TTC Cartography, Signage, and Wayfinding

[kotsy]

Another posable problem with the new Line 2 maps there isn't anything to tell someone what the line numbers in circles mean or the red rectangles with numbers in them mean. If you don't know anything about the TTC then you could look at it an be very confused about it.

There's a legend on the full system map that is also included in every subway car.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

There's a legend on the full system map that is also included in every subway car.

Nort every car has those and they are quite frequently replaced by advertising and they are in a terrible location to read because of people, sitting under them Thet TTC needs to bring back the full system map or put a legend on these jokes of maps they are putting above the doors. I don't care if other cities do them the TTC needs to maker these maps functional and not half-assed as they are now, looking in two different places to find a legend and where at transfer line goes is stupid and inconvieniet.

 

[Amare]

Honestly, if you're this confused by the relatively straightforward map standing up is probably the least of your concerns . . .

To be fair, not everyone (mainly referring to tourists) knows what UP is, or VIA Rail, or MiWay, etc..

Geography 101 teaches everyone that every major wayfinding map should have a legend, if it doesnt its useless. So why the TTC has gone out of their way to have 50% of Line 2 maps with legends, and 50% without is beyond baffling.

 

[Steve X]

Honestly, if you're this confused by the relatively straightforward map standing up is probably the least of your concerns . . .

Someone who doesn't take the subway everyday and tourists will find the single line map very difficult to use. One shouldn't have to run back and forth around the subway car to find a proper map. There is no way someone can tell what directions does the streetcar routes or Line 1 runs by just reading this map. Nor could someone tell if Line 3 ends at Kennedy or continues on. It's really useless for navigation without being paired with a full subway map besides counting stops.

 

[W. K. Lis]

To be fair, not everyone (mainly referring to tourists) knows what UP is, or VIA Rail, or MiWay, etc..

Geography 101 teaches everyone that every major wayfinding map should have a legend, if it doesnt its useless. So why the TTC has gone out of their way to have 50% of Line 2 maps with legends, and 50% without is beyond baffling.

They use those strip maps on other subways/metro lines around the world. Never get out much?

From link. (Note the date.)

February 12th, 2016

MTA New York City Transit is changing the electronic strip maps for subway cars on the

and

Lines, making it easier for customers to follow their routes and see where their train is going even when service changes occur.

The new strip maps, coming to the fleet of R142 and R142A cars that run on the

and

Lines, combine information for both lines but illuminates only the route that is in use. The existing strip maps show route information for either the

or the

Line only.

The map redesign is consistent with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s initiative to improve the customer experience with modern amenities such as countdown clocks throughout the network, upgrading the MTA Subway Time app with data for all lines, bringing wireless connectivity to all underground stations, and installing Help Point Intercoms in every station.

The interchangeability of the new electronic map design allows NYC Transit to make better use of its fleet, and improves visual communication with customers beyond onboard digital and audio announcements. These strip maps are unique to the

and

Lines because they share a fleet of subway cars. The two routes also overlap along several stations in the Bronx and Brooklyn but separate in Manhattan: the

on the Seventh Avenue Line and the

on the Lexington Avenue Line. On weekdays, both lines share the same terminal at Brooklyn College-Flatbush Av. NYC Transit often uses trains on both lines interchangeably as service warrants.

“We are taking this opportunity to replace strip maps that are more than a decade old and going a step further to improve customer communication by creating this new strip map that shows both the

and

routes from end to end,” MTA New York City Transit President, Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim said. “The combined strip map lets us reassign trains more fluidly and shows our customers where they’re going, regardless of the train they’ve boarded. The redesign will alleviate customer confusion when trains are reassigned or rerouted from one line to another.”

The new strip maps show the

and

Lines as red and green lines, respectively, that vary in thickness based on the route in service. Illuminated lights indicate all upcoming stops, while a flashing light shows the current stop. On portions where the

and

Lines share stops, illuminated lights overlap on both the red and green lines.

The new interior strip map has been installed and successfully tested on one 10-car train. The remainder of the R142 and R142A cars that run on the

and

Lines will have the new maps installed in the coming months. The process of creating the new maps involved the design and purchase of new strip maps and an extensive reprogramming of the electronic strip map system on all cars assigned to the

and

Lines.

 

[ViveleCanada]

The idea seems to be that of London's where travelers would work out their journeys at a full system map before heading down to the platform. At the platform, strip maps are available to show the direction of the trains and another strip map available on the train so the traveler knows when to get off. This logic is used quite successfully in London, so its no surprise the TTC seems to be attempting to copy this idea considering it is catching along in a number of other cities (ex. New York). Anyways, London manages just fine without full system maps in its trains so Toronto will probably just grow up with the fact (recall the cold reception when they changed the lines to numbers). Turns out London does have system maps in their trains, they are rather small looking and don't seem to show the whole system, just the portion the line runs through.

...Thet TTC needs to bring back the full system map...

I would say that shouldn't be an option anymore. Once Finch West gets added to the map, the map would be close to unreadable with too much information in too small of a space. I'm not visually impaired, but I see the strip maps being a bit of a relief for anyone who is as generally everything is bigger and more legible.

Another posable problem with the new Line 2 maps there isn't anything to tell someone what the line numbers in circles mean or the red rectangles with numbers in them mean. If you don't know anything about the TTC then you could look at it an be very confused about it.

There is a legend on the new strip map, it's clear and explains what all the icons mean. It's just missing a compass. It's in the bottom left corner of the map.

 

[Amare]

They use those strip maps on other subways/metro lines around the world. Never get out much?

From link. (Note the date.)

Are we New York? The MTA has had a reputation for confusing wayfinding, which they've been trying to clean up for years now.

The main issue is that not everyone knows what the other transit services are that the TTC shows on it's subway strip maps. Ask an outoftowner if they know what "GO" is, or what "VIA" is, or what "UP" is. 98% of the time you'll find that they have no idea what on earth you're talking about. Ask an outoftowner if they know what the difference is between the "510" roundel and the line "1" roundel and I guarantee you they will probably think they are both subway lines if there are no legends present. This confusion is what happens when you poorly implement a new idea.

The TTC has been inconsistent with their new subway map implementation. Some trains have the full subway and streetcar line maps, others dont. Some train cars have the subway line strip map with legends, some dont. It's the typical lazy implementation by the TTC, I've been giving them the benefit of the doubt for the past few weeks for them to clean up the issues but it's just gotten worse (ie: implementing maps without legends).

 

[kotsy]

If you're a tourist and don't know the system very well then you should have the portable map in your pocket. When I'm in another city, I'm never outside of my hostel without one. We don't have full system maps on buses so why are they needed on every subway car?

 

[Amare]

^To make wayfinding easier, not more difficult. You raise a perfectly valid point and i do the same thing with portable maps when i'm in other cities, however i've noticed that many systems across the world still have their system maps plastered everywhere.

Where exactly are people going to find full scale physical system maps on the TTC subway system if they're not on subway cars? The only places I can think of are on the mezzanine levels of stations, and if one is lucky, they'll find a ride guide lite on a subway car. Buses dont need system maps because you can find system maps plastered all over bus shelters across the city, however the subway is a different matter all together.

 

[MisterF]

With the Finch and Eglinton LRTs added to the map not to mention hopefully not too far down the line the DRL and RER being integral parts of the rapid transit system, that's just too much information to cram in above the door. The whole system map being above the door is a luxury we've had until this point because of our relatively puny system. But it won't be like that for long.

 

[gweed123]

With the Finch and Eglinton LRTs added to the map not to mention hopefully not too far down the line the DRL and RER being integral parts of the rapid transit system, that's just too much information to cram in above the door. The whole system map being above the door is a luxury we've had until this point because of our relatively puny system. But it won't be like that for long.

The standard I'd like to see is the line map above the door, with a regional rapid transit map in the poster space beside the door. Of course, that means less advertising dollars, but I think it's a worthwhile trade-off.

 

[Amare]

The standard I'd like to see is the line map above the door, with a regional rapid transit map in the poster space beside the door. Of course, that means less advertising dollars, but I think it's a worthwhile trade-off.

This is the exact thing they should be doing, and I thought they were in the process of doing exactly that. But as per usual with the TTC, the head doesn't really communicate with the rest of the body.

 

[Steve X]

They don't need to show every station on the other lines and turn it into a cluster. They could just include the lines to indicate the general direction and include transfer/terminal stations. Having too many stations would make it difficult to navigate but having too little doesn't make it better. Even the SRT map is better, it at least shows the Line 2 continues on westwards at Kennedy.

 

[kotsy]

^To make wayfinding easier, not more difficult. You raise a perfectly valid point and i do the same thing with portable maps when i'm in other cities, however i've noticed that many systems across the world still have their system maps plastered everywhere.

Where exactly are people going to find full scale physical system maps on the TTC subway system if they're not on subway cars? The only places I can think of are on the mezzanine levels of stations, and if one is lucky, they'll find a ride guide lite on a subway car. Buses dont need system maps because you can find system maps plastered all over bus shelters across the city, however the subway is a different matter all together.

Space is pretty limited in those subway cars for large maps when they use the same space as ads. Perhaps adding more full rapid transit maps at every subway entrance and 2-3 on each platform would be good. This seems to be the approach that the MTA & London Underground use from my recollection.

 

[W. K. Lis]

One needs to get the information we need at a glance, and only a glance. Having to read a "novel" to get from point A to point B, is not required, especially if you are walking by.

From link.