TTC: Redesigning TTC Signage

[Adjei]

This city is so afraid of change it's not even funny.

 

[kotsy]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/03/03/ttc_subway_lines_get_a_makeover.html

The lines aren’t being renamed officially, just given a standard number to clear up the confusion that occurs with routes typically referred to in several ways — for example Yonge, YUS and Spadina.

“We’re not getting rid of the names we’ve used historically,” Upfold said, explaining that the TTC anticipates riders will start to key in on just a single number and colour per line.

 

[ehlow]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/03/03/ttc_subway_lines_get_a_makeover.html

The other common comment other than the "waste of money" comments is that we don't have enough lines for this to be useful.

Well, what's wrong with using the numbering system now so that we can prepare for when we do add lines in 2020 and beyond? I guess people still don't believe or realize that we are expanding the system.

 

[M II A II R II K]

The LRT lines should be a different shape like triangles to differentiate between them and actual subways.

 

[Johnny Au]

Some people are very reactionary.

They are the same type of people who do not mind Gloucester trains running alongside the Toronto Rockets.

 

[ehlow]

The LRT lines should be a different shape like triangles to differentiate between them and actual subways.

I disagree. Neither Boston or LA differentiates between LRT or subway on their transit maps.

I don't think transit users care whether it's a 3rd rail vehicle or pantograph, they just want to know how to get where they need to go.

 

[M II A II R II K]

The TC lines could also be thinner on the map than the subway lines.

 

[rbt]

After reading people's comments on the re-design, it seems like people believe that the new signs were so expensive that they could've paid for a new subway.

You have comments like: "Why spend money on this when we could've spent that money to build the blah subway". I don't understand why there is an impression that these signs cost an astronomical amount.

Not to mention, many if not most signs need to be redone when the Spadina extension opens. A destination of "Downsview" or an incomplete map isn't going to cut it.

The perfect time to redo signs is when 50% need to be redone anyway. It's reasonable to perform a 1 year test on a new style first.

I don't think transit users care whether it's a 3rd rail vehicle or pantograph, they just want to know how to get where they need to go.

Right. The map should show the preferred way to traverse a given section of the city. It's probably worth differentiating for frequency of service to indicate the typical wait time but the actual mechanism doesn't matter a whole lot so long as it is the local backbone for the area.

 

[M II A II R II K]

I guess we'll be able to take the Finch West subway soon.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

On the subway this morning I noticed that the in-car announcements now start with "Line 1 - Yonge University Spadina". Assume this is the start of a transition period to just the line numbers.

When was this announced? At interchanges?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

After reading people's comments on the re-design, it seems like people believe that the new signs were so expensive that they could've paid for a new subway.

You have comments like: "Why spend money on this when we could've spent that money to build the blah subway". I don't understand why there is an impression that these signs cost an astronomical amount.

Reminds me of the bitching on the Toronto Sun about the new TTC uniforms and how much they cost.

Of course they didn't care about the fact that the contact for the uniform supplier was ending.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I guess we'll be able to take the Finch West subway soon.

Finch West subway? I presume that it will be the Finch West Rapid Transit line.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The TC lines could also be thinner on the map than the subway lines.

Do you really want to deal with another generation of this "LRT is second class" nonsense. Put them on the Rapid Transit map just like any other rapid transit in the city. Hopefully it will make the "LRT is second class" crowd feel better about themselves.


Also the tech used isn't relevant. There aren't too many circumstances where I can see people opting not to go somewhere because they'd have to use the LRT.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Not to mention, many if not most signs need to be redone when the Spadina extension opens. A destination of "Downsview" or an incomplete map isn't going to cut it.

The perfect time to redo signs is when 50% need to be redone anyway. It's reasonable to perform a 1 year test on a new style first.



Right. The map should show the preferred way to traverse a given section of the city. It's probably worth differentiating for frequency of service to indicate wait time but the actual mechanism doesn't matter a whole lot.

Decals can cover changes to be made or after they were made. Decals were used on the speed limit and designation signs when they changed from miles to kilometers. I have seen a couple of very old speed limit signs still with the decals covering them.

I had decal numbers made up to stick on my garage door. Inexpensive.

 

[MrsNesbitt]

I'm glad to hear that the line names are being retained as well as numbers, if only for reasons of uniqueness and history.

Of course this is as good a time as any to start re-doing the signs on the TTC and (hopefully, finally) establish a better standard. My biggest qualm is only that if what we're seeing at Bloor-Yonge right now will be the standard, it still has a lot of fairly obvious issues to deal with (and some of those signs look really poorly done, too).