Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

pstogios said:
Even then, I felt a little unsure that following the signs that said "Trains" would take me there. Not a good sign.
Just put the UP logo up wherever "Trains" is on a sign. Seems like a deliberate oversight to me.
Click to expand...

Yes. Signage consistency with the Union end. :)

pstogios said:
-finally, I found way too much "soft selling" of the line on the train. The brochure, the station announcements, the TV screens all had some level of hyperbole about how awesome this line is. This was unnecessary ego stroking. Other cities with good public transport to the airport don't have to do this. The infrastructure just exists. But somehow UP must be "marketed" even on the train itself and I found that slightly nauseating.
Click to expand...
This, too. I just thought the announcements were really chatty. And what with both English and French versions, it almost seemed like they were continuous between Weston and Bloor...
 
Tuscani01 said:
My friend who moved to New York a few months ago came back to town last week and couldn't find the UPX train at Pearson. Wayfinding was almost non existent. Here is his Facebook rant about it:
Click to expand...

The wayfinding from Pearson to the long-term parking is appalling, and I guess it's the same problem. It does not seem like anyone in charge has actually attempted to follow the signs out of the airport, or else this would have been remedied.
 
drum118 said:
When we did the Station Master Plan a few years ago, paving material along with benches, chairs & tables where to go in along with a retail where the plaza could be used 7 days a week all day. Plug in for cars and a PA system so events could take place was also part of the plan. Even the entrance from Lawrence was to look a lot better than it does now. Lack of funds or not wanting to pay the extra cost has lead to what there now. More is to come as things wrap up this summer.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Toronto always cheapening out on things. Wouldn't expect anything different. Can't have nice things in this town.
 
I've been playing around with Illustrator, and have a few ideas. Here's a link to a Flicker image:
https://flic.kr/p/uqTyvw

This is the wordiest version, and might go on a wall. Things would have to be slimmed down a lot to go in the overhead signs. Some words might be problematic for translation purposes... "trains" is already bilingual, but "streetcars" is not. One reason to have logos may be to remove the need for words that need to be translated, similarly to road signs.

I don't particularly like the train symbol I've used, but I wanted to distinguish the UPX trains from the GO trains, and I'm not sure what train symbol UPX uses.. The train symbol at the airport is extremely generic; it could be used at Union for all trains. But GO uses their own train symbol, which I found and traced to place in the drawing.

I also traced the symbol for streetcars. It might be slightly confusing to have these symbols for different types of railed transport without some explanation, so a legend such as "Streetcars to Island airport" may be helpful.

Comments?
 
It's depressing that while we celebrate UPX as a real step forward for regional transportation, Beijing has just today announced plans to build 1000 km (!!) of RER network by 2020, using mostly the ROW of existing railways.
 
chinese economy is also growing at 7% per annum, with the large cities posting rates above 10%. Meanwhile toronto's job growth continues at 2% annually, with a population far lower than Beijing.
 
Not to mention we're not a totalitarian country where the government can do things very quickly without democratic input or respect for worker's rights. Pretty easy to build megaprojects when you can use tear down houses 1-2-3 and use slave labour!
 
1overcosc said:
Not to mention we're not a totalitarian country where the government can do things very quickly without democratic input or respect for worker's rights. Pretty easy to build megaprojects when you can use tear down houses 1-2-3 and use slave labour!
Click to expand...
Give due credit where due. Slow progress is being made -- like nail houses. Yesterday, those would just have been bulldozed over but new laws prevent China's Government from doing so. There's increased property rights now. But eventually, the money will be forced into the propertyowner accounts and then the bulldozers come. Still a big improvement.
 
These Metrolinx folks are so deluded with this UP Express branding. Why don't they put trains to the airport in the signage instead of UP Express everywhere? Do they think it's everyone coming to Union Station that has heard of UP Express? There's nothing special about UP Express. They are making it seem like some worldwide innovative product which has never been seen before. It's not even electrified but they are hyping it up so much.
 
Komiksulo said:
I've been playing around with Illustrator, and have a few ideas. Here's a link to a Flicker image:
https://flic.kr/p/uqTyvw
Comments?
Click to expand...

I quite like them, especially the UPX marker.

These Metrolinx folks are so deluded with this UP Express branding. Why don't they put trains to the airport in the signage instead of UP Express everywhere? Do they think it's everyone coming to Union Station that has heard of UP Express? There's nothing special about UP Express. They are making it seem like some worldwide innovative product which has never been seen before. It's not even electrified but they are hyping it up so much.
Click to expand...

Don't forget these are the folks to got you that infamous video.
Click to expand...


Oh absolutely, Metrolinx has botched the UPX branding from the start. Coining it a "premium livery service" gave the impression it was a Bay Street shuttle for the rich. The hyperbolic promotional videos that claimed, among other cheese, that "UP is a badge that elevates Toronto to full status among the world's financial capitals" were rightly lambasted by critics. Add in the saccharine press releases for "strategic partnerships" with the likes of CBC - look, we will have an ATM at the station, how innovative! - right down to the poor signage and wayfinding, it was a poorly executed marketing campaign start-to-finish.
 
Last edited:
Adjei said:
These Metrolinx folks are so deluded with this UP Express branding. Why don't they put trains to the airport in the signage instead of UP Express everywhere? Do they think it's everyone coming to Union Station that has heard of UP Express? There's nothing special about UP Express. They are making it seem like some worldwide innovative product which has never been seen before. It's not even electrified but they are hyping it up so much.
Click to expand...

I was on one of the free rides last sunday and overheard one of the train crew saying that there's an advertisement and a discount in Air Cnada's in flight nmgzine
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top