TTC Cartography, Signage, and Wayfinding

[TheTigerMaster]

I don't mind the airport ttc service. Literally nobody but Torontonians would use that bus. Tourists and important people will use UPX.

 

[Adjei]

Beats the pants off Heathrow's bus connection setup for the local circulator and on par with the Q33/M60 stop at Laguardia, including the ticket machines hidden some distance from the stop itself. So yeah, if London and NY are world class, then Toronto is following in their footsteps.


Does nobody on this forum actually go to other cities and live like a local? Most are spectacular at a couple of things but the rest is cobbled together and often feels barely functional, just like Toronto. Even folks heading for the downtown Hostels will tend to take the UP Express (they continue to recommend the Airport Express bus; no mention of discount public transit from Airport on HIHostels.ca). So, the $30/night crowd isn't looking for TTC, and neither will 99% of the other tourists.

TTC service at the airport is for locals, and they know where it is because that's how they got to the airport in the first place. Navigation is horrible and should be improved, but it's also pretty typical for the severely discounted transportation option.

UPExpress signs are horrible from the baggage area, TTC isn't even wanted by people new to the city who have done zero research.

Places like Amsterdamn have far better places to take buses and also better signage. So because other places are horrible, it means we should be horrible too. What sort of thinking is that? Shouldn't we be striving to improve things for citizens of this city and looking to be at the top?

 

[Adjei]

I don't mind the airport ttc service. Literally nobody but Torontonians would use that bus[. Tourists and important people will use UPX.

So I guess that makes it ok?

 

[crs1026]

Does nobody on this forum actually go to other cities and live like a local?

Yes, and I was looking at Pearson from the POV of how I'm feeling and thinking when I get off a transatlantic flight. I'd like to see Toronto as a model, not "typical" in this area, it's not a big dollar item. Just needs some work.

Even folks heading for the downtown Hostels will tend to take the UP Express (they continue to recommend the Airport Express bus; no mention of discount public transit from Airport on HIHostels.ca). So, the $30/night crowd isn't looking for TTC, and neither will 99% of the other tourists.

I checked Frommers, Fodors, and Lonely Planet, and all were somewhat out of date. But the 192 Rocket gets good press. It's apparent that Porter has been working hard to get the Island Airport option mentioned in the travel reviews. I would have expected that UPX with its dedicated marketing arm would be doing likewise, maybe we have to wait for next year's editions to see the result. I would have hoped that someone is promoting all the transit systems. TTC gets the most profile, but BT Miway and GO also factor into the airport travel net. At present, they are virtually invisible.

TTC service at the airport is for locals, and they know where it is because that's how they got to the airport in the first place. Navigation is horrible and should be improved, but it's also pretty typical for the severely discounted transportation option.

TTC is a "discounted transportation option"? I'd like to think of it as "the best transportation value in Toronto" - it's already close to that, but I'd like to see improvements.

UPExpress signs are horrible from the baggage area, TTC isn't even wanted by people new to the city who have done zero research.

Hmmm, that's why there is Frommers, and Fodors, and Lonely Planet, and...... The travel articles in the media seem to suggest that the typical traveller does much more research than ever before. Yes, those on expense accounts may want to just call the travel agent and then climb in the limo and tell the driver the address, but that's not typical any more. Hence Tripadvisor, Expedia, etc, etc......Getting there is half the fun.

- Paul

 

[rbt]

I checked Frommers, Fodors, and Lonely Planet, and all were somewhat out of date. But the 192 Rocket gets good press.

I'm not sure how being mentioned as the 3rd or 4th option is good press, but you are right that it does get mentioned. Directions for some cities put the public transit option above a taxi, though very rare in North America.

Either way, it's clear there aren't 777's full of people heading for the 192, nor are there hundreds or even tens of people wandering around meet&greet areas (exit from baggage claim) asking for directions to the 192. Pearson Express signs clearly need significant improvement (there were people asking for directions for that on Saturday).

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

It looks the Toronto Rockets are getting new maps with the Toronto Airport Rocket on them.

 

[BurlOak]

It looks like they introduced a forced transfer at Eglinton West. You have to transfer from the Yellow line to the Red line. Why are people from Scarborough complaining about the Kennedy transfer.

Wait, it looks like transfers are needed at St. George, St. Andrew, and King too. I would hate the trip from Ryerson to Yorkdale.

 

[Megaton327]

It looks like they introduced a forced transfer at Eglinton West. You have to transfer from the Yellow line to the Red line. Why are people from Scarborough complaining about the Kennedy transfer.

Wait, it looks like transfers are needed at St. George, St. Andrew, and King too. I would hate the trip from Ryerson to Yorkdale.

What the hell are you talking about? Transfers are not needed at any of those locations.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

What the hell are you talking about? Transfers are not needed at any of those locations.

I think what BurlOak meas is that you have to change lines and poel in Scarborough are complaining about having to use both the SRT and the subway to get downtown.

 

[kotsy]

He's referring to how the red and green lights make the lines appear different colours - green, yellow, red and from that it looks like you need to transfer when the line changes colour at the stations he mentioned.

 

[animatronic]

Grabbed a pic of the UPX system map. Took a minute to figure out that the transit mode icons lined up with the operator to their left - maybe there should have been a common perimeter line or background shading for each set. Also hard to tell streetcar vs subway but not much you can do about that. They could also have included a note about connecting to the YTZ shuttle.

 

[gweed123]

Grabbed a pic of the UPX system map. Took a minute to figure out that the transit mode icons lined up with the operator to their left - maybe there should have been a common perimeter line or background shading for each set. Also hard to tell streetcar vs subway but not much you can do about that. They could also have included a note about connecting to the YTZ shuttle.


View attachment 49338

Pretty good map, IMO. Descriptive and shows the transfers quite well.

 

[the lemur]

Grabbed a pic of the UPX system map. Took a minute to figure out that the transit mode icons lined up with the operator to their left - maybe there should have been a common perimeter line or background shading for each set. Also hard to tell streetcar vs subway but not much you can do about that. They could also have included a note about connecting to the YTZ shuttle.

Oh, that reminds me of something. That map is about the only bit of signage in the UP trains where the French isn't gibberish:

 

[Tuscani01]

I would hate the trip from Ryerson to Yorkdale.

I did that trip daily for 2 years. You don't need to transfer at all. I would just head down through Union and back up towards Dundas station. Single train, no transferring required.

 

[picard102]

I would hate the trip from Ryerson to Yorkdale.

I go from Dundas to Wilson daily. There is no transfer.