From: gl4317@yahoo.com   
      
   XPost: misc.transport.urban-transit   
      
   SoundTransit plans to open Link light rail to Capitol Hill and the   
   University of Washington in 2016.  State law requires that symbolic   
   representations of stations be adopted so that those that can not read   
   the Roman alphabet are able to identify stations:   
      
   http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=81.112.190   
   "The signage must also use distinguishing symbols or pictograms   
   developed by the authority as a means to identify stations and may   
   identify points of interest along the corridor for persons who use   
   languages that are not Roman-alphabet based."   
      
   Therefore, SoundTransit is required to adopt an emblem for each of its   
   stations so that it may be identified on a map.  They are using Mexico   
   City as an example of one place that is already doing this:   
   http://www.mexicometro.org/Mexico_City_Metro_and_Tren_Ligero_map.pdf   
      
   To me it seems terrible to try to distinguish what emblem is what once   
   they get small enough to get put on a map.   
      
   The discussion of this over at the Seattle Transit Blog   
   http://seattletransitblog.com/2014/04/09/st-picking-new-pictograms-now/#c   
   omments   
   includes a comment about how it is very difficult to find your way   
   around Japan in places where station names only include the name in   
   Kanji, and it can be very difficult for the non-initiated to try to   
   decipher these.  If you put someone who isn't used to the Roman alphabet   
   in a place where only the Roman alphabet is used (such as someone from   
   Asia visiting here) the Roman characters are just as difficult to   
   distinguish.   
      
   I am not convinced of this.  Even if you don't know the Roman alphabet,   
   most of the characters are very unique.  Obviously things like O and 0   
   and Q have some troubles.  It seems to me that some sort of symbolic   
   representation using just two or three letters or letters and numbers   
   could work well, so long as the character set was kept distinct.   
      
   Assuming, of course, that state law didn't require such pictograms.   
      
   What other systems, other than Mexico City, are using such emblems as   
   station names?   
      
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