A Last Minute EAA AirVenture Suggestion, AirVenture Tram System

[Wrongway Feldman]

This subject is about the AirVenture Tram System.

The AirVenture Tram System has what I would call a Tram Central Hub
located to the West across Knapp street from the Air Traffic Control Tower. (Check Illustration below) click to enlarge

From that location Tram routes are as follows:
North to the WarBirds Area, (Tram with Red Flag)
South to the Vintage Aircraft Area, (Tram with Red Flag) To go further South to the Ultralights Area (Take Tram with Blue Flag)
West to the Bus Park, (Tram with Green Flag)
North, South and West Trams all retrace their routes back to the Tram Central Hub location.

Prior to AirVenture 2012 the Tram that headed South to the Vintage Aircraft Area, had a Yellow Flag
and the Tram that headed North to the WarBirds Area had a Red Flag.

At AirVenture 2012 they changed the heading South Vintage Aircraft Tram to a Red Flag also.
I notice this creates confusion at the Tram Central Hub pick-up point.
Conventioneers were asking the Red Flag Tram operators which direction they were heading: WarBirds or Vintage Aircraft, North or South.

To make the Tram operators job easier, the confusion at the Tram Central Hub could easily be rectified by placing some kind of sign on the Red Flag Trams that simply indicates their heading - WarBirds, Vintage Aircraft or North, South.

It would be to late to change the South Vintage Aircraft Tram to a Yellow Flag/Route since the 2013 Visitor Grounds Map (http://www.airventure.org/planning/av13_visitormap.pdf) has probably been sent to printing already.
I vote for a new South Vintage Aircraft Tram Route Color for AirVenture 2014.:)

FYI
The Bus Park Tram (Tram with Green Flag) was added AirVenture 2012

Any Ideas Appreciated,

Illustration
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[Floatsflyer]

I'm a big supporter and follower of the KISS philosophy applied to anything. Highly readable and visible Destination Signs strategically placed on the front, sides and back of the trams provides the ultimate solution for me. Just sayin'.

[FlyingRon]

Sings that say "TRAM TO WARBIRDS BOARDS HERE" "TRAM TO ULTRALIGHTS BOARDS HERE" etc.. would help. Telling people that the ultralights boards by the orange pole isn't too obvious.

[Bill Berson]

Took me six years to figure out the color code. For years I thought it was the color of the tram paint.
If it gets really simple, I won't have a chance at finding an empty seat, he,he...

[Wrongway Feldman]

I'm a big supporter and follower of the KISS philosophy applied to anything. Highly readable and visible Destination Signs strategically placed on the front, sides and back of the trams provides the ultimate solution for me. Just sayin'.

Signs that say "TRAM TO WARBIRDS BOARDS HERE" "TRAM TO ULTRALIGHTS BOARDS HERE" etc.. would help. Telling people that the ultralights boards by the orange pole isn't too obvious.

By reading the recent posts above, Unless you have a Airventure Grounds Map,
the Tram colored flag system does not give the proper information to the conventioneers.

In a ideal world I think the signs below would suffice.
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[malexander]

People would still ask. They'd never notice the signage.

[Wrongway Feldman]

People would still ask. They'd never notice the signage.
By labeling the trams with signage, would be just like a directional signal on a automobile or city bus.
With signage, the tram operators are signaling their intentions to pedestrians of what direction they plan on heading.

It is a safety issue.

At the Tram Central Hub, across Knapp street from the FAA Air Traffic Control Tower,
I noticed when there is heavy tram usage, there is a scramble to get a open seat and if someone is asking the tram tractor driver,
before their fully stopped, of what direction there heading, an accident could occur.
The safety person on the back of the tram is also being asked and is being distracted too.
Sometimes there are three or four trams at once at the Tram Central Hub and the to be tram
passengers are walking around in front the tram operators asking which way they're headed.

If the to be tram passengers can clearly see, on the trams, of the direction/route the tram is headed,
the tram operators are not being distracted and therefor are able to perform their duties safer.

These trams have nice signs. What do you prefer South Route or South Tram :)
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