UX Analysis of Local Transportation Logisitics
This was a coursework project designed to analyze and provide recommendations for improving a local intersection that hosts many different modes of transportation.
About the project
Date:
Jan-May 2025
Client:
N/A
Services:
UX Research, UX Writing
University and Second Street: An Introduction
University and Second Street is a busy intersection within Purdue's campus that hosts bikes, skateboards, electric scooters, buses, cars, and pedestrians. A bus stop and parking garage complicate the traffic flow in this area even further. The team's goal for this project was to identify various users' behaviors and feelings towards this intersection, and how differing beliefs and interactions may come into conflict. We also made recommendations based on our research.
UX Interviews with Various User Groups
We decided to divide our users by the way they interact with the intersection, then interviewed one or two user from each interaction type for 10 total interviews. This allowed understand a wide scope of interactions with the intersection.
Drivers & Parkers:
Feel like they should have priority on the road above all others
Are afraid of hitting jaywalking pedestrians
Pedestrians & Cyclists/Skateboarders/Etc.:
Feel like they should have the main right of way
Are afraid of being hit by cars
Pedestrians more so
Buses & Bus Passengers:
Bus passengers are not provided with consistent and accurate information on bus stop times, causing some to miss the bus or wait at a stop like this one for a while
The University & Second St Intersection.
UX Research Conclusions
Through interviews, we were able to accomplish our goal of understanding user beliefs and interactions, and we were able to identify conflicting beliefs and interactions, specifically between pedestrians and drivers. Each group believed they should have the main right to the road. One particularly interesting point we found was that when we interviewed users who were both pedestrians and drivers, they switched their beliefs depending on the role they were in. These users held two very conflicting beliefs, but none indicated feelings of stress or cognitive dissonance, which I will explain further in the next section.
Drivers & Pedestrians
Drivers who were also pedestrians, as I mentioned earlier, held two very conflicting beliefs but did not experience cognitive dissonance.
It can be concluded that these users (represented by the star) switched beliefs based on their role at the current moment (ie if they were driving or walking).
This indicated to the team that there was a certain lack of empathy for users who were using a different mode of transportation, which we took into consideration while making recommendations.
A venn diagram showing the interaction between the two differing beliefs
Recommendations
Main Recommendation
One key way that can be used to reduce friction between the different users at the intersection of University and Second Street is to campaign to raise the empathy of users for the other user groups, and reduce a "me first" attitude. However, it is important to acknowledge that while this recommendation would be effective in reducing friction, it is not the most feasible, so other recommendations can be found below.
Other Recommendations
Another recommendation includes designating protected bike lanes so cars and bikes are required to share less space. Improving signage or including other visual aids could aid in warning different road users that this is a busy intersection they need to be extra careful at. Our final recommendation is to introduce speed bumps, as they are a proven way to make most cars slow down and tune into their surroundings.