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TTC Subway Station Cleanliness

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299 bloor call control.

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An update into the TTC's efforts to improve station appearance and cleanliness is attached to October's commission meeting reports.

http://www.ttc.ca/postings/gso-comrpt/documents/report/f3716/Cleanliness_Audit_-_Oct23-08_Final.pdf

It looks like they're really trying this time around, which is nice to see. It appears that St Andrew station's new LED lighting is part of this project, as is the removal of the wall slats, to be replaced with wide paneling like in Museum Station. That should clean up the station's appearance very nicely.

I'm also glad to see that the ceiling slats are slowly falling out of favour. They've always been unsightly and the before/after shots of King Station really show the difference.
 
Then this article shows up in The Star of October 20, 2008 by The Fixer:

Don't look down in TTC elevator

Reader floored by the coat of grime under his feet at Queens Quay station – and it's not even winter
October 20, 2008
Jack Lakey
Staff Reporter

An elevator may be an uplifting way to travel, but it's a real downer when the floor looks like it has never been mopped.

Of all the fulfilling experiences in life, riding an elevator has to rank near the bottom. It is the most utilitarian of endeavours, something to be endured until the door opens.

Unless you're travelling up the CN Tower, where the glassed-in walls afford a lofty panorama, the tedium is equalled only by a subway ride, or maybe a Maple Leafs game.

Many people kill time in an elevator by staring at the numbers of passing floors, or take quiet delight at finding mirrored walls so they can behold the most beautiful sight of all – themselves.

More reserved passengers tend to gaze at their feet, but for those using the elevator at the TTC's below-ground streetcar station at Bay St. and Queens Quay, looking down serves only to remind them how grimy the floor is.

Ted Bolwell has called several times to complain about the lift that runs between the station and the lobby of a building on the northwest corner of Bay and Queens Quay.

The floor is "filthy and hasn't been cleaned in a year," he says, adding that elevators servicing the streetcar platform at Union Station and at the Eglinton TTC station are just as dirty.

We took the elevator at Queens Quay last week and found a coat of dirt ground into the floor tiles. If you dropped a cough drop or chocolate peanut on this floor, the five-second rule for retrieval would never apply.

Bolwell didn't mention it, but we were just as unimpressed by the condition of the floor when you step out of the elevator. It was not only equally filthy, it had the added offensiveness of rust stains where steel drain strips or doorframes meet the tiles.

Grimy TTC floors are to be expected in winter, when thousands of slushy feet parade by each day. But there's no excuse for it at this time of year.

STATUS: TTC media officer Danny Nicholson told us he'd contact maintenance officials to ask that the floors be cleaned on a regular basis. We're skeptical, but we know Bolwell will keep an eye on it for us.

UPDATE: We recently reported on a vacant lot covered in weeds at Kingston Rd. and Haig Ave., which resulted in a cleanup order. The owners cut the weeds, but left huge piles of them next to the sidewalk, obviously hoping a garbage truck would take them away.

Bill Blakes, who enforces bylaws in that neighbourhood, emailed us that a city crew did finally haul away the mess, adding the lot owner will be billed for this.
Click to expand...
 
Why are they replacing fluorescent lights with LEDs?
Fluorescent is still more efficient then LED.
 
It's all the "little things" which have added up over the years to make for an overall unkept appearance at TTC stations and subways. This looks very encouraging.
 
Do you think LEDs are manufactured out of safe materials?

Isn't saving energy a concern as well?

Can you say "stupid idea"?
 
LEDs use more electricity than fluorescent lights? aren't they supposed to be the next generation in lighting after fluorescent lights?

of course, debate will be useless because we don't know which models we're talking about.
 
Here are the new lights at St. Andrew station...

2968641338_0df2af4047_b.jpg


2968641214_5b24aa8459_b.jpg


To me, the white lights look like something you would put in a fish tank.
 
i like the less bulky design. but look at upkeep of that ceiling. maybe it's better not to have any lights at all.
 
What colour is the celing. I really notice the blue effect passing through the station, but wasn't sure if it is the lights themselves or not. It appears that the celing is painted blue.

As for LEDs, why not filter white LEDs to get the exact colour you want? This is something that bothers me about police car lighting. The new LED sticks are colourless, before one could easily identify a police car by the light array on top, either stobes or flash-bars. LED bars seem to be increasing in popularity due to the rush to get snowplow lighting (the blue), but I think police cars should be as visible as possible as to their function so that individuals can flag a car down if they need it, and as a deterrant effect and a display of presence, why I dislike stealth cars. Mexico requires all on-duty police cars to flash their lights at all times for visibility, other cities, like LA but red and blue plastic shields over their LED bars. At least Toronto still uses 1980s-vintage strobe bars (which replaced the 1960s/70s-era gumballs and small red flashers on a metal bar on a yellow cruiser), even with the new snowplow lights.

Anyway, I was just expressing my frustrations about LED colours and the bluish glow of the white light. Why not put a light yellow filter to give a softer, yet bright light?
 
There used to be slats on that ceiling, but were removed. I assume they will paint it after they finish installing the slats, hopefully black. It'll help absorb and soften up some of that blue LED lighting.
 
The presentation to yesterday's TTC meeting on this says that they will install "intermittent panels that allow access & provide a finished appearance".

I presume this won't be slats, but larger panels. Anyone have any detail?
 
Blech. If Toronto aspires to be New York, can they start somewhere other than on subway station design, please?
 
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