Since the Sheppard East subway line idea has been nixed (for now), attention has turned to where the next — and most logical — subway line should be built. While extending the current subway lines by a station or two seems appropriate (such as taking the Bloor line west to Sherway Gardens or the Yonge line north Steeles), the densely populated areas in most need for subway expansion are east and west of the Yonge-University lines. Transit advocates refer to this future route as the Downtown Relief Line.
The DRL has many believers, including TTC Chair Karen Stintz, transit planners at Metrolinx, and close to 2,000 rail fans on Facebook. The Toronto Star had an article today outlining the benefits of the DRL including a few ideas about its potential alignment. Both Eric Miller, the chair of the Sheppard East expert panel, and Spacing columnist Steve Munro suggest that the DRL is not just about downtown and has many benefits for suburban transit riders. Miller said that the line could eventually expand out into Scarborough and Etobicoke to become the transit backbone of those communities, while Munro noted that Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe Park are prime candidates of where the line could start in the east.
But in hyper-sensitive Toronto, using the word “downtown” in a future subway line’s name — so soon after Scarborough residents felt they were giving the shaft by councillors (many from downtown) who favour the more affordable LRT technology — has it’s drawbacks.
So, in the spirit of not adding fuel to any urban-suburban feud that may or may not exist, Spacing is challenging readers to come up with a list of better names that “Downtown Relief Line.”
Please take the time to leave a comment on this post, share the post on Facebook, and spread the word on Twitter with the hash-tag #DRLname.
109 comments
Crosstown South.
The Express Line – phase 1 is the East End Express from Eglinton and Don Mills south to Pape and then roughly the pictured routing. Phase 2 is the West End Express to catch the other side of the city.
The SRL – Scarborough Rocket Line, starting at the Don Mills-Sheppard Subway Terminal and then going south all the way to Union. Any expansions west of Union could be the ERL, the Etobicoke Rocket Line.
I’ll add my two cents off the top:
• The Mackenzie line (after our first mayor, William Lyon MacKenzie)
• The Red line (naming after the potential colour on the subway map)
• The Downtowner (since it is about getting in and out of downtown, maybe there isreason to keep downtown in the name…)
Here is MY version of the DRL (I called it PDDM – Pearson-Downtown-Don Mills line).
In my version, the DRL/PDDM gets extended on both branches.
East side along Pape/Don Mills to Steeles.
West side along the Georgetown Corridor absorbing the Air Rail Link. Thus an electric train, no dirty diesels.
Since it is a subway line, the DRL/PDDM’s western branch will make local stops.
Union Station, Spadina South, Liberty Village, Bloor/Dundas (connection to GO station and Bloor-Danforh line), St. Clair, Eglinton (connection with Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown, Mt. Dennis neighbourhood), Lawrence (Weston GO connection), Islington, Kipling (Connection to Etobicoke North), Martin Grove, Woodbine (connection with racetrack and possible future Casino), Viscount.
I am taking into account that the Etobicoke-Finch LRT and Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown both get to Pearson.
DRL/PDDM + EFLRT + ESCT all meet at Viscount station then people take the People Mover to Terminal 1 or 3.
PDDM absorbs ARL thus making people on that side very happy no diesel trains, absorbs the unfunded Don Mills LRT.
http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=205778923820046895857.0004bbb3ba8eb256ecabd&msa=0
Here you go:
Better DRL, it absorbs Air Rail Link and it’s diesel dirty trains, also absorbs the unfunded Don Mills LRT.
http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=205778923820046895857.0004bbb3ba8eb256ecabd&msa=0
I like Crosstown South, clean descriptive without ‘downtown’ in it.
The Union Express, and sell it as a way to get to Union Station without having to sit through all of those local stops downtown? Mind you, “union” is another Ford-rage code word…
We all live in the same city and we deserve a transit line that serves everyone.
Toronto Relief Line.
I like “Don Valley line” or “Pape-Wellington line” (replace “Wellington” with whatever street it ends up going under downtown)
The Front Line
The 5 Express Line. No other description needed. Just use the number, 5.
Pearson-Downtown-Don Mills Line
Pearson-Don Mills Line
Matthew Blackett Line
Miroslav Glavic Line
Giorgio Mammoliti’s Flagpole Line
“Waterfront Line” or “Lakeshore Line” …even though it’s not right on the water’s edge, it implies the general direction for anyone north of Front Street.
I vote for Crosstown South.
BTW Are we sure it should not go along Queen instead?
The South Loop Connector
— who wouldn’t want to ride that? 🙂
I’d use this as an opportunity to re-name all the lines into something a little less than a mouthful. Any proper subway or LRT should get a “T” for Toronto designation. Therefore, we’d have something like this…
YUS = T1
BD = T2
Shep = T3
Eg-Crosstown = T4
DRL = T5
Shep LRT = T6
Finch LRT = T7
The same concept could be extended to GO lines and they should be lettered the G’s or possibly the M’s. For instance…
G1 = Lakeshore East
G2 = Lakeshore West, etc.
Current colouring schemes would continue, but it would mark the end of the long-winded names.
If the names must stay though, I’d rename the DRL, the Don-Core-Pearson line.
This morning there was a Toronto Star article just highlighting the eastern side of the DRL got me thinking…
East Side Express?
East and Scarborough Express?
EASE? Call it EASY?
but Etobicoke and Scarborough Express also works well.
Take it EASEy
How about the “Ford Nation Connector”
The Subway Subway Subway line.
Suburban Express Line – since really it’s an express line for people in the suburbs. Nobody that lives downtown will take it anyway.
Crosstown South should be reserved for Queen St, if and when there’s a subway there.
Call it the Don Valley Line, because that’s what it more or less should follow. It would at a minimum start at Pape, although Eglinton would be better. End somewhere west of Union Station (either at Spadina or Bathurst).
The University side of the Yonge University line is not near capacity and thus a full western half can be considered later. Ending at Bathurst or Spadina still allows for use of the rail or a link to the rail. It also scoops up some condo dwellers who would be on the King cars.
C Line
C for its shape, C for crosstown and C for it being our third subway line.
A – Yonge
B – Bloor
C – Crosstown
D – Sheppard
The “Ford Nation Connector?’ I hope not. I wouldn’t want it abbreviated to the F-N Connector.
The Red-U line. I do also like the Toronto Relief Line.
I say stick with the colours.
Green Line (Bloor-Danforth)
Yellow Line (Yonge/University/Spadina/Allen/Keele/Jane)
Blue Line (Eglinton Crosstown/Scarborough RT)
Red Line (Don Mills\Overlea\Millwood\Pape\Rail Corridor\Dundas St. West\Jane\Weston Rd\Dixon\Pearson)
Orange (future west end connector – Humber College/Woodbine/Pearson/Eringate/Centennial/Sherway)
Almost derailed by Miroslav Glavic Line but I’m sticking with Red. Call it Da Red Line, if you must. There’s a certain sense of inevitabilty in choosing the colour before it’s even approved, and while such a simple, universal naming regime threatens the status quo of our beloved ‘B-D’, ‘Y-U-S’ and … Sheppard Stubway … there is also the suggestion that we start seeing our meagre underground as a worldly metropolitan network. (Notice how I only hinted at ‘world-class’ without actually … oh, drat.)
Pape Line. And if it ever gets a western extension, the Pape-Humber or Pape (wherever it goes up) Line.
Crosstown South
And don’t call the Rogers Center Station that. SkyDome would be best if Rogers chooses not to renew their marketing. After isn’t the current full marketing name “The SkyDome at Rogers Center”?
Matt Langford wins for “The Front Line”.
Brilliant.
Call it the Circle Line, and have it operate like this:
@ Anna
Uh, I live downtown (well, west end, near High Park) and I would take it, if I wanted to get to the financial district or the east side without traversing half the Bloor-Danforth span and transferring to a streetcar.
South-Suburban Connector line (SSC)
Scarborough-Etobicoke-Waterfront line (SEW)
Or, follow the tradition of the YUS, and name it for each street/region it goes through. Start by calling it the Scarborough line. If they add the Etobicoke section, call it the Scarborough-Etobicoke line. This line clearly won’t be following the grid, so you may as well name it for the regions it chiefly serves.
As well, call the Rogers Centre stop Stadium Station. It’s the most consistent name we can give it considering the odds that the stadium itself will be renamed at some point.
If you’re going with colours, the DLR should definitely be the Pink line 😉
Otherwise, I like the Lake Ontario / Lakeshore / Lake line idea, as it both goes along and connects others to the lake, and can and should be a key part of waterfront renewal. Along those lines, maybe the Humber-Ashbridges line.
Of course, why not just go for broke… call it the Stintz line, or the Miller Line, or best of all… the Layton Line.
If it extends northwest and northeast, it’s not really a crosstown line… it’s a radial line (i.e. it radiates out from downtown). A crosstown line, strictly speaking, is a line that extends from one end of town to another without actually traveling downtown. Back in the day, Bloor probably would have been considered to be a crosstown line.
I have thought of John Lorinc Line and Ed Drass line.
mikeb – St. George will have B/Y issues due to the extension to VCC, maybe not now but in the near future. Didn’t the Yonge extension to Highway 7 die? the U/S extension seemed more important.
It should extend at least to connect with the Eglinton LRT at Don Mills, up through Thorncliffe and Flemingdon Park, and so it should be called The Don Line, because it will parallel the Don River.
Thorncliffe and Flemingdon Park are very heavily populated by people who use a lot of transit, and linking up to the Eglinton LRT creates a viable alternative route to Scarborough.
Eventually, it could be extended north under or along Don Mills, where there are a lot of office buildings and could be more, to meet the Sheppard Subway, creating a real express line to downtown for the eastern GTA.
We should call it the Road Toll Line.
Just saying, or we can call it Sky Castle Line.
How about 4/5ths Funded Line? In honor of plans we can’t get behind nowadays? (Toronto’s original subways were at ground-breaking only 4/5ths funded, one of the most relied upon critiques of Lorinc in Lorinc vs Thompson’s Subways debate was that the road toll+ revenue + Provincial money earmarked for T-City could only be at most 4/5ths of what would be needed)
But my favourite for today is Dreamweaver Line.
As a downTown resident, i think the whole idea of the DRL is leading in the wrong direction. All three levels of transport TTC, MetroLinx(GO), and rail options (CN/CP/Via), in TO should be accommodating connections outside the downtown to enhance the benefits of working and living in more or less the same location, and dissuading the status quo. Joining central city hubs representing satellite centres such as Scarborough, North York, and Rexdale makes more sense, and should be in place before more misdirected transit is provided to attract even more people into the central City. People who have made unsustainable choices about where to live, and where to work should not be pampered. As Hulchansky and others have pointed out, the bulk of the regional wealth is ‘downTown’ and surprisingly that is where more transit (which few of the 1% use) is being looked at. And this is probably the most expensive possible place to build subways or LRT. [Good place for a monoRail perhaps.] How about the “downTown Gravy Line”?
Should follow the same naming convention as the other lines.
Yonge-University-Spadina = YUS
Bloor-Danforth = BD
Sheppard = Sheppard
Scarborough Rapid Transit = SRT
Considering the alignment of the map, my guess is it would be called:
Pape-Lakeshore-Dundas = PLD line
Whatever colour they use on the map, is what people will end up calling it anyways, so in the end it will be the “red line”
I think Toronto Relief Line or the Pape/Don Mills line are both good names.
Based on my experience most people who use the Yonge line get off by King subway station so it makes more sense for the new subway line go to either King or Queen subway station and continue to Spadina to relieve some of the streetcar crowding along Queen and King. This way too, it would take some of the added pressure off of Union Station which is already getting a second platform for the Yonge University Line.
It should go along Queen, and just be called the Queen Subway.
Actually, it isn’t a given that people will just end up calling it the [colour] line regardless of its actual name. How many times do you hear people refer to the “yellow”, “green”, “blue” or “magenta” (!!) lines in everyday conversation? It’s always either the full name, or the portion of the name referring to the individual section (e.g. “Spadina subway”, “Danforth subway”).
Relief for Beleaguered Commuters Line. Maybe a bank could sponsor it 😉
How about this, the individual or company that coughs up the cash to build it gets to name it. Simply, write a cheque to the TTC (that they can actually cash) for $25,000,000,000 or so and you get to name the line whatever you want.
The ON Line, The TO Line, The Metro Line.
The Bee Line, The Belt Line, The Tie Line, The Zip Line, The Stream Line.
The Inter Line, The Out Line, The By Line.
The Nexus Line.
The Metropolitan Toronto Circumbendibus Underground.
Can we maybe get rid of the awkward, long-winded names of the current lines? Colours, letters or numbers please. Literally nobody has ever said “Yonge-University-Spadina” line out loud.
The Bottom Line.
It travels to the bottom of the city.
Plus fiscal conservatives will love it.
The name should not be subject to suburban “feelings”. Or reflective of its function (directional capacity relief). Simply,since noted as red …. it should be…the “Red Line”. And change the other line names to colours. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. Forget our grid-related naming standards that become cumbersome and unrelated to the geographic name…Spadina or eastern segment of Danforth. Plus it represents the colour of Toronto FC, Canada and the leftist faction(s) of society. Transit Riders Unite!!
Well, when we bundle our casino referendum and the SubwaySubwaySubways referendum (including a multiple choice question on how to fund them ;), we can also let people vote to name it the Red Lin– I mean fill in their preferred moniker.
I guess the “Skydome Center” problem indicates why not sell naming rights to the whole line…
Pape-Front-Dundas Line, for the main streets it will follow. The name can evolve if it is extended, just as the Yonge line evolved to Yonge-University and Yonge-University-Spadina.
Actually, looking at the above comments, I think The Front Line and the Crosstown Express are both pretty wonderful.
…er, Crosstown South, that is.
Because I’ve been drinking and eating bon-bons in my cozy urban … ahem… loft all day – I have a very serious suggestion.
The ‘ELITE’ line.
Because anyone who wants to travel via and/or to the Downtown wants an ‘elite’ (or even ‘elitist’) experience, n’est-ce-pas?
Toronto has never been able to figure out what to call its subway lines. Almost every other city in the world (including New York) at some point divorced subway lines from street names and switched to letters, colors, numbers or simple one-word names (i.e. Bakerloo Line).
I agree with some of the above commenters, time to rename all the subway lines (and remove the subway-LRT-streetcar divorce while you’re at it). And change the map background to white, like every other city in the world!
These routes should appear on the new color-oriented “rapid transit map”
Line A – Gold – Yonge-University-Spadina
Line B – Green – Bloor-Danford
Line C – Purple – Sheppard subway and Sheppard LRT (two segments, like the subway-LRT Red Line in Boston)
Line D – Blue – SRT + Eglinton LRT
Line E – Orange – Finch LRT
Line F – Black – Downtown Relief Line
Line S – Red – all streetcar lines, shown without stations but as thinner red lines illustrating the streetcar routes, with simple labels like S1, S2, S3, S4, S5…. No more “501 Queen” or other references that tourists can’t understand.
It’s not (red) rocket science, for crying out loud. This is basic stuff. And yes, will go a long way in defusing the future political wars through better nomenclature.
“Pape-Dundas Line” works.
I vote for The Bottom Line.
The Dream Line – because that’s the only time we will be alive and able to ride it.
Let’s avoid specific street names, since the exact routing is still to be worked out, and the line will probably touch a LOT of streets. I don’t like express, because we should be building subways to serve the communities they run through, not to bypass them. That’s the role of regional transit. I prefer not to use downtown, front, or lakeside, as they have bad vibes in Ford Nation. And it is not a loop, so nix on loop. It is more or less a U extending from the Don watershed in the east to the Humber watershed in the west, so I vote for either: the Don-Humber Line or ‘The U Line”, or the “Outer U Line” (since Yonge-University-Spadina is the inner U).
Yessss! Colours rule! So much more user-friendly for newcomers/visitors.
Heck, I’ve been here almost 10 years and still have to think when Charlie Brown’s teacher announcements come on, “Am I on the YUSLine or just the YLine?”
A functional name that matches existing conventions could be applied once the line is operational. While it is being sold to the public it should just be called the Relief Line. This evokes an image assuringly releasing pressure on our congested region.
The Rob Ford Memorial line, in posthumous honor of our subway loving mayor who’ll blow a gasket trying to drum up suburban alienation in opposition to the DRL.
I like Circle line suggested by M Druker. Also like the Front or Lakeshore Line.
A couple of other new suggestions (I think) for consideration: the Outer Ring Line, Outer Loop Line and the Pape-Dundas West Line. Of the 3 latter suggestions, Outer Loop wins out for me. And like Circle it is easily translated into French should there be a decision to go with bilingual names.
Suburban Express Line
For best name overall, I like “Lakeshore Line” or “Waterfront Line”
For best politically palatable name, maybe “Commuter Relief Line”?
really toronto, thats just what you need to name a subway line the “relief” line to show the world you couldnt plan your system right the first time around. what a terrible name. how about the “duh line” because of the fact that there should have been a subway along one of torontos busiest and popular streets from the start. Montreal aint building no relief line
How about:
30/30 Line = Has been discussed for 30 years, will be discussed for at least another 30
Bicentennial Line = Can be used in discussion until 2067
NextGen Line = Can be used by future generations who will continue to discuss this line
Perennial Line = Since it will be discussed forever with no tangible results
Imaginary Line = What it has been since 1985 and still is today
Fantasy Line = For use on all current and future fantasy maps
Phantom Line = Named after current funding mechanism
Legacy Line = Plans can be passed to your children and to their children
Dream line = Because that’s all it is and all it will probably ever be
I’d extend the line past Pape by going north to O’Connor, northeast on O’Connor to Vic Park & Eglinton (to meet the Eglinton Crosstown), then east along the hydro corridor to Ellesmere, then east on Ellesmere to U of T-Scarborough.
Ditto what Eric S. Smith said: Union Express. It sounds good, it’s good politics and it explains what the thing does.
Plus the subway line will/would be shaped like a “U” whichever configuration is chosen, so the Union Express name would even unconsciously evoke the line itself.
Waterfront Line
East York – Exhibition Line
Etobicoke – Scarborough Line (future expansion)
Subway To Somewhere
Subway That Makes Sense
Crosstown South has my vote!
Downtown Bipass
If it goes along Queen, call it the Queen line.
If it runs south of Queen and intersects the Yonge line at Union, then perhaps the Port Lands or the Don Lands line.
Call it what it is: The Logical Line.
Anyone who wants to argue against it can start with the fact of its name.
‘Lower Loop’ or simply ‘The Loop’, and it is a loop when combined with the Bloor Line
‘The Loop’ should be built because it would service the city’s greatest current and future population density (if condos are any indication). Build it under King or Queen Street and get rid of the respective streetcar line.
I was thinking “Commuter Relief Line”, too. That’s who it’s to be built for; it’s not supposed to replace a streetcar line that has lots of short trips– it’s meant to carry long-haul commuters into and out of downtown.
Queen Line
As has been stated MANY times, Union can’t handle the volume this would add to that station.
I agree with what that guy said about unfunded lines.
Dreamweaver line is right!! What’s the point in talking about naming this thing when there is currently zero chance in hell that this thing will get built???????
Toronto Relief Line or Red Line or Diagonal Line
The Frontline.
Also, can we not take a page from Los Angeles and develop of lending strategy with the Federal Government to get these tube-dreams underway?
Post Also, can we get the Feds to establish a national transit strategy that creates regional bodies, nation-wide to network intra and inter-municipal transit plans so that they finally have some substance. I highly doubt municipal councillors want anything more to do with transit and having this linked to the Feds would give them the clout to get it done.
The Fort York Line (one iteration has a stop near the fort, and is sure federal-cash-Tory-bait).
The Diamond Jubilee Line (a nod to a famous line in London, and also Tory-bait material).
The Don Mills Line (not very exciting, but would deflect suggestions of it being those damn downtowners building subways for themselves).
Draw parallels to the 401 because it will be easy for the masses to understand, especially the car people.
The existing Yonge-Uni line is the “Express” lanes
While the DRL is the “Collectors”
Wrap media friendly branding around it:
“Uptown Collectors” or “X-Town Collectors” or “Cross-Town Collectors”
Cheers
Commuter Relief Line
Outer Loop
Waterfront Crosstown
Etobicoke – East York Crosstown
I agree with @DYLAN, it absolutely needs to connect up with Eglinton, and The Don Line is short and sweet. Plus, it indicates roughly where it is without alienating anyone by including “downtown” or “scarborough” or anything in the name.
Isn’t it obvious? It needs to be called ‘The Gravy Train’.
I have a few suggestions:
-The Giorgio Mammolitti Memorial Subway Line
-The Rob Ford Gravy Train
-The Jack Layton Orange Line
If you hope to ever get this done, how about the Ford Line, with Robbie and Dougie as the two branches 😀
Who cares what we call the damned thing? This is one of the key reasons why Toronto is falling down all over the place, because we spend so much of our time arguing minutia, while ignoring the hard work of actually getting the job done. This cuts across all social strata and political affiliation.
For the love of G-d, call it “Toronto’s Big Smile” and be done with it, because there will be no smiles on your children’s faces if we don’t move forward with transit expansion, whether by subway, LRT, or GO. I mean no offense to Mr. Blackett, but I believe that arguing about the name of the line before a shovel goes in the ground creates unnecessary division which suits those “decision makers” that would rather not take action or have their own one-sided agenda. The unintended consequence is that these kinds of discussions in print become arguments between neighbourhoods, which become arguments at City Council resulting in endless transit studies costing millions that will not build a single mile of tunnel or overground trackage. In the meantime, we are rapidly moving towards a third world standard of living – uncontrolled growth, lack of planning, high taxes, little service, difficulty in providing transit options, congestion, pollution, and a large disparity between regions and income levels. Let’s get to work on generating support for and actually building the next mile.
+1 for breaking the line in two at Union and call each branch:
Etobicoke Express Line
Scarborough Express Line
Design and brand this thing from the start as a massive subway U-loop that reaches up to north Etobicoke in the west and Scarborough in the east to curry favour, and then build from the centre outward and run out of funding north of Bloor. DRL. Done.
(A) It is NOT a Crosstown line. Crosstown connects two points on the opposite ends of the city without going through the city centre / downtown. This one clearly does. (B) It is NOT a Queen line. It crosses Queen at two points east and west, but it does not go along Queen.
Probably not a red line either. TTC seems to want to reserve red for surface routes… partly because of mapping, but mostly because of signage and wayfinding at stations. All the new signs pointing to bus routes, stops and terminals use red as the accent colour. My guess would be orange or maybe brown (no, not as inspiring as red).
Who cares what’s it called? Seriously, who cares? If you feel alienated by what a subway line is going to be called, then you really have some serious problems that need addressing in a hurry.
Lakeshore Loop, even if the western return isn’t part of the first phase. The nams is alliterative, descriptive, but not as loopy as the Mayor’s subways ideas.
Ah, what fun… why not the World Class Line? You seem to love that term so much.
I wish we had your subway cars and air conditioning here in Montréal, but I much prefer everything else about our subway: coverage, stations, simplicity in design and signage, Opus card, and absence of political intrigue.
And for the record, as a tourist I don’t find the 501 Queen streetcar name very confusing — in fact, I find it quite logical.
Dave Meslin’s suggestion:
Electoral Suicide Line 2014
East Loop
&
West Loop
Let’s argue about which one to build first but let’s get a shovel into the ground before the end of this decade.
It’s U-shaped and a subway can also be called a “tube”- call it the “U-Tube” if the lawyers think Google won’t sue the city…
It should be called the “Subway Subway Subway Line”.
Since when do we call any of our subway routes “line”?
we should call it the Whatever Subway, not Whatever Line.
The Toronto Belt Line
How about The Enterprise Line since it probably won’t get built until the 23rd century? Seriously though, I would avoid street names or obsolete municipality names, and call it The Belt Line.
@Will: you have a point…The Belt Subway.
My suggestion is a combination of the following:
“It is more or less a U extending from the Don watershed in the east to the Humber watershed in the west, so I vote for either: the Don-Humber Line…”
COMMENT BY LAURIE
“how about the “duh line” because of the fact that there should have been a subway along one of torontos busiest and popular streets from the start.”
COMMENT BY MATT
Logical choice: Don-Union-Humber
D-U-H
Fits the current naming scheme quite nicely 😛
Rename all the lines using a simple number system.
Y-U-S: 1-line
B-D: 2-line
Eglington-Crosstown/SRT: 3-line
Sheppard: 4-line
DRL: 5-line
These ideas come from a variety of other transit systems which I have rode in the past.
This new number system can be easily used for delay announcements (Attention all subway customers on the 1-line. We are currently experiencing a delay, Finch-bound at……).
For station announcements to help the visually impaired: (The next Kennedy-bound 2-train is now approaching the station. Please stand back from the platform edges.) or (Next train, Downsview, on track 1. Please stand back from the platform edges.)
As well as when the train doors open at stations (This is a Sheppard-Yonge bound 4-train. The next station is Sheppard-Yonge).
This website has a very interesting interactive map and an immense amount of information regarding a DRL. I like the idea of the Financial District Station being at Bay and Wellington to provide a walking transfer of only 200m to King and Union Stations and 350m to St. Andrew Station to relieve congestion at any one station.
(http://www.drlnow.ca/)
I don’t care what it’s called as long as it isn’t shoehorned into Union. That place is a big enough single point of failure. It would also increase pedestrian flow in an area where the streets and PATH can’t handle peak flows as it is. Finally, the stations which most need RELIEF are Dundas and College as the last spaces left in the subway trains are often squeezed into by Queen.
I’ve initially liked systems where the announcement is “this is the x line/direction, next stop is y” at first, thinking: oh, that’s very useful for people who don’t realize they’re heading in the wrong direction. But after riding such systems for just a few hours, I find all the auditive clutter a little irritating — oh, eventually I just tune it out, but for the few people it helps, it’s a lot of stuff going on, and makes me think of having dinner with people who can’t handle a moment of silence so fill it with chatter about anything.
When they were setting up the new “doo-doo-doo” signal here to warn of the doors closing, they first included a woman saying “attention, nous fermons les portes” (the doors are closing) but people wrote to suggest just the sound was enough, by the 3rd stop you’ll figure out what it means. I like the minimalist approach: next station: x when you leave, and station: y when you arrive. No verbs, just the info you need.
why does it have to have a fancy name anyway. Why not have just line A (Yonge), B (Bloor), C (Queen or whatever), D (Sheppard). Like in every other city….
I’m thinking along the lines of others here, that the connecting point should be King or Queen and a good name would be “Yonge Subway Relief Line” because that’s really the main purpose to build this subway. We need it built quickly as a lot of people have to avoid the Yonge Line south of Bloor between 8 and 9 AM due to overcrowding.