Canadian Urban Canyons

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

They use coloured circles though like NYC, and many, many other subways and metros. Which at some point as the metro expands will need to be numbered or lettered. Colour coding only works so well when you only need to use a few.

I think it's stubbornness as opposed to the number of lines that prevents Montreal from numbering them.

Montreal doesn't have fewer lines than Toronto and Toronto uses numbers.

Ottawa is numbering its lines and it only has 2: Confederation and Trillium.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by CityTech

It's one of the first things you notice crossing the border in Ottawa-Gatineau.

On one of the bridges, the Ontario side of the bridge looks like this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4025...7i13312!8i6656

And the Quebec side, a couple hundred metres up, looks like this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4142...7i13312!8i6656

Another thing that I always noticed as a kid - the chevron signs in Quebec are a different colour. Red and white as opposed to orange and white in Ontario.

Quebec also uses yellow paint a lot more, whereas Ontario seems to reserve it almost exclusively for lines that separate different directions of traffic. If you look at those pictures the crosswalks in Ontario are white, whereas in Quebec they're yellow.

Quebec seems to use yellow paint to draw your attention to hazards. They for example paint concrete forms bright yellow like the ends of medians and even portions of curbs that you might run into or over.

[Laceoflight]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I think it's stubbornness as opposed to the number of lines that prevents Montreal from numbering them.

Montreal doesn't have fewer lines than Toronto and Toronto uses numbers.

Ottawa is numbering its lines and it only has 2: Confederation and Trillium.

Montréal's lines are officially numbered.
1- Verte
2- Orange
4- Jaune
5- Bleue

The numbers are used internally by the STM. They're just not part of the signage strategy.

[mcminsen]

Originally Posted by EspionNoir

Would you say Gastown is a bit poorly maintained? I think they should maintain it better, it’s an important historical district

Yes, there are lots of parts of Gastown that are poorly maintained, run down and dirty. Lots of urban grit. But there's been a fair amount of gentrification, too. If it's evolving to a better state overall, it's a glacial process.

[franktko]

Originally Posted by Laceoflight

Montréal's lines are officially numbered.
1- Verte
2- Orange
4- Jaune
5- Bleue

The numbers are used internally by the STM. They're just not part of the signage strategy.

Until fairly recently (Laval's stations opened in 2008), they were shown on the official map

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by franktko

Until fairly recently (Laval's stations opened in 2008), they were shown on the official map

Ah... the things we learn on SSP.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by EspionNoir

Would you say Gastown is a bit poorly maintained? I think they should maintain it better, it’s an important historical district

Gastown is fine. Main and Hastings use to be the centre of Vancouver. Lots of history. Now it’s a bum magnet that attracts bums from coast to coast. Our most historic area is the worst ghetto in Canada.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

When did we change our TTC font to the same as NYC? I havent noticed a change. Also I believe Halifax has horizontal traffic signals as well.

I haven't mentioned anything about fonts. I'm referring to the TTC's new numbering system which is a replica of subway numbering systems elsewhere. I'd much rather the TTC did away with names and used colours only. Btw, Halifax uses vertical traffic signals.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

When did we change our TTC font to the same as NYC? I havent noticed a change. Also I believe Halifax has horizontal traffic signals as well.

We tend to have a mixture with many intersections having both. Usually the horizontal one is cantilevered out above the road and the vertical ones are the posts at the sides.

https://goo.gl/maps/sEL4NfFh6Ur

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I'm referring to the TTC's new numbering system which is a replica of subway numbering systems elsewhere. I'd much rather the TTC did away with names and used colours only.

And are coloured lines also not something used elsewhere? Neither are particularly original, nor need they be - they're simply the most obvious ways to identify transit lines.

Colours would work fine for now, but I think numbers will just make more sense as the system expands. It gets cumbersome when you run out of primary colours and need to start differentiating between the Forest Green Line and the Lime Green Line.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Laceoflight

Montréal's lines are officially numbered.
1- Verte
2- Orange
4- Jaune
5- Bleue

The numbers are used internally by the STM. They're just not part of the signage strategy.

Yes. And Line 3 was supposed to be appropriated from the current tunnel under mont Royale (is it still called the Deux-Montagnes line?), but they decided against it as it would have to use different rolling stock (goes outside, different gauge).

[MolsonExport]

Colored lines are used on just about every big subway line I have taken in Asia (many). Of course, they include numbers (especially for each stop: very handy when your Japanese, Chinese, etc is non-existent). End stations are labelled (for directionality purposes) as are Montreal's metro stations.


tokyometro


travelchinaguide

[BIMBAM]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Yes. And Line 3 was supposed to be appropriated from the current tunnel under mont Royale (is it still called the Deux-Montagnes line?), but they decided against it as it would have to use different rolling stock (goes outside, different gauge).

Still called that (for now). I wonder if line three will refer to the REM which is appropriating the line, as was originally planned.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by BIMBAM

Still called that (for now). I wonder if line three will refer to the REM which is appropriating the line, as was originally planned.

Yeah, I assume that when the REM opens this will lead to some type of re-identification of all of the lines in Montreal, perhaps including numbering on signage.

[J.OT13]

Numbers and colours are the most important identifiers IMO. They also eliminate the language barriers. Names are fine for smaller systems, but can get overwhelming when too many lines are in service (London).

Glad Toronto shortened the name of the Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina to simply Yonge-University), but should consider eliminating the names outright.

[CivicBlues]

How about Vancouver? We inexplicably have 2 blue lines (Expo and Canada - why this one wasn't coloured Red is beyond me). And we still refer to our 3 lines by Name (other one being Millennium - Yellow).

Not to mention when we extended the Millennium line we called it the Evergreen Extention and overlayed Green with Yellow. Sheesh

Must be confusing as hell and a mouthful for tourists who don't speak English as a first language

[J.OT13]

Always did find Vancouver's system identification scheme quite strange. The entire time Evergreen was under construction, I thought it was going to be its own independent line. If they treat the Broadway subway (two phases) the same way as Evergreen, that will make it even worse.

[MolsonExport]

"Production Way". How delightful.

[MolsonExport]

NYC has terrible line/route designation. Anachronistic, perplexing, and downright retarded, even for someone like me who has been to NYC many times, and someone who takes pride in their navigational abilities.


They should just start over with their line designations/coding. It is a fucking disaster.

[J.OT13]

We should move this conversation to the Wayfinding thread.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ght=wayfinding

NYC's system map is definitely designed for locals only. I understand that they have express trains, which is quite a rarity on rapid transit systems, but they could have made it simpler for the casual tourist.