Several readers (well, two that I can remember) have commented that Metro is difficult to use “cold.” I admit that this is true. If you are new to the bus, you will probably have to do a little work to figure out how to get where you’re going. Until now, I never thought of it as a huge issue. I assumed that making a minimal effort up front was part of the deal–like getting directions to a place you’ve never driven to before. Still, the easier and more brainless a transit system is, the more likely people (including visitors) will be to ride it.

It would be nice if riding the bus didn’t seem so difficult and intimidating to newbies, but I don’t have many ideas about how Metro could make it easier. I liked kd-westseaattle’s suggestion that we put route maps in the ad slots, so people will know where they’re going and where they should transfer. Are there other ideas out there? Let’s think of some good ones (especially those that are actually feasible, given the current funding constraints) and pass them on to the folks at the county.