FWIW, I tweeted links:
https://twitter.com/mdrejhon/status/598132248404176896
Regarding the Exhibition GO station; disastorous experiences by many people (
complaint,
complaint,
complaint)
If you want,
you might want to retweet, to make sure it stays on the Metrolinx radar. I think they are already trying their best (at some level) but hasn't been able to come up with unified clarity of a "package solution" for Exhibition (e.g. carefully vetted signage words, carefully vetted sentences to say, carefully vetted authoritative uniforms) rather than unsuccessfully trying things piecemeal as they have been doing for Exhibition. The wonderful Metrolinx improvements elsewhere appear to be causing areas of unwitting neglect such as the confusing chaos of Exhibition that actually repel people from GO. Don't get me wrong, I'll continue to use GO, just concerned about the state of Exhibition this so close to PanAm. It is going to be bad advertising for Metrolinx that can outweigh other system successes. A simultaneous "package solution" is urgently required well before event surges / PanAm.
- better signs (the signs that were posted are a good
- better boilerplate sentences for wayfinding staff to bark
- more platform staff (at least two to three staff per side of platform,
AND waving some sort of flag or baton)
- better authoritative uniform (even "school cross guard" may be an improvement) to make people listen to staff directions better.
- pylons (with message) or fencing to block platform section not in use.
Yes, I know Metrolinx is trying to do their job. The existing signs were a good thoughtful attempt by perhaps a single employee or two, but they failed because of several reasons as the choice of words are easily misinterpreted since perhaps there wasn't time to properly vet the words to international standard. Also, people have a "herd mentality" where people are reluctant to move down platform because they are sticking to the herd they think is more experienced (but is not). Super-selectively careful use of words, simultaneous negatory words in the first line, followed by simultaneous positive words in the second line. This may catch attention of the widest possible range of people, including people who aren't as good English readers, and people who have difficulty resisting "crowd herd mentality" (a common issue with stadium size crowds).
| IMPORTANT |
| Ø ... TRAIN DOES NOT STOP HERE ... Ø
---> TRAIN STOP THIS WAY 150m --->
|
(include text color code. And also include yellow caution triangle logo next to word "IMPORTANT")
This might not be a perfect sign, and others can do better than me... A carefully designed and professionally vetted sign, possibly with color and/or caution symbol. It would make a major difference during the temporary Exhibition mess. Maybe a rich UrbanTorontoer could purchase $200 worth of signage manufacture and serreptituously secretly install them at Exhibition during a quiet 6am morning or non-sports 11pm evening, out-doing Metrolinx? (and then call Toronto Star and make it a "citizen hero" style event; causing Metrolinx to catch attention!). Either way, even so, this can't really be the only solution. Still need extra staff (with uniforms and crowd flow flags/baton), to provide better wayfinding. Plus also temporary platform-edge fencing to goad people further down-platform, or at least orange traffic pylons with label "TRAIN DOES NOT STOP IN THIS SECTION" or even "TRAIN STOPS OVER THERE -->"). This is needed to prevent Exhibition GO Station from becoming a public-relations disaster during Pan-Am.
During Pan-Am, a surge of foreigners will mean an even more confused crowd herd mentality than the Exhibition GO disaster we witnessed recently. Doesn't Metrolinx want to show off?
This is PanAm, people -- and this is Exhibition next to some PanAm venues in Exhibition.