I like Paige, but actually don't agree with a number of things in this video.
First off, I like nouns, I don't know what he has against them, but I consider naming/letter convention dull as dishwater. If you can't figure out a name, we have a solution, the lines have their own colour. Its visual, its easy.
For the most part, if you can't find your way around, particularly for those with phones, which is now the majority of the population, I think that's generally on you.
I remember the first time I went to Ottawa, I was giving directions to locals an hour after I got in to my hotel. Its not hard, read a map; I don't know what is says about the state of global education that this doesn't occur to most people.
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That said, I agree that the signage at Union Station should show the terminal point, and everyone agrees Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is an excessively long name. Vaughan Centre should suffice
I don't see anything wrong with listing the cardinal direction, North on the Union signage. Yes, both routes go north, but that would still seem like reasonable info, I like cardinal directions.
His point about the way the TTC does their map legend is fair, though hardly an obstacle to reading the map, its just needless clutter.
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The station names are fine, I think they're perfectly easy to understand, for the most part, stations are named after the major street they cross.
The University Line Stations actually should have done this, with King West, Queen West, yes, Dundas West and College West, Museum is fine, there's sense to that name.
Dundas West (existing) is a problem in that context. While I'm not in favour of renaming Dundas, as a political project, I have some sympathy for the idea that it would make more intuitive sense for the western leg to be named Roncesvalles and the station could carry that name.
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The bus terminal at Finch, would, ideally be integrated, but literally isn't large enough. The regional terminal will go away when the Yonge line heads north, so I don't see this as a pressing issue.
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Since I find Metrolinx use of that consultant designed T in a circle the most intellectually offensive, useless design imaginable I have no sympathy for the idea that they should be in charge of design.
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Ultimately, I'm content to agree that some signage and some nomenclature could certainly be improved upon; I also think there are far more substantive things to worry about. I also will come back to the idea that if you don't map out where you're going before you arrive in a City or at train station or airport........... I don't understand you, and fixing the world for you strikes me as too much trouble.
Before the internet, it was different, and yes, I remember. LOL Guidebooks were a thing.
When I went to Europe for the first time, I had a half dozen small ones, one for each city I thought I was going to visit, and a language book with 3 languages + English and I read up extensively on how everything worked and the layout at Schipol Airport etc etc.
Now you can do this while on the plane or train, from the comfort of your seat, with a single device, how handy! If a web resource doesn't already come in your language, google or others can translate it for you.
I'm just baffled that this seems like a real challenge to any number of people.
Can I get 'lost', sure; doesn't happen often mind you, and I can usually straighten myself out, but rarely do I think this is the fault of a cartographer or semiotician somewhere....
I don't mean to be too self aggrandizing here; lest I get lost on my next adventure.........but I do find this a bit over-wrought.
