[BMO]

Dundas station seen as ideal candidate for a name change; Ryerson University a likely partner, says TTC chair
The Globe and Mail
Wed Jul 6 2011
Byline: Elizabeth Church
File: TTC

****summarized for quick read***

Dundas station will be the test case for plans by the Toronto Transit Commission to sell naming rights, and the head of a nearby University says he is keen to talk.

Ryerson University was singled out as a potential partner for the project. The school’s president, Sheldon Levy said his campus would benefit from a station upgrade and might be willing to raise funds or partner with the private sector to make that happen.

The university, he said, is especially interested in creating a new access point at the north end of the platform.

The University has not sat down with the TTC to discuss a deal or put a dollar figure on what it would cost to name a station.

 

[nfitz]

Nothing unusual about a station name including a major nearby university ... many cities have done this for years; nothing to do with naming rights.

Selling the rights is an interesting idea ... but does the City really think the Universities are huge cash cows!?!?!

 

[BMO]

Nothing unusual about a station name including a major nearby university ... many cities have done this for years; nothing to do with naming rights.

Selling the rights is an interesting idea ... but does the City really think the Universities are huge cash cows!?!?!

lol yea, let's sell naming rights to private companies....then test the naming rights thing with a public University

 

[gweed123]

lol yea, let's sell naming rights to private companies....then test the naming rights thing with a public University

It's even more funny because indirectly it would still be taxpayer funds subsidizing this.

If anything though, I'd support facelifiting the station with Ryerson colours and ads rather than renaming the station. Heck, they already have the goldish-yellow .

 

[BMO]

It's even more funny because indirectly it would still be taxpayer funds subsidizing this.

If anything though, I'd support facelifiting the station with Ryerson colours and ads rather than renaming the station. Heck, they already have the goldish-yellow .

THIS, is how this should go. Keep the name the same, but completely deck the whole station out how the company or school sees fit. If that means plastering ryerson everywhere so be it.

 

[Tuscani01]

While we are at it, let them plaster the trains too! Dont these look great?

 

[gweed123]

THIS, is how this should go. Keep the name the same, but completely deck the whole station out how the company or school sees fit. If that means plastering ryerson everywhere so be it.

I'd also much prefer it to be plastered with a university, museum, or other "public" advertising scheme as opposed to being corporate advertising. Seeing the new LRT station at Don Mills and Eglinton plastered with science stuff to me would be far more unique and interesting than seeing it plastered with BMO financial posters and stuff.

 

[nfitz]

It's even more funny because indirectly it would still be taxpayer funds subsidizing this.

Most cities seem to bend over backwards to provide support and promotion to their Universities - understanding how huge a university benefits the city.

Only Toronto would be looking at them as a revenue source! I don't recall STM receiving any money when Berri-de Montigny was rebranded Berri-UQAM, or Guy became Guy-Concordia.

 

[jn_12]

I think this is a slippery slope and it's worth asking whether station names should be considered heritage. Imagine if London renamed its stations "Barnum and Bailey's Piccadilly Circus" or "Burger King's Cross"? There would be an uproar.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Dundas Square, or even Eaton Centre would be better.

 

[Tulse]

How much money can naming rights actually bring in? What percentage of the TTC operating budget would be covered by naming rights? My guess is that it would be minuscule, and not worth the cheapening of the overall system.

 

[nfitz]

I think this is a slippery slope and it's worth asking whether station names should be considered heritage. Imagine if London renamed its stations "Barnum and Bailey's Piccadilly Circus" or "Burger King's Cross"? There would be an uproar.

London doesn't seem to have a problem North Greenwich station always showing up as North Greenwich for the O2 on all the maps and documents - can't say I've taken the tube that far east though ... not sure what they've put in the station.

 

[noctis]

sounds like a good idea and a good start in the right direction. i got some ideas:

dundas station = toronto life square or ryerson university (whichever one has the highest bid)
st. george station = uoft - st. george campus
north york center station = mel lastman square
union station = cn tower or air canada center or toronto city hall (again, whichever one has the highest bid)
sheppard west station = downsview park (this has already been planned)
don mills station = fairview mall
leslie station = north york general hospital
yorkdale station = yorkdale mall

etc...

none of that macdonalds, burger king station crap... make it more meaningful so that tourists and local residents will want to take the ttc...

imo, i think it's worth a shot...i am currently in taiwan and the metro system here is just amazing... it's simple, easy to use, and most of all, it's CLEAN!

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

If Ryerson's willing to pay for Dundas maybe U of T will do the same for St. George.
BUT if I were those guys I'd be pissed York University gets an eponymous station for free. Is it too late to change that to something like "Black Creek" and see if York will pay to keep the name?

Slightly more seriously, the naming thing could work if we end up with actual landmarks (even if they're private enterprise) that make some kind of sense. Eaton Centre, Ryerson, Dundas Sq, Casa Loma - these all make sense. Something like McDonald's or Taco Bell or whatever is what ends up seeming stupid.

 

[Asterix]

How much money can naming rights actually bring in? What percentage of the TTC operating budget would be covered by naming rights? My guess is that it would be minuscule, and not worth the cheapening of the overall system.

This.

All this talk about selling naming rights and debating which names are more suitable is all silliness until people start looking at the actual numbers.

What would be a reasonable price for some entity (corporation or university or whatever) to pay for 'naming rights' for a popular downtown station?

What would that money get them? Would it just re-do the decor at that station? What about maps and signage throughout the rest of the system?

Whichever the answer is, how much would that cost and therefore how much money is left over to actually do something productive (the whole purpose of selling 'naming rights') like a mid-life station renovation, installing or fixing elevators/escalators or even just adding an extra cleaning every day or so?

Just like all the talk of selling air rights as a viable way to pay the bulk of a subway line, pontificators just don't seem to have a grasp at the numbers involved.

Just looking at the advertising income from the TTC budget for the entire year for the entire system (which includes bus/streetcar/subway car wraps and complete station postering) suggests that selling station naming rights would bring in pennies on the dollar for what capital or operating expenses people think will be covered.

That brings up the questions as to whether it all makes economic or social sense.