News   Jul 15, 2024
 617     3 
News   Jul 15, 2024
 769     1 
News   Jul 15, 2024
 601     0 

Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

Can't even begin to describe how disappointed I am with this naming convention. Their idea of logic is extremely poor. I don't understand why they don't look to some of the world's biggest and most well known transit systems and learn from them. I really hope they come to their senses.
 
There is still time to change their mind. I think they will at least recognize the results of the public opinion polls they put up on their website.
 
This is the link everyone who is asking "why" should be reading. It explains the logic, which is based upon developing a naming system that could be applied consistently across the region.

Here's what seems to be the key framework:

This framework is extremely biased against street names. Of the 9 possible outcomes, only one of them actually results in a street name. If the TTC applied this framework, here's what the subway map may have looked like. As much I like to promote the wonderful neighbourhoods in this city, is this map really something that is helpful, practical, or user friendly compared to what we use today?

Screen shot 2015-10-02 at 12.52.36 AM.png



P.S. I included "Scarborough Metropolitan Centre" station in an attempt to appease stupid Glen De Baeremaeker's massive ego, though such efforts are futile and never good enough for this guy.
 

Attachments

  • Screen shot 2015-10-02 at 12.52.36 AM.png
    Screen shot 2015-10-02 at 12.52.36 AM.png
    238.5 KB · Views: 452
Last edited:
It makes no sense why they can't just name stations like you name streetcar or subway stops. I'm sure there are some that are used a dozen or more times and nobody ever gets confused.
 
This framework is extremely biased against street names. Of the 9 possible outcomes, only one of them actually results in a street name. If the TTC applied this framework, here's what the subway map may have looked like. As much I like to promote the wonderful neighbourhoods in this city, is this map really something that is helpful, practical, or user friendly compared to what we use today?

View attachment 56258



P.S I included "Scarborough Metropolitan Centre" station in an attempt to appease Glen De Baeremaeker's giant ego, though such efforts are futile and never good enough for this guy.
If we use Metrolinx convention, then what do we name Bloor-Yonge station? Reference Library? Oh, and Donforth Village should be spelled "Danforth Village." Ossington should be renamed "Bloorcourt Village" on the map.

I never understood some of the station names on the Shanghai Metro as well (that system prohibits duplicate station names, causing some of the stations to be named after nearby side streets and some after communes).
 
Last edited:
If we use Metrolinx convention, then what do we name Bloor-Yonge station? Reference Library?

Hudson Bay Centre, kinda like Peachtree Centre station in Atlanta. Somehow I missed that one.

Oh, and Donforth Village should be spelled "Danforth Village." Ossington should be renamed "Bloorcourt Village" on the map.

Bloorcourt Village sounds way too similar to Bloordale Village, plus there's also a Bloor West Village. Maybe I could change it to Dovercourt Park, but that's beside the point which was my attempt to demonstrate the ridiculousness and impracticality of Metrolinx's way of thinking.
 
Last edited:
What's this obsession with naming stations after street names anyways? Naming them after neighbourhoods is a fairly well established practice pretty much everywhere - and as the subway/transit system expands, you will end up with an increasingly unwieldy amount of duplication and hypennated station names because you inevitably will build stations by grid. Time to get away from that. People don't have any issues figuring out where to get to with station names like Yorkdale, Osgoode, Downsview, St. Patrick or St. Andrew (nor will they with Pioneer Village, VMC, York University), and they aren't about to just because Metrolinx chose this naming convention.

AoD
 
Last edited:
What's this obsession with naming stations after street names anyways? Naming them after neighbourhoods is a fairly well established practice pretty much everywhere - and as the subway/transit system expands, you will end up with an increasingly unwieldy amount of duplication and hypennated station names because you inevitably will build stations by grid. Time to get away from that.

AoD

Whats this obsession with getting away from hyphenated names and switching to neighborhood names which don't mean anything to people in terms of where they want to go? Time to get away from that. People know Dufferin street. They don't know Fairbank.

When I think about my grandmother, using the TTC and not knowing English, dealing with Dufferin Station twice, on Eglinton and Bloor, is much easier than dealing with Fairbank. She knows Toronto's streets pretty well, but start tossing in neighbourhood names, and shes confused.

With Dufferin being a major North-South route in the city, I think it makes sense to include the name Dufferin in the station name, as it not only points to the cross-street, but also to the bus route that will be feeding the station. For those who don't make their way around the area often, knowing they are at Dufferin can help them understand where they are within the city. The bus already refers to it as Dufferin without confusing anyone. Why does that need to change?
 
I live on Eglinton and the problem is that I never identify Dufferin as Fairbank and when I think of Keele I think KEELE... I don't understand why the above ground stops have no problems with hyphenated names but the underground stations want to go away from that. In regards to other station names like Osgoode I think we have just become use to it. There may be a few exceptions like Museum, Science Center, or Yorkdale that Im ok with theme based names... Otherwise Id much prefer just knowing where I am.
 
I live on Eglinton and the problem is that I never identify Dufferin as Fairbank and when I think of Keele I think KEELE... I don't understand why the above ground stops have no problems with hyphenated names but the underground stations want to go away from that. In regards to other station names like Osgoode I think we have just become use to it. There may be a few exceptions like Museum, Science Center, or Yorkdale that Im ok with theme based names... Otherwise Id much prefer just knowing where I am.

Just think what would happen if it is say, Keele that we are dealing with - you'd have Keele (Bloor-Keele), Eglinton-Keele, Finch-Keele (if not for the alternate name of Finch West, which itself is also problematic should there be a future station along Finch). Also, these names are not error proof - if you just mentioned Keele and neglected to provide the E-W line information (which will inevitably happen), someone will have 3 different options to choose from (if not more, in the future). Why create opportunity for confusion?

AoD
 
Just think what would happen if it is say, Keele that we are dealing with - you'd have Keele (Bloor-Keele), Eglinton-Keele, Finch-Keele (if not for the alternate name of Finch West, which itself is also problematic should there be a future station along Finch). Also, these names are not error proof - if you just mentioned Keele and neglected to provide the E-W line information (which will inevitably happen), someone will have 3 different options to choose from (if not more, in the future). Why create opportunity for confusion?

AoD

People will quickly learn to say what line the station is on. It's no more difficult than using cross streets to identify locations (Keele & Finch, for example). We've literally been doing it for centuries.
 
AOD I just want to start by saying that I do not believe that this is completely a metrolinx issue.. Any agency could have come up with this even if I disagree... I think that having the cross streets at least help me navigate ( if I make a mistake then that is on me) Toronto is more or less built on a grid and street names help us navigate it. The problem with the theme based names is that for most of these places the names are not necessarily explainable by common sense. I mean I know why Museum is museum (THE ROM) or St Andrews is St Andrews (because of the church) but I may memorize but I will never have a clue what Fairbank is just by the surroundings.
 

Back
Top