I’ve asked
Metro readers for their ideas on how to keep crowds moving
through Yonge and Bloor station, the TTC’s busiest transfer
point.
David
Crawford of Toronto writes, “As a rather infrequent subway user,
and a person who does not often change trains at Bloor/Yonge, I
think there are not enough directional signs to help people get
from one line to another. I suggest they should be on the walls
every 10 to 15 yards.
”Regular
users know where they must go, but I have often wandered in the
wrong direction, paused, seen one of the few signs and retraced
my steps.”
Transit
advocate Steve Munro believes the station’s collection of
wall-mounted and overhead signs are “less than ideal.” He writes
that “Especially on the Bloor level, we have a lot of signs
whose sight-lines are obscured, and we see the cumulative effect
of many generations of signage that are installed with no regard
for an overall scheme.
“We have
the regular exit signs, the escalator signs, the video screens,
etc. With better integration, these could have been combined
into units that shared space.
“The "Next
Train" signs are largely obsolete and where they are required,
their function should be consolidated with the (new platform)
video screens. (This is) another example of clutter caused by
leaving old generations of signage in place.
Guy
Bisaillon of Toronto proposes signs indicating where on the
platform people should board trains so that they can exit in
front of the desired stairs or escalators at their arrival
station.
Some
readers suggest using floor markings to smooth passenger flow.
These include arrows, or images of footsteps like those painted
on walkways at the Toronto zoo. Coloured lines could be affixed
to the floor, and accompanied by overhead arrows or destination
signs.
A few
riders sent diagrams showing how their suggestions would look.
Others cited examples of transit systems where technology allows
some trains to operate more precisely than is possible on the
TTC.
David
Harvey of Toronto writes, “A study of the London, Paris and Hong
Kong subway systems could lead to a number of good suggestions
for improving flow. For example, in Hong Kong, each subway train
stops at a predetermined position in each station.
“At each of
the locations where the subway car doors open, there are lines
painted on the floor directing the boarding passengers to the
sides of each door. An arrow in the centre shows where leaving
passengers will exit.”
There are a
lot of creative ideas out there, and some may even hit the right
balance of clarity and practicality. So here’s an invitation to
all those interested in making Yonge and Bloor a safer and less
chaotic place -- why not join me on a tour of the station? The
invite is open to riders, TTC staff and city councillors. If you
are interested in exploring the station and discussing solutions
that might work, contact me at transit@eddrass.com.
Coming up:
Blocking doorways and escalators.
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