Metrolinx: Other Items (catch all)

[Amare]

Such an idiotic approach to wayfinding using that "T" symbol. Have they not looked a their own logo and said "hey, we actually have a great logo right in front of us that we can use".

Now what they're doing is confusing things by mishmashing a bunch of transit logos together. For example, if a rider is taking the Eglinton line they will be seeing at least 4 different logos at once: "M" for Metrolinx, "TTC" for Toronto Transit Commission, "5" for Line 5 Eglinton, and "T" for transit stop. If we're trying to make it easy for people to understand symbols and signs, this is no way to do it.

I wont even touch the part involving the lettering of the GO Transit system, because that's a whole other world of stupidity as currently proposed.

Anyone know can I get paid to be a Metrolinx consultant? Clearly the list of qualifications must be pretty damn low.

 

[allengeorge]

My cynical take (despite the interview RM posted) is that the “T” logo has a political component: by removing the provider’s logo it makes them less important in the transit hierarchy. Works well for Metrolinx, since the TTC is still the biggest and most important transit provider in the region, and RER is still (perennially) a decade away.

I think the new logo is entirely charmless. Reminds me of the brutalist aesthetic: functionality over everything.

 

[afransen]

I watched Reece's interview as well. I think they could at least have the word 'transit' in smaller font below the T symbol (I'll accept that this was the right choice based on UX studies) so that they people who don't automatically make that connection can learn what the symbol means.

 

[sacred]

I think the “T” is excellent. Current signage is so focused on operators. The T evokes an operator-agnostic identifier for transit, and it’s not trying to draw too much attention to itself.

 

[nfitz]

Interesting. GO trains used to have letters attached to the lines years ago, although I find it funny that they're swapping the letters so that the letters Ascend west to east rather than being A - Lakeshore West, B - Lakeshore West, and C to G ascending from Milton to Stouffville.

Indeed. Not sure the point of changing the letters - particularly as most Lakeshore trains stop at both West and East stations.

Not the first time they've changed the colours ...

Gosh, hard to believe it's been over 9 years since they introduced the "new" map.

 

[superelevation]

^Ugh, not a fan of that at all. Couldn't they have taken the first letter of the current names? Wonder how much they paid the consultants on this one lol

See that video posted above, also doesn't make sense when a lot of services are not running to the terminus

Rubbish Idea.

Ah yes, this industry best practice is rubbish

Such an idiotic approach to wayfinding using that "T" symbol. Have they not looked a their own logo and said "hey, we actually have a great logo right in front of us that we can use".

Now what they're doing is confusing things by mishmashing a bunch of transit logos together. For example, if a rider is taking the Eglinton line they will be seeing at least 4 different logos at once: "M" for Metrolinx, "TTC" for Toronto Transit Commission, "5" for Line 5 Eglinton, and "T" for transit stop. If we're trying to make it easy for people to understand symbols and signs, this is no way to do it.

I wont even touch the part involving the lettering of the GO Transit system, because that's a whole other world of stupidity as currently proposed.

Anyone know can I get paid to be a Metrolinx consultant? Clearly the list of qualifications must be pretty damn low.

Again watch the video that was posted, there's a reason so many agencies use a T

 

[mdu]

I think they're obviously trying to take another cue from the "RER" name and go with the Paris naming system as well.

 

[sche]

I think they're obviously trying to take another cue from the "RER" name and go with the Paris naming system as well.

? Metrolinx already ditched RER in favour of "GO Expansion" and Paris doesn't use T . . .

 

[chinesehorse]

? Metrolinx already ditched RER in favour of "GO Expansion" and Paris doesn't use T . . .

I think he's referring to the lettered naming system attached to each line used by the Paris RER system and like what is proposed in the wayfinding manual.

 

[blaixx]

Interesting. GO trains used to have letters attached to the lines years ago, although I find it funny that they're swapping the letters so that the letters Ascend west to east rather than being A - Lakeshore West, B - Lakeshore West, and C to G ascending from Milton to Stouffville.

They're just reverting to the 1999 letters

 

[JasonParis]

Really happy to see GO moving to a lettered system. I'm just not sure the letters suggested are the most sensible.

This will allow for smoother and likely more common GO/UPX integration on municipal transit maps, especially the TTC's.

 

[robmausser]

W — Lakeshore West
E — Lakeshore East
M — Milton
B — Barrie
K — Kitchener
S — Stoufville
R — Richmond Hill
U — Union Pearson

Future
M — Midtown
P — Peterborough
The only one that doesn't work is Bolton.

Regardless, this is all arbitrary, as it was with the TTC nomenclature update. Give it a few weeks after the signs show up and everyone will know what the B train, the D Train, or whatnot is.

What might be interesting is relying on the NYC style of line nomenclature, where the colour denotes the main line, and the number/letter denotes the route. It's not inaccessible but provides useful additional information for platform assignments and whatnot.
For instance, think of the Kitchener line with the bolton line connection as a future main line, and the major color is green, you could have the Following letters for the following routes:

K — Union - Kitchener (Local)
<K> — Union-Kitchener (Peak Express)
P — Pearson
B — Bolton
F — Through Service from Bramalea to Markham via the Stouffville line

Or something along that nomenclature. Of course, it brings in addditional challenges, including the addition of more letters, but it makes standard routing a lot easier for passengers to understand. Instead of passengers: "Is this C Train going to Mount Pleasant, Kitchener, or Pearson?" They can just know what lettered trains they can take right away and use those with ease.

Ah yes, the WEMBKSRU transit system.

 

[JasonParis]

W — Lakeshore West
E — Lakeshore East
M — Milton
B — Barrie
K — Kitchener
S — Stoufville
R — Richmond Hill
U — Union Pearson

Future
M — Midtown
P — Peterborough
The only one that doesn't work is Bolton.

If you make W an N for Niagara (or maybe an H for Hamilton), then that liberates W for Woodbridge/Bolton (they'd be the same line right?). Also, then you'd likely switch E to O for Oshawa. And I also have to wonder if Z is better for Pearson as it would sort of reference YYZ.

 

[robmausser]

From the Metrolinx wayfinding guidelines:

Looks like GO rail lines are going to receive a letter designation sometime in the future:
View attachment 295834

They're going all in with the new T's as well it seems. I personally don't mind it:

I dont mind this, but how on earth is Lakeshore East not Line B.

Also the Milton Line having a black text instead of white (I realize its because the white is not accessible with the orange, but just make the orange darker) makes it look like its different than the rest of them for some specific reason.

 

[KhalilHeron]

I dont mind this, but how on earth is Lakeshore East not Line B.

Also the Milton Line having a black text instead of white (I realize its because the white is not accessible with the orange, but just make the orange darker) makes it look like its different than the rest of them for some specific reason.

The lines are lettered in a clockwise order so that's why it's G. Also I mean line 1 is the same yellow with black text.