Toronto Spadina Subway Extension Emergency Exits | ?m | 1s | TTC | IBI Group

[amnesiajune]

I'm sorta disappointed that they didn't do "SHEPPARD WEST, FORMERLY Downsview"

 

[kotsy]

The "formerly Downsview" part of the sign gives the station an air of history.

It's always nice to have a nod to the past but I doubt they will keep it there forever. It'll probably only read "sheppard west" when the extension opens

 

[M II A II R II K]

Now the only odd font out is Queen station.

 

[Transportfan]

It's always nice to have a nod to the past but I doubt they will keep it there forever. It'll probably only read "sheppard west" when the extension opens

The TTC will have to replace the whole sign then, unless the FORMERLY DOWNSVIEW part is a separate sign.

I wonder if in 20 years we'll see: STEELES WEST - FORMERLY PIONEER VILLAGE?

 

[amnesiajune]

Now the only odd font out is Queen station.

St. George?

 

[junctionist]

It's always nice to have a nod to the past but I doubt they will keep it there forever. It'll probably only read "sheppard west" when the extension opens

It's a lot of work to change signs. I can see the TTC leaving them up permanently. A lot of people who don't take transit regularly and don't pay that much attention to changes in the transit system will probably keep using the old name for a while. The signs will help alleviate confusion for many years after the new extension opens.

 

[Leo_Chan]

The TTC will have to replace the whole sign then, unless the FORMERLY DOWNSVIEW part is a separate sign.

I wonder if in 20 years we'll see: STEELES WEST - FORMERLY PIONEER VILLAGE?

The TTC/Metrolinx station naming scheme has no regulations. Downsview become Sheppard West while Eglinton West becomes Cedarvale. Logically, one wants to differentiate the stations be not having too similar names, while the other (may) help with wayfinding. Lines do not have any stations that include the line name (no Bloor East nor Eglinton East), which causes Sheppard West Station to be an outlier if Line 4 get extended West. Steeles West probably won't be a thing even if Steeles Station comes with the YNSE because a Steeles BRT might be a thing (I might have a different opinion than others about this). Queen-Yonge Station should be a thing when the Relief Line eventually arrives. Now don't get me started on Eglinton Station...

Station names based on their nearest major intersection (or street) with a EastWest-NorthSouth format would be ideal, but it doesn't give enough "identity" or "uniqueness" or "path finding ", which is bs.

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

The irony is there used to be TTC station -naming regulations which outlined basically what you say. They blew them up to accommodate the names for this extension.

IIRC, they objected to Vaughan's request for the terminal station and after going back and forth a few times the Toronto people kind of went, "well, if they can get an exception let's just open them all up and start making up names (like Pioneer Village)." And that was that. The Metrolinx process was entirely different but either way, they've basically been doing it all ad hoc, whereas before there was a set policy to follow.

There's something to be said for creativity - naming stations after landmarks and so forth - but doing it in this kind of piecemeal manner just yields a big mess.

That said, most people worry about this stuff too much. New York must have a dozen stations with similar names and no one gets confused, because they're used to it. People growing up now won't have deep existential crises about the Sheppard or Eglinton station names.

 

[allabootmatt]

And yet somehow New York manages with, like, five stations called 23rd St...or 34th...or 42nd...or...

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

And yet somehow New York manages with, like, five stations called 23rd St...or 34th...or 42nd...or...

Imagine how Torontonians would lose their minds if they had to contend with multiple lines on the same tracks (eg A/C/E or 4/5/6 trains in NYC) or a mixture of numbers and letters (e.g. take the Q train to the 4 train at 42nd Street). So hard and confusing!
"Which 42nd St street?! What if I get on the 5 train because they're both green?!"

In the meantime, last week I saw someone on Twitter bashing @TTCHelps for saying a stoppage was on Line 1 but not which side of it because, explained the complainer, many of us still need to hear things in terms of Yonge line/Spadina-University line. It's only been like 3 years!

Sad!

 

[junctionist]

And yet somehow New York manages with, like, five stations called 23rd St...or 34th...or 42nd...or...

Those stations are on different subway lines, which is less confusing than two stations with the same name on the same line.

 

[nfitz]

Those stations are on different subway lines, which is less confusing than two stations with the same name on the same line.

Two stations with same name on the same line, that aren't even next to each other.

My gosh, how will people cope?

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

It may be worth the subway ride to Acton but I'm from Toronto and totally mystified as to how up get there!!


And, yeah, those stations are on multiple lines and/or places where multiple lines converge. We're going to have up get used to this whole concept, apparently.

Seriously, we're so spoiled by our basic little system, basically consisting of a green line crossing a yellow U, it's amazing how worked up people are getting now that we have (gasp!) TWO rapid transit stations on a single street. It's all much ado about nothing, IMHO.

 

[nfitz]

It may be worth the subway ride to Acton but I'm from Toronto and totally mystified as to how up get there!!

You'll have to wait until 2026 when they propose to open 3 more stations in/near Acton. (Old Oak Common, east of Acton Main Line; and connecting as-of-yet unnamed Overground stations - one north of Acton Central and one between Willesden Junction and Shepards Bush.

 

[adrianaliu]

i think we should only resort to duplicate or similar station names when the system gets big enough that there are no other options. for now we have a ton of potential unique names available might as well use them, not every stn needs to be named after a cross street.