Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[Full Metal Junkie]

Navigating PATH has been a headache even before the Smartphone era. It's not only signage - but the PATH environment lacks directionality and cues that would allow an individual to situate themselves relative to the normal city.

Agreed for the most parts, except I still wouldn't blame the signs.

Imagine a few years from now you had to go from 16 York over to PWC building. On the street level, you just hop north across Bremnar and you are there. Now imagine you have to take the PATH. You first descend underground, walk east under York until you reach roughly the middle of Longos inder the Malpe Leaf Square, turn around and head up the escalator facing west, then turn 180 and head east until you reach the exit facing Scotiabank Arena, turn another 180, head up the escalator to the second floor, turn another 180 and slip past the Real Sports Bar entrance over to the sky bridge heading to the Scotiabank Arena's second floor, once there, turn left and zigzag your way over to what looks like a fire escape staircase. Take those stairs down to the ground floor and take a door on your left that doesn't lead outside, but over to the Telus building instead. Breathe in, you are on the home stretch now. Just keep heading west all the way through the spacious ground floor interior of the Telus building and somewhere in the back-right corner (a.k.a. nothwest), you will find a couple of inconspicuous escalators heading up. Take those escalators and you will find yourself on another sky bridge, this time Across York over to the second floor of the PWC building. Congrats! You've spent 10 minutes of your life trying to get to the building across the street using the PATH!
The PATH is The PATH. It's convoluted to say the least. Add to that the way point references. Up top on the ground, you navigate by things like "Bay Street", "the corner of King and John", "going South", "that tall skinny reddish-brown skyscraper with Scotia logo on top", "just head towards CN Tower", etc. But down below ground, you don't have any landmarks and the only way points you have are vague names like "Commerce Court" and "First Canadian Place" that tell you neither what these places look like on the outside or what streets they are on.
There ain't any amount of signage that can make the PATH easily navigable. You just have to learn and remember where to go on your own.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

'The frivolity of the extended height of meaning is juxtaposed upon the dexterous wonderment of the difference between the product wherever it is directed by the arrow of reference.'

What was that word salad? Seriously, it gave one cause enough to remove them from the project.

AoD

 

[BjamesT]

?
I find some of Picasso's work intriguing, but when I need to take in a whizz in the worst of ways, I couldn't give a toss. Put an arrow showing where the washrooms are. Those melting clocks recurring in Picasso's work? That's what's about to run down my leg.
.

(Dali painted the melting clocks, not Picasso...)

 

[Admiral Beez]

What the Path needs is location finding via Google Maps without a GPS signal. No, not some Path App that you only realize you need to download once you're already lost.

And having static maps online doesn't help https://www.blogto.com/city/2018/07/you-can-finally-navigate-path-your-phone/ I need to know where I am in real time, what direction I am facing.

That signage is ridiculous.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1087752854536966146

 

[AnotherCanuck]

On the subject of the leather shop bypass... Looks like more progress on the possible new pedestrian path through Bay.

The stairwell down to the moat is open again, after having been closed off for the last week or so. The construction hoarding on the other side of the fenced/gated off portion (into the Bay concourse) is also gone, and the area seems cleaned up.

Edit: nevermind. Just went by for lunch and it's closed off again.

 

[DatTranzitGuy]

On the subject of the leather shop bypass... Looks like more progress on the possible new pedestrian path through Bay.

The stairwell down to the moat is open again, after having been closed off for the last week or so. The construction hoarding on the other side of the fenced/gated off portion (into the Bay concourse) is also gone, and the area seems cleaned up.

Edit: nevermind. Just went by for lunch and it's closed off again.

Man it’s unpredictable when the concourse gate will be open or closed it would be cool to periscope my phones camera over the wall to see what they got done now

 

[AnotherCanuck]

Man it’s unpredictable when the concourse gate will be open or closed it would be cool to periscope my phones camera over the wall to see what they got done now

When I walked back after lunch it was open again, except now they've put a tarp behind the gate so you can't see into that area of the Bay Concourse anymore.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Is there a total timeline for the Union Station project, including all elements of the subway platform reno, GO Bus terminal, great hall and platform work, etc?

When did the project first start work, was it 2006? It feels like Union Station and its TTC, GoBus and Sports/Entertainment connections have been going on for decades.

 

[DSC]

When I walked back after lunch it was open again, except now they've put a tarp behind the gate so you can't see into that area of the Bay Concourse anymore.

Yes, it was like that at 3pm but I also noticed that at the top of the metal (inside) stairs (to the left) they have rebuilt the temporary wall that will, eventually, be the pathway to the Bay Concourse and seem to have been working on that ceiling too (new temporary lights?). It would seem they are really working to open that route through Bay Concourse.

 

[robmausser]

I dont really know where to post this, so mods feel free to move this comment or tell me where:

Im looking for an image or drawing of an old mockup around the time of the CN Tower and CN railway lands discussion on what to build downtown where an "elevated" transit was proposed. The drawing or mockup showed union station with an elevated transit line running down Front or around that area. I can't remember if it was for GO-ALRT, A DRL type line or some other proposal.

If anyone knows what image I am talking about please post it here!

Thanks!!

 

[Richard White]

Last night they were working on a section of the Great Hall flooring next to the information desk.

 

[DSC]

Last night they were working on a section of the Great Hall flooring next to the information desk.

Yes, they seem to FINALLY have returned to fixing the Great Hall floor. However it does not appear that anything is happening behind the temporary wall along the north side of the GH - the planned restaurant.

 

[Richard White]

Yes, they seem to FINALLY have returned to fixing the Great Hall floor. However it does not appear that anything is happening behind the temporary wall along the north side of the GH - the planned restaurant.

I wonder if the restaurant fell through.

 

[DatTranzitGuy]

I wonder if the restaurant fell through.

I guess their wait for a tenant who can open a restaurant there

 

[AnotherCanuck]

Wayfinding signs in the VIA Concourse are lit up this morning.

I guess their wait for a tenant who can open a restaurant there

Make your move, Cinnabon!