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TTC: Redesigning TTC Signage

gweed123 said:
Only thing I would change is next to Bloor-Yonge I would put a small (S2) bubble (Bloor-Danforth Subway), and next to Union I would put the symbols for GO and VIA. That way passengers heading to those stations would know exactly what transfer options are available. People will remember they're transferring to GO before they remember exactly what station they need to get off at.
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I'm assuming this is what you mean:


Toronto1 said:
I am assuming that Bloor-Yonge was the "next station" in your example.
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The stations to the right are actually "key stations", such as interchanges with other lines and termini.
 
MafaldaBoy said:
I'm assuming this is what you mean:
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Bang on! Ideally for signs like this I think they should display the next 2 transfer stations on the line. So for example if the sign was at Finch, the sign would (eventually) show Sheppard (S1)(S3), Eglinton (S1)(L1).

The reason why I suggested "GO" for Union and not the individual lines is because the list would be a mile long, haha: E1, E2, E3, R4, E11 (Lakeshore Local Toronto, Port Credit-Pickering), E31 (Pearson-Agincourt Local). For other transfer locations with GO, the individual lines can be listed, because it's at most a couple, but for Union it would be too much.
 
MafaldaBoy said:
I'm assuming this is what you mean:




The stations to the right are actually "key stations", such as interchanges with other lines and termini.
Click to expand...

I really like this sign.

I'm still not sold on the font though, I'd probably stick with Helvetica or Arial or whatever we use right now. Just because then it won't clash too much with the existing signage, which we all know won't be replaced in one shot anyway.

Good work though.
 
A thought I just had on my naming standard: Do you think it would be beneficial to have lines that travel N-S will odd numbers, and lines that travel E-W with even numbers? I think it would provide some uniformity to the system with regards to how lines are numbered, and also provide an extra way-finding mechanism.
 
MafaldaBoy said:
I'm assuming this is what you mean:




The stations to the right are actually "key stations", such as interchanges with other lines and termini.
Click to expand...

I think there are too many interchanges to include. A sign at Finch would have to show Sheppard, Eglinton, Bloor, and Union - and if you consider the YUS one line, another set of stations). The B-D line would also have numerous interchanges when viewed from Kennedy or Kipling.

I think the purpose of this sign is to help people find their platform or train. I would only show the termini, plus Union since it is where SB switches to NB. You can look at a system map, or a line map to figure out which station has transfers.

So at the right, it would show:

Any station from Finch to King would say "via Union" plus "to VCC" for Southbound, and "to Finch" for Northbound.
Any station from VCC to Osgoode would say "via Union" plus "to Finch" Southbound, and "to VCC" for Northbound.

On all other lines, only one station would be needed, i.e., "to Kennedy" or "to Kipling", or "to Don Mills", or "to Mt. Dennis"

Maybe you can add "next station", but I think it would just clutter the sign.
 
BurlOak said:
I think there are too many interchanges to include. A sign at Finch would have to show Sheppard, Eglinton, Bloor, and Union - and if you consider the YUS one line, another set of stations). The B-D line would also have numerous interchanges when viewed from Kennedy or Kipling.

I think the purpose of this sign is to help people find their platform or train. I would only show the termini, plus Union since it is where SB switches to NB. You can look at a system map, or a line map to figure out which station has transfers.

So at the right, it would show:

Any station from Finch to King would say "via Union" plus "to VCC" for Southbound, and "to Finch" for Northbound.
Any station from VCC to Osgoode would say "via Union" plus "to Finch" Southbound, and "to VCC" for Northbound.

On all other lines, only one station would be needed, i.e., "to Kennedy" or "to Kipling", or "to Don Mills", or "to Mt. Dennis"

Maybe you can add "next station", but I think it would just clutter the sign.
Click to expand...

One of the suggestions I made above was to include only the next 2 transfer stations. That may help some of the clutter you're talking about.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
I really like this sign.
I'm still not sold on the font though, I'd probably stick with Helvetica or Arial or whatever we use right now. Just because then it won't clash too much with the existing signage, which we all know won't be replaced in one shot anyway.
Good work though.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
Here's the same sign using Swiss721, which apparently is what the TTC uses now but isn't technically Helvetica (they look almost identical though).
 
This looks better. I acknowledge that the TTC font isn't great for directions but it maintains the character of the system. This font does so as well. It doesn't seem out of place.
 
I don't think you could use different logos for the different trains on the Y-U-S, my guess is that most people have no idea that the Rockets run only on the Y-U-S. In the minds of most people, regardless of what type of train shows up a subway is a subway. A different logo for the LRT lines would work though, since people should be able to grasp the difference between LRT, Subway, Streetcar and Bus.
 
Catenary said:
I don't think you could use different logos for the different trains on the Y-U-S, my guess is that most people have no idea that the Rockets run only on the Y-U-S. In the minds of most people, regardless of what type of train shows up a subway is a subway. A different logo for the LRT lines would work though, since people should be able to grasp the difference between LRT, Subway, Streetcar and Bus.
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I do not think most people can tell the difference between LRT and Streetcar. I would guess that the consensus would be that anything that runs in its own dedicated lane, with overhead electric, would count as an LRT. I would also guess that the closest stop spacing on SELRT, FWLRT, or ECLRT would be closer than the farther stop spacings on Spadina or Lakeshore. Also, the icon for LRT and Streetcar would be the same - I doubt people could tell from the icon that the LRT is wider than the streetcar, which for a real sign would work out to maybe 10mm.

What would happen if the ECLRT became grade-separated through Scarborough - would you show an LRT icon or a subway icon?
 
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I noticed, and realized what you had done there. It's a good depiction of the train, but somehow it seems grumpy, mean or upset, to me it doesn't invoke a friendly image. GO changed logos with their new engines and the new one arguably looks better than the last one and presents a cleaner image, I'm not sure this does when compared to the old subway logo. Either way, keep up the great work you're doing!
 
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