From: gl4317@yahoo.com

XPost: misc.transport.urban-transit

SoundTransit plans to open Link light rail to Capitol Hill and the
University of Washington in 2016.  State law requires that symbolic
representations of stations be adopted so that those that can not read
the Roman alphabet are able to identify stations:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=81.112.190
"The signage must also use distinguishing symbols or pictograms
developed by the authority as a means to identify stations and may
identify points of interest along the corridor for persons who use
languages that are not Roman-alphabet based."

Therefore, SoundTransit is required to adopt an emblem for each of its
stations so that it may be identified on a map.  They are using Mexico
City as an example of one place that is already doing this:
http://www.mexicometro.org/Mexico_City_Metro_and_Tren_Ligero_map.pdf

To me it seems terrible to try to distinguish what emblem is what once
they get small enough to get put on a map.

The discussion of this over at the Seattle Transit Blog
http://seattletransitblog.com/2014/04/09/st-picking-new-pictograms-now/#c
omments
includes a comment about how it is very difficult to find your way
around Japan in places where station names only include the name in
Kanji, and it can be very difficult for the non-initiated to try to
decipher these.  If you put someone who isn't used to the Roman alphabet
in a place where only the Roman alphabet is used (such as someone from
Asia visiting here) the Roman characters are just as difficult to
distinguish.

I am not convinced of this.  Even if you don't know the Roman alphabet,
most of the characters are very unique.  Obviously things like O and 0
and Q have some troubles.  It seems to me that some sort of symbolic
representation using just two or three letters or letters and numbers
could work well, so long as the character set was kept distinct.

Assuming, of course, that state law didn't require such pictograms.

What other systems, other than Mexico City, are using such emblems as
station names?

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