and stress.

CHK, America - Established in 1999, CHK America is the premier best practice provider of customer information solutions for the US public transportation industry. The company’s 8 Second Rule, has set the standard for communicating complex public transit information to customers, after research identified that customers allow only eight seconds in which to interpret travel information before becoming frustrated – resulting in customer dissatisfaction. Under the leadership of CEO Rick Wood, a recognized speaker of and the foremost authority in wayfinding strategies, CHK America now reaches over 2 billion, fully 20%, of public transportation customers in the United States. Between customized information design and purpose-built hardware fabrications, CHK America is providing solutions for many of the largest multi-modal transit agencies in the US from WMATA in Washington DC to DART in Dallas Texas, to LA Metro in Los Angeles, California.