Last May I traveled to a major city for business, and incorporated a visit to a well known rail museum. Once on site, the exhibits were first rate and facilities up to date.

But getting there without a car was a challenge. Now, we transportation partisans are more fluent in transit than the general public. So navigating the mysteries of a new bus, subway, or rail network do not strike fear into our hearts. In fact, some of us would look forward to adding new mileage or vehicles to our logbooks. Still, a little help from the natives would be appreciated.

After studying available web sites and photo maps, it appeared that there was weekend bus service to the vicinity of the museum. After reading the museum website, I called their office for further information; the indefinite answers and referals back to the transit agency (at least she knew the name of their bus line) told me that this is not a common question.

In the end, the bus journey went well, after all. It would have been nice to have sidewalks the entire walk from the bus stop, but it gave me a chance to see the relationship of the neighborhood to the museum, the prospect of intruding civilization, and adequacy of signage en route for arriving visitors.

How would your museum score on these elements of the visitor experience? Is specific transit information compiled for your telephone staff? Bus route, stop, connections? Have you surveyed the best route from transit to your property; it might be different than the one most convenient for motorists. Are the routes to your museum well marked with signage from the nearest arterial streets, and pathfinder markers if the distance is extended or terrain obscured? Not everyone drives: "young guns" under 25 who can't rent a car; bicyclists and hikers, carless tourists (especially foreigners) who are more comfortable on transit; Every visitor counts, and as gas prices climb, these factors can make a difference.

Francis Wong