nfitz
Superstar
I'm not sure what location is more important than the main entrance.
Heck, there should be boards in the covered walkway between the subway station and Union station as well!
Heck, there should be boards in the covered walkway between the subway station and Union station as well!
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Keeping in mind the natural behaviour of Union station passengers to congregate around departure boards some thought is needed in their placement. The last thing I'd want to do is place signs in such a way that they result in crowds blocking major ingress/egress and through access.
In the above example, the doors leading from the subway station (and the subway station area in general) will see tons of traffic. Placing departure boards right at those doors would just cause issues.
That said I do agree more signs, strategically placed in each major area of the station, are better.
In the above example, the doors leading from the subway station (and the subway station area in general) will see tons of traffic. Placing departure boards right at those doors would just cause issues.
That said I do agree more signs, strategically placed in each major area of the station, are better.
Willybru21
Active Member
Egg Club in The Market is now open:
Dan416
Senior Member
The reason that people congregate at the departure boards is to see what platform their train is at. Someone coming from the subway won't be sticking around the subway station entrance when they see what platform they're at, and if they don't see their platform, they'll continue walking to where they can access their train from.
If they add departure boards to the food court, people aren't going to congregate there because they can't access their platforms from there.
The reason it seems like people "congregate" around departure boards is solely because of where they are placed, which is the place they would be congregating anyway (right below the platforms).
So I think the reasoning that departure boards cause passengers to congregate is fundamentally flawed.
Jonny5
Senior Member
I think the issue everyone is getting at isn't "congregating," it's people stopping and standing in everyone's way in what is normally a space designed for people to transit through unobstructed.
Anywhere near entrances and exits should be free of obstructions, and the most common obstruction in this scenario is people stopping to stare at things they could look at anywhere else.
Anywhere near entrances and exits should be free of obstructions, and the most common obstruction in this scenario is people stopping to stare at things they could look at anywhere else.
nfitz
Superstar
Yes, that make sense. Should be an obvious set of displays that draw people to the side somewhere out-of-the-way!
Dan416
Senior Member
Yeah on the sides is fine.
Willybru21
Active Member
The problem is Bay Street Promenade area doesn’t have a place “off to the side” to allow people to look at departure screens, it’s a 4 way junction that leads to a big hallway everyone walks down towards the Bay Concourse.
I do agree with all of you though, the lower level at Union does need train information screens, I can’t believe there isn’t a single one.
I do agree with all of you though, the lower level at Union does need train information screens, I can’t believe there isn’t a single one.
max
Active Member
Broke the first rule of Egg Club
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Yes part of the issue is that the Union Station revitalization is by definition an exercise in compromise. Yes there is no single main area for passengers to wait for their trains, because they had to work around the existing building.
MisterF
Senior Member
nfitz
Superstar
What about right behind you? Not perfect, but that Teamway entrance isn't that well used. Most either walk around the edge to the covered moat to the TTC (or they would if there was better signage).
Dan416
Senior Member
Literally every single one of those pillars should have departure boards on them.
Chris R.
Senior Member
I think the congregation argument used here is wrong. People congregate around the departure boards because there's too few and they're worries they may not find another one after looking for one for 5 minutes. That's why I've stopped at a single one and won't give up my spot until my train is there.
Double or triple the number of departure screens so they're ubiquitous and congregating won't happen because there will always be another screen to look at. It's a train station. It's primary use is trains. It's primary customer is train travellers. It's primary information it needs to communicate is when, where and how to get to the damn trains.
Double or triple the number of departure screens so they're ubiquitous and congregating won't happen because there will always be another screen to look at. It's a train station. It's primary use is trains. It's primary customer is train travellers. It's primary information it needs to communicate is when, where and how to get to the damn trains.
turbanplanner
Senior Member
Make sure there is somewhere to tap onto the additional boards otherwise you'll get a lot of unjustified fare evasion tickets