(12-09-2019, 05:45 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:(12-09-2019, 12:35 PM)urbd Wrote: Random question on a route name: the 7 Conestoga to Uptown. Runs only at peak times, loops around through Caroline Street, stops at Willis Way ION Station and goes to Waterloo Town Square and back north on King to Conestoga. Do you think this route should still be #7 even though it is quite different than the actual 7? I asked a bus driver and he told me that around 30% of the people that take it get super confused as to why it goes on Caroline and then loops back to Conestoga. I think this would be easily fixed by simply calling it a different number so people understand it is not the full 7. Thoughts?
I could go either way on this. It’s not really a different route, just a scheduled short turn of the main route. So the different destination captures what is going on. On the other hand, we have a small system with not that many route numbers and to my knowledge few if any other examples of different destinations for the same route, so putting it right in the route number might be helpful. I would say that it should definitely just be a letter — giving it a completely different number would not help with clarity.
It's a short turn of the main route only in theory. In real world usage, it is a different route because many riders take it exclusively to get to the Willis Way ION Station as it interfaces directly with the platform. The 7 main line does not. I have also noticed a number of people using the Albert/Bridgeport stop, which is not used by the 7 main line either. Anyway, I do see it as different enough in practical terms to justify a new number or letter for clarity.