The University of Iowa Parking and Transportation department of Parking is remodeling its bus stop signs for the CAMBUS system for the spring 2026 semester, for the first time since 2010.
With CAMBUS providing free rides around campus to over 3 million riders, according to Parking and Transportation, the $3,700 project will fix wear and tear on the signs to continue serving students and residents of Iowa City.
“Over time, the signs have gotten really worn out. We’ve had ones throughout campus that are really faded from sun exposure, and so you can’t really see them very well. Then a lot of the details we’ve put on them in order to update them have started to peel off, and they don’t look very nice,” Mia Brunelli, CAMBUS manager, said.
The new signs will also implement the use of route numbers that were introduced in 2020. Before 2020, routes were categorized and named by color only; with the introduction of numbered routes, such as the 32 blue route or the 31 red route, Brunelli said the new signs should accompany that system and make interaction with CAMBUS vehicles and the Transit app an easier experience.
The new signs will also include updated contact information for all three of the transit systems in Iowa City, including Iowa City and Coralville Transit.
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The new shared bus stop signs will include the stop name, route identifiers for each route that serves the stop under the right system heading, and transit agency headings with the correct contact information for each.
The new CAMBUS stop signs will include gold headings for stops that only serve the cambus, a larger font for the stop name, and identifiers for the bus routes with the appropriate color and number.
UI students are also hopeful that these new signs will make tracking buses and routes easier, as well as be more intuitive.
“As a student who transferred here this spring, utilizing the CAMBUS system was one of the biggest hurdles to really feeling integrated into the community here,” UI third-year student Kevin Sigrist said. “I could figure out where campus buildings were and walk, but when it was cold, it was difficult to figure out where stops were located, and the times they showed up. To be honest, I didn’t even know there was an app at first.”
UI second-year student Emma Doorn said tracking buses and routes will be easier with the updated, more visible signs, and will help navigate campus more easily.
“I think it will be helpful if I’m riding from an unfamiliar location, I’ll be able to find the stop easier,” Doorn said.
This is something that the new signs are aiming to help with. With these new signs, users will have better information on the app, and it will be easier to tell which buses stop at each location, potentially helping newer riders.
“I think new signs will be a big help for new students in being able to more easily use CAMBUS. More specifically, I think it will help being able to spot stops from far away and the direction the buses will be coming from,” Sigrist said.