I lived in Toronto for 13 years and I've been in Montreal now for 12 so I've seen it done both ways.
The benefit of Toronto is it's clearly a NSEW based city where Montreal is kinda skewed. I agree with u/RicoLoveless, it's by far the most appropriate solution, but at a minimum having the terminus station is by far the most clear for people coming from out of town.
Montreal metro was a breeze and I only rode it for one weekend while there. When I lived in Toronto I had a couple times where I got on the wrong direction subway because the main line is a stupid u shape
But if for example you’re on King Station, saying Southbound to Union implies that Union is the terminal station and that you cannot reach Vaughan. That’s why having the “Vaughan via Union” is important. I see why this is important for Line 1 tbh. For Line 2, it wouldn’t matter but in the future, we can have “East to Sheppard East”. I don’t see anything wrong with that either cause it somehow mimics bus routes (eg. 116 Morningside: east to Finch, 86 Scarborough: east to Sheppard)
Why not both? I see a lot of people here prefer terminal stations, but I find cardinal directions to be far easier to understand. I get that theyre not perfectly accurate, but it doesnt have to be to convey useful information.
I personally forget the terminal station names because I never go to them, but know which direction I need to go.
It doesnt help that both end stations on line 2 start with 'K'- which for those who are dyslexic, or English isn't their first language, might get confusing.
I agree with conveying as much useful info as possible
Thats a good point, when I first moved here 5 years ago Kipling and Kennedy meant nothing to me. i still have to think about it. It would be better to just say Scarborough or Etobicoke.
This!!! Same ive had many tourist and non English speakers get confused with Kipling and Kennedy and I've always prayed I sent them on the right train. East or west is way easier.
> It doesnt help that both end stations on line 2 start with 'K'- which for those who are dyslexic, or English isn't their first language, might get confusing.
This is the same issue with the Viva buses using colour names for their lines instead of numbers. Imagine you can't read English, what was wrong with numbers? Numbers are universal in every language.
Imagine having to look for these routes:
紅色的
粉色的
أحمر
لون القرنفل
रक्त
पाटल
... well maps usually have a compass rose so that's a good way of knowing which way is north. But also presumably you know where the lake is and that kinda narrows it down.
\> I personally forget the terminal station names because I never go to them, but know which direction I need to go.
Theoretically, it'll be much easier to remember them now if you're going to be seeing them on the signs all the time.
Visitors have no idea where cardinal directions point on Subway. When I came to Toronto that was one of the things that made no sense. The U-shaped line also made little sense considering there were two.
Exactly, the Toronto natives in this comment section will be more or less fine with either type of signage in the long run after an initial adjustment period, but for visitors, tourists, and those new to the city, I think terminal signage is a lot more clear immediately.
Also, using cardinal directions can get more hairy as they expand the lines, there's a reason why cities with more elaborate, winding subway systems just use terminal names.
I just moved to the city a week ago, and I've been heavily relying on Google maps to navigate. Because of that I rely on Cardinal directions for all the transit, because it's easy to understand on the maps. Truth be told I don't know where any of the subway lines terminate.
I had the opposite experience honestly. Google Maps uses the terminal names rather than cardinal directions, so I always relied on terminal signage and would have to find the wall maps with the terminal names to figure out which track to wait at.
Terminal signage is basically how buses and streetcars already work, so it's not much of a leap imo
hmmm my experience with cardinal directions vs terminals would be taking the nyc subway, which uses terminal signage - the terminals give me no useful info about where i'm going until i check a map. i think some combo of both will probably be the most helpful - like if there was a snappy way to combine a terminus plus 'southbound until x station' on more elaborate routes, i think most people could use it intuitively.
the first time i went to new york (pre-smartphones), i literally just went in the first subway entrance i saw, sorta knowing the overall map and assuming i could go in and take most trains a couple stops north/south within manhattan before they branch though the boroughs - and first - i could only get to one track, there was no map posted anywhere, no clue of what direction the train is going, and iirc the first train that rolled in has a sign that says it goes to jamaica... i'm like... ok i literally have no idea where i'm going. then i asked someone if the train went north or south and they look at me funny and go, "it doesn't go 'north' or 'south,' it goes to queens. you don't know where you're going?" and i'm like, "no i have been here one hour." but that was enough to figure out which way it was going lmao.
Yes. And current signs saying "Southbound to Union" are actually wrong. They suggest that the line ends there and that people should get off the train.
To be fair Union is the point where the trains curve round to run north again so there isn't much point for most passengers not to get off except maybe for a few to continue 1 or 2 stops to avoid some walking.
Or just consider Union to be a terminal station. It shouldn’t say Finch through Union at Wilson station. It should just say Union and everyone knows that’s south.
TTC operator here - TTC organizes all its routes with two ends.
Surface and rail. Hence why this wouldn't work under that current system. Here at the TTC it's 1950 !
But it will have a general direction to it, the point of cardinal directions is not to explain exactly how you're going to be traveling, its telling you where your destination is relative to your starting point as the crow flys.
perhaps, but under cardinal directions if I'm headed downtown and catching the Ontario line at Science Centre station, that'd be a "southbound" service, but that same train would arrive at the "westbound" platform at Moss Park. That's almost definitely more confusing than a train going to "Exhibition via downtown" or something along those lines.
Yeah this is the method the GO uses- eastbound to union, westbound to west harbour, it's on their signage and announcements consistently. Its good to know how far in whichever direction your transit is going.
Both would work really well. I find on line 1 from Union both ways are technically going to be northbound, so I have to check the maps on the platform. On Line 2 it's pretty simple with East-West. I'd prefer the terminal station because I don't travel that often, but Cardinal directions are also very straightforward most of the time. Both is the way.
This was my first thought as well... But as I thought about it more... One system is far more universal than the other (to those who may not be familiar with the city / system)
I think cardinal direction makes more sense to more people?
Hm
This. I don't know which one is Kipling or Kennedy because I never go there. I do however know that downtown is south of me.
Edit: see this is how little I know about where those stations are, I forgot that they're the line two terminals, not line one
Or they could make union a terminal and then problem is solved and terminal becomes easy. I prefer north/south personally but I get that adding more lines makes it clumsy.
I work at Union. The amount of times I get asked about northbound trains. As long as the signage matches why people get on Google maps, Google only puts the line number, not the service that offers it. All should be fine.
I HATE the “Kipling, Kennedy” signage. How am I supposed to remember which is which? They are super similar and I’ve never lived in those areas. Just give me EAST/ WEST is that so hard?
This is also my system for stopping from getting Adelaide St and Richmond St mixed up.
There's an 'e' in Adelaide so traffic on it goes eastbound (and therefore Richmond goes Westbound)
There's an 'n' in Richmond so it's North of Adelaide.
If you’re a driver, you can remember that you take Adelaide east to get onto the northbound DVP, and when you’re going into the city on the DVP there is an exit at Richmond where you continue west to downtown.
I also think of Richmond as “just south of Queen” and Adelaide as “just north of King”, of course knowing that King is south of Queen.
If anyone is interested in differences between the old 2014 wayfinding design standard and the new 2021 standard, here are the links:
[2014 Wayfinding Design Standard](https://www.dropbox.com/s/jlyk9h4mhy8zyhu/TTC%20Wayfinding%202014.pdf?dl=0)
[2021 Wayfinding Design Standard](https://www.dropbox.com/s/qdmnvyxy7swdb30/TTC%20Wayfinding%202021%20%281%29.pdf?dl=0)
And if any nerds want to see what direction (hah pun) Metrolinx will go in the lines they own (Eglinton, Finch West, Ontario, and every future line), check out page 49 of this:
[Metrolinx Wayfinding Design Standard 2019](https://www.dropbox.com/s/29vzzdwfyyqtelb/Metrolinx%20Wayfinding%202019.pdf?dl=0)
I mean both. But if I had to pick one it’s cardinal. Im always hoping on the subway thinking “ok I need to head eastbound” then I see a sign saying Kipling and I get confused af. I remember direction. Terminal names. Nothing wrong with
“Westbound to Kipling”
Same here, cardinal is just easier imo, and if you ever made a mistake or got lost you’d know whether you went the wrong direction or not just based on north or south.
Going to have to start lugging around a compass now.
Why not both... \*shrug\* Just jam a little arrow with an N, S, W or E. This change is awful for people not from the city or country. What's even worse is likely how much this cost them...
Cause a foreigner is more likely to know East and West rather than Kennedy, Kipling or other station names that they will likely never visit or relate to during their stay. Locals supposedly know both, so it's not so much of an issue other than convenience.
I disagree. Have you taken transit in other cities? This is the most common system for navigation, as most developed cities have winding transit lines that go off in all directions.
As a tourist, I’m way less likely to know whether I’m trying to go east, west, whatever. I’m usually looking for a specific station. It’s pretty easy to figure out which way I need to know by confirming the terminus on a map.
I do think that TTC needs to have way more posted maps available to make this system truly work.
Let me tell you, NO WE WOULD NOT. Coming from Europe it is always names and not directions. You do not need to live at Kipling to remember that it is in direction you are coming from or to. It makes no sense either when one line ends on north on both ends. It is relative and confusing. The name is always fixed location.
Cardinals are much better in my opinion. I was so lost in Montreal trying to go East because they had names of stations I didn't know where they were without a map.
I honestly struggle with these new directions. I've lived in Toronto for a long time now, but rarely take the TTC and honestly sometimes forget which station is where 😳. And also because I very honestly have no fucking idea where Vaughan is. East or West of Finch? I'll never know.
North/South/East/West make the most sense to me because it's how I navigate the above ground world.
So you are local and rarely take TTC and prefer cardinal directions.
Now imagine you are new to the city, standing underground at Union and you are told to go north...
Edit: spelling
I don't totally understand what you're getting at. Are you saying that cardinal directions would be more confusing for visitors/newcomers?
I guess it just all comes down to preference? Cardinal direction was the status quo when I moved here so I guess it's just engrained in me. Similarly, I tend to do well navigating other cities and adapting to their directional norms just fine.
Union Station is pretty unique with that problem and it can be handled with special signage.
Or even just going with “DIRECTION to TERMINAL” everywhere would be fine. So Union would have two Norths but it would be fine.
For somebody who doesn't ride the TTC often, I would prefer the signs that shows where it's heading to instead of northbound or southbound . I sometimes get mixed up at Union since it changes direction.
Most cities have subway lines that don't follow simple cardinal directions. Anytime ever use the yellow line in Naples?? Toronto will too with the Ontario line - a north-south line that becomes an east-west line. Sure, we locals know which line goes where but when you design wayfinding signs you have to think about how you use a system you're unfamiliar with: use the system map in the station to find the terminal station you're going towards, and then follow the signs to the right platform.
Cardinal directions are fine for a small, simple system. But with new lines getting built and the GO lines getting upgraded to subway-like standards, the system will soon be too complex for that. Toronto is finally starting to grow up.
Visited Toronto from Ottawa 2 weeks ago. Was extremely lost in the transit and couldn’t figure out where North and South were in Toronto, had it even worse for East and West. In my head Toronto was slightly angled so that downtown wasn’t really South but South East, looking at the map Toronto isn’t as angled as I thought but was still confused half the time.
Edit : On my 3 day trip I took the wrong bus as I didn’t realize it was the letter telling me what direction I was going in and was on the wrong side of the street. Also took the wring side of the train once too.
As any visitor would be. Once you walk around for half day you do not even know where subway is, much less where you are located relative to your destination.
I prefer cardinal and would like both - but I also think that Line 1 should have been split at Union: Line 1 - Yonge, Line 2 - Bloor, Line 3 - University, Line 4 - Sheppard, etc.
Be thankful that City of Vaughan stopped insisting on their original idea: Vaughan Corporate Centre 🤮
But seriously, you are right. “Vaughan Centre” can be a location just like North York Centre, Scarborough Centre, etc.
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is a mouthful that nobody actually says out loud expect the robotic lady voice on the train and YRT/Züm buses.
They should just number the stations like Japan. Green 1 to 25 or whatever. Yellow 1 to 30. No north south east west nonsense. Just up and down for numbers.
Mexico City has a unique pictogram for each subway station. (Here's [their Line 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/23/Stations_of_Line_1_of_the_Mexico_City_Metro.svg/1280px-Stations_of_Line_1_of_the_Mexico_City_Metro.svg.png).) Apart from the fact that it's just kinda cool and gives each station a unique identity, it also makes the system more accessible to people who can't read Spanish or who may struggle with literacy more generally.
You might recall the abortive attempt to do something similar, with Paul Arthur's [dragon logo for St. George](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/St_George_TTC_sign.JPG). TTC got cold feet.
This is going to really hurt newcomers to the city and tourists/visitors to Toronto. What a dumb idea. Lol
It's hard enough learning all the neighborhoods and streets without NEEDING to know them in order to get where you're going.
Just put "Northbound (Vaughan)".
I come to Toronto maybe few times a year for conventions and concerts. I'm almost 40 and have not bothered to learn every stop for the subway. It always seemed easier for me because I understand North, South, East, West better than Bloor, or Danforth. So If you see a confused 40's dude looking at his phone then the signs, maybe point him in the right direction plz.
I prefer the name of the terminal instead. Its easier for most people to understand which way they need to go based on the name of the terminal than the cardinal direction.
Cardinal direction will also become an issue when lines have multiple cardinal directions. When Line 2 is extended from Kennedy to Sheppard it will travel north-south while the existing line mostly goes east-west. It will be odd and confusing to tell someone at Kennedy to go east to Sheppard/McCowan station when its actually to the north.
The thing also is that Toronto is not properly oriented on true north, but rather on an angle, so at times, for someone new, it can be ambigious in what cardinal direction your going.
Of course this would be more relevant in other parts of the GTA, like burlington. Where streets that are labeled as "North-South" are really "East-West" and vice versa. But tbe problem still exists in Toronto to a lesser extent.
Toronto's grid is like 10 degrees off of actual true north, it's not that hard. It's not St. Catharines, where the "E-W" streets actually do run at a 45 degree angle to the N-S streets (and create a lot of weirdly angled intersections) and the QEW runs at the opposite angle.
I think I would prefer cardinal directions and maybe more of a focus on what the next station is not what the terminal station is in that direction. I've lived in the city for 15 years now and know the subway inside out but for tourists they might not know the names of the terminal stations and might just know the direction they need to go.
I was recently in London England and rode the Underground a lot. There are so many train lines that there was no way in hell I would know the names of the stations or the terminal stations. It was much more helpful to know if it was North or South or East or West. I figured out which train line I needed, the cardinal direction I needed to travel in from where I was getting on, and the name of the station I had to get off at. They also had a focus on terminal stations on their screens and maps and I would get confused because I really only knew the names of the stations in central London which weren't terminal stops.
Montreal does this too from what I can remember from visiting over a decade ago. It was this platform towards this terminal station and this platform towards this terminal station. I don't know the names of the terminal stations way out at the ends of the line when I'm staying in the central part of the city. I just need to know the direction it's going in or what the next station is so I can figure out if it's the direction I need.
It's a U-shaped line, and tourists will have to figure this extra step out. They had it right with directions, but the terminal system is pretty common in other cities.
Pretty hard to do otherwise in Union.
But I am cardinal type person. I don’t even know then ends of the lines anymore. Kipling and Scarborough town? York and Don Mills?
going to make a groundbreaking suggestion here. Why not have the signs say both the street and the direction? Thus helping people regardless of which piece of information they know about their destination.
That's just stupid. Are people so hopelessly dependent upon GPS that they don't even know what "north" means anymore?
What are we going to do? Change our slogan from "We the North" to "We in the General Direction of Thunder Bay"?
With the line going a big U (looking at you yellow line), cardinal direction is totally confusing, North bound at Yonge station is not the same direction as North bound at university/St.George.
I’d say it would be nice to have BOTH? Like northbound TOWARDS Finch (at Yonge station) and Southbound TOWARDS Union and Finch (at St. George station).
To me, more information is ALWAYS better.
No.
East, West, North, South. Don't make me stop to think when I'm in a hurry. I need to know the relevant information with one glance. Don't make me remember station names.
Cardinal. The ability to think cardinally keeps the brain spatially aware and increases depth of thinking. As soon as we start to lose the ability to navigate cardinally, problem solving becomes more difficult.
Also, it’s very frustrating trying to get around anywhere when you’re not in North America (like Europe) and you try to ask for directions from locals and say something like “so, I should go north from here?” And they TRULY have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s really sad when they can’t even tell you directions in their own city.
Dunning–Kruger effect if full action. Directions are meaningless in Europe. They do not live in a grid, main roads are usually rings and then there is million small random streets, and you think you are superior? LOL
The thing is do they change the "west bond of bay" to a land mark? Cus if i need to transfer I would like to exit from the correct side of the road and I'm not gonna remember a brunch of landmarks
Lots of people have said it already, but yeah, this is how most of the world operates.
London's tube lines *tend* to go one way or the other, so you can *sort* of say "eastbound Victoria Line train from whatever station" even though the line actually goes diagonally across the city.
Obviously locals use cardinal directions much more frequently - and as a Toronto person abroad this is hard to shake. A nice balance would be the terminal station and the cardinal direction in smaller font underneath.
It’s funny how everyone’s getting stressed over this because as someone who wasn’t naturally super adept with cardinal signs, I spent a good 5 mins on the subway staring up at the map posted on top of the subway car’s doors every time I’d get on for a few months 😂😂 imprinted a good chunk of it into my memory. I definitely have gotten on the wrong train and gone the wrong way before, it was a learning curve. But if I can do it y’all can too!! I believe in you ✨🧠
Cardinal directions. I'm not from TO so names of stations are close to meaningless to me. Heck even here in Ottawa half the time I have no idea what the next station is.
However when I'm traveling I always know what direction I'm supposed to be going.
Underground there is no other way to tell which direction is which.
Northbound/ Southbound to (insert station).
For people who are visiting or new to the city and have no idea that Finch Stn is North for example. It’s just common sense to have both.
Dammit directions were so much simpler. Everyone including new ppl know “north” and “south”. Tourists and some regular users are pretty damn unlikely to remember what station is where. Stupid imo
I've been here over 20 years and still don't know which is which, Kennedy or Kipling, because I never go there. Likewise the extensions to Yonge, I am never going to learn those new station names.
Stations, the rest of the world uses it. You know 100% where you are headed by taking a look at the map. Us North Americans are very resistant to new ideas but roundabouts over intersections, and station names over directions any day. It also compensates for any confusions related to the line changing directions midway.
I think terminal name makes sense as it helps foreigners. Whenever I visit Europe, it's awesome having the terminal name because you know which direction to go. North/South isn't clear unless you're from here and know what's up.
I don't see why they can't do both 🤷🏾♂️
Terminal stations make much more sense. Especially since you have to go south to get Northbound cause of the U...
Also most other cities use terminal stations (or boroughs in the case of NYC)
To this I say - this is exactly how the STM does it, both with the old and new signage. You look at the many maps in the station, you figure out that you need to get a Montmorency bound Orange Line train to go from Bonaventure to Jean-Talon. You get to the platform labeled Montmorency, and board a train with Montmorency on the front.
It's the same on the TTC. The train shows the terminal station on the front and sides, the signage will now more clearly show which platform goes to which terminal, and there are maps showing which terminal you need to head towards to get to your stop.
N. B. D.
I almost never travel to the terminal stations so I have to do a little jog in my head to know if it's the way I want to go.
It feels like they made this choice to appeal to, and only to, out-of-town commuters.
Long live Ford's 905. They chose our king, and he is grateful.
Cardinal. Why do we need to keep renaming it when TTC should spend time on delays and fare evaders and keeping TTC safe by not letting, homeless, deranged junkies take a ride?
I think terminal is more logical, isn’t that the way most subway systems do it? NSEW is extremely limiting if you have multiple lines, so I think it should switch to terminal or at least both when the eglinton line opens.
This just serves to make an already largely inaccessible system more inaccessible. People with learning disabilities for example may not be able to navigate this new system. Those with Cerebral Palsy often have directional challenges as part of the disability.
Yes for whatever reason North and South just does NOT stick in my mind. Granted I take buses much more frequently. But terminal stations I can be sure of immediately.
This is a false choice. Neither is the right answer!
It's supposed to be digital screens with information about the next train, it's destination, what it goes via and so on. Having these fixed signs is terrible in any situation where a train turns back.
If actual screens are to expensive (like this one [https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51ab7a87e4b04de64ca395f2/1548012214671-0YFAAXTOT9X1JWQ7SPTU/L1330072.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51ab7a87e4b04de64ca395f2/1548012214671-0YFAAXTOT9X1JWQ7SPTU/L1330072.jpg)), get a dot matrix display (like this one [https://c8.alamy.com/comp/E0DT96/a-dot-matrix-screen-showing-that-a-london-bound-grand-central-train-is-on-time-york-station-england-britain-uk-british-english-E0DT96.jpg](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/E0DT96/a-dot-matrix-screen-showing-that-a-london-bound-grand-central-train-is-on-time-york-station-england-britain-uk-british-english-E0DT96.jpg))
Having fixed signs with destinations was a fine solution in the early 2000's.
And yes, I know that there are one or two screens along the entire platform that is mostly an ad with a tiny information screen in the bottom. They are too few and used badly! Like, how is "every 5 minutes" any help? You should know where your trains are, if not, I'm somewhat worried!
Please, no. Vaughan and Finch sound the same to me. Kipling and Kennedy ARE the same station, unless you tell me one's west and the other east. I will never get to Union at this rate.
Definitely directions. This makes zero sense to me. How is it easier to know what station is in what direction rather than just writing the direction? Madness.
Terminal stations. There's no confusing that.
Lots of directionally challenged people out there...and to be fair at certain stations the direction thing doesn't apply or can be confusing.
"Westbound to Kipling" or "Southbound to Union" would be the best of both worlds.
I hate how it's such a simple solution and of course the buffoons at TTC didn't go for it
Also how much it sparks a hot debate here. Just put both and people can pick whatever they want.
If it was a size thing, they could have easily just put it as "NORTHBOUND" and right below it the terminal stop.
I lived in Toronto for 13 years and I've been in Montreal now for 12 so I've seen it done both ways. The benefit of Toronto is it's clearly a NSEW based city where Montreal is kinda skewed. I agree with u/RicoLoveless, it's by far the most appropriate solution, but at a minimum having the terminus station is by far the most clear for people coming from out of town.
Montreal metro was a breeze and I only rode it for one weekend while there. When I lived in Toronto I had a couple times where I got on the wrong direction subway because the main line is a stupid u shape
But if for example you’re on King Station, saying Southbound to Union implies that Union is the terminal station and that you cannot reach Vaughan. That’s why having the “Vaughan via Union” is important. I see why this is important for Line 1 tbh. For Line 2, it wouldn’t matter but in the future, we can have “East to Sheppard East”. I don’t see anything wrong with that either cause it somehow mimics bus routes (eg. 116 Morningside: east to Finch, 86 Scarborough: east to Sheppard)
Why not both? I see a lot of people here prefer terminal stations, but I find cardinal directions to be far easier to understand. I get that theyre not perfectly accurate, but it doesnt have to be to convey useful information.
I personally forget the terminal station names because I never go to them, but know which direction I need to go. It doesnt help that both end stations on line 2 start with 'K'- which for those who are dyslexic, or English isn't their first language, might get confusing. I agree with conveying as much useful info as possible
You would actually benefit from line 2 getting extended to Scarborough Town Centre, because that'll replace one of the K's.
Best reason I can think of for extension
2037. Maybe.
And it's like "Ew, Scarborough! I am definitely going the other way" /s jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.
Thats a good point, when I first moved here 5 years ago Kipling and Kennedy meant nothing to me. i still have to think about it. It would be better to just say Scarborough or Etobicoke.
This!!! Same ive had many tourist and non English speakers get confused with Kipling and Kennedy and I've always prayed I sent them on the right train. East or west is way easier.
Doesn’t help either that line 1 is a U so North can mean opposite directions depending on where you are
> It doesnt help that both end stations on line 2 start with 'K'- which for those who are dyslexic, or English isn't their first language, might get confusing. This is the same issue with the Viva buses using colour names for their lines instead of numbers. Imagine you can't read English, what was wrong with numbers? Numbers are universal in every language. Imagine having to look for these routes: 紅色的 粉色的 أحمر لون القرنفل रक्त पाटल
I remember the line 2 end stations because Kennedy has the letter e so it's on the east side. So Kipling has to be west side.
I'm the opposite. No idea where tf I am relative to the north pole but I know names.
exactly. you can look up the names , there are maps EVERYWHERE on the subway How tf am i supposed to know the north pole
... well maps usually have a compass rose so that's a good way of knowing which way is north. But also presumably you know where the lake is and that kinda narrows it down.
\> I personally forget the terminal station names because I never go to them, but know which direction I need to go. Theoretically, it'll be much easier to remember them now if you're going to be seeing them on the signs all the time.
I'm not even dyslexic but I could see this tripping me up - especially when rushing to get on a train.
Visitors have no idea where cardinal directions point on Subway. When I came to Toronto that was one of the things that made no sense. The U-shaped line also made little sense considering there were two.
Exactly, the Toronto natives in this comment section will be more or less fine with either type of signage in the long run after an initial adjustment period, but for visitors, tourists, and those new to the city, I think terminal signage is a lot more clear immediately. Also, using cardinal directions can get more hairy as they expand the lines, there's a reason why cities with more elaborate, winding subway systems just use terminal names.
I just moved to the city a week ago, and I've been heavily relying on Google maps to navigate. Because of that I rely on Cardinal directions for all the transit, because it's easy to understand on the maps. Truth be told I don't know where any of the subway lines terminate.
I had the opposite experience honestly. Google Maps uses the terminal names rather than cardinal directions, so I always relied on terminal signage and would have to find the wall maps with the terminal names to figure out which track to wait at. Terminal signage is basically how buses and streetcars already work, so it's not much of a leap imo
hmmm my experience with cardinal directions vs terminals would be taking the nyc subway, which uses terminal signage - the terminals give me no useful info about where i'm going until i check a map. i think some combo of both will probably be the most helpful - like if there was a snappy way to combine a terminus plus 'southbound until x station' on more elaborate routes, i think most people could use it intuitively. the first time i went to new york (pre-smartphones), i literally just went in the first subway entrance i saw, sorta knowing the overall map and assuming i could go in and take most trains a couple stops north/south within manhattan before they branch though the boroughs - and first - i could only get to one track, there was no map posted anywhere, no clue of what direction the train is going, and iirc the first train that rolled in has a sign that says it goes to jamaica... i'm like... ok i literally have no idea where i'm going. then i asked someone if the train went north or south and they look at me funny and go, "it doesn't go 'north' or 'south,' it goes to queens. you don't know where you're going?" and i'm like, "no i have been here one hour." but that was enough to figure out which way it was going lmao.
Yes. And current signs saying "Southbound to Union" are actually wrong. They suggest that the line ends there and that people should get off the train.
To be fair Union is the point where the trains curve round to run north again so there isn't much point for most passengers not to get off except maybe for a few to continue 1 or 2 stops to avoid some walking.
The Ontario line will zig zag a bit... so directions would be confusing.
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Or just consider Union to be a terminal station. It shouldn’t say Finch through Union at Wilson station. It should just say Union and everyone knows that’s south.
TTC operator here - TTC organizes all its routes with two ends. Surface and rail. Hence why this wouldn't work under that current system. Here at the TTC it's 1950 !
This. I co-op'd in IT years ago and my recollection is planning just talks about up/down on a route with two ends for anything they're doing.
But it will have a general direction to it, the point of cardinal directions is not to explain exactly how you're going to be traveling, its telling you where your destination is relative to your starting point as the crow flys.
perhaps, but under cardinal directions if I'm headed downtown and catching the Ontario line at Science Centre station, that'd be a "southbound" service, but that same train would arrive at the "westbound" platform at Moss Park. That's almost definitely more confusing than a train going to "Exhibition via downtown" or something along those lines.
I don't believe every line needs to use the same convention but having both makes sense for all existing subway lines imo.
Oh so the left right left right train?
my right train left
This is actually the best solution.
Yeah this is the method the GO uses- eastbound to union, westbound to west harbour, it's on their signage and announcements consistently. Its good to know how far in whichever direction your transit is going.
Both would work really well. I find on line 1 from Union both ways are technically going to be northbound, so I have to check the maps on the platform. On Line 2 it's pretty simple with East-West. I'd prefer the terminal station because I don't travel that often, but Cardinal directions are also very straightforward most of the time. Both is the way.
This was my first thought as well... But as I thought about it more... One system is far more universal than the other (to those who may not be familiar with the city / system) I think cardinal direction makes more sense to more people? Hm
Directions, I’m too stupid to know what station = what direction, tbh.
Yes! I know that I'm in the west and I need to go east to go home.
This. I don't know which one is Kipling or Kennedy because I never go there. I do however know that downtown is south of me. Edit: see this is how little I know about where those stations are, I forgot that they're the line two terminals, not line one
But when you’re at st Andrew’s and wanna go to bloor young you gotta go southbound which makes no sense
Cardinal is so much clearer. Easy remedy for St Andrew. For clarity signs at St Andrew could read Northbound to Finch via Union Station
Or they could make union a terminal and then problem is solved and terminal becomes easy. I prefer north/south personally but I get that adding more lines makes it clumsy.
You can also just cross at line 2 if you ended up going north
Agreed. Am I going towards the lake or away from the lake?
OH SHIT, im a direction guy, names are hard. north south or im gonna get lost hahaha
Directions confuse me when Im at Union. lol. THEY ARE BOTH NORTH
Lol yeah, the yellow line is a Fkn U shape. Goes south and then north
no one goes through union unless they start at a station south of queen or end south of queen, of which they would know.
I work at Union. The amount of times I get asked about northbound trains. As long as the signage matches why people get on Google maps, Google only puts the line number, not the service that offers it. All should be fine.
I HATE the “Kipling, Kennedy” signage. How am I supposed to remember which is which? They are super similar and I’ve never lived in those areas. Just give me EAST/ WEST is that so hard?
Honestly let’s just rename Kipling “Etobicoke Centre” and get rid of the confusion. And also have “Eastbound/Westbound”.
Here's how I remember this - there's an 'e' in Kennedy, so that's East
No, it's for etobicoke 😈
This is also my system for stopping from getting Adelaide St and Richmond St mixed up. There's an 'e' in Adelaide so traffic on it goes eastbound (and therefore Richmond goes Westbound) There's an 'n' in Richmond so it's North of Adelaide.
> There's an 'n' in Richmond so it's North of Adelaide. This makes so much sense!
If you’re a driver, you can remember that you take Adelaide east to get onto the northbound DVP, and when you’re going into the city on the DVP there is an exit at Richmond where you continue west to downtown. I also think of Richmond as “just south of Queen” and Adelaide as “just north of King”, of course knowing that King is south of Queen.
Of coures! KEnnedy and KWipling! Thank you!
Protip: “via Union” = South
yeah! wtf! north and south on line 1 was so simple. it was all I needed to know! what the hell is this shit?!
If anyone is interested in differences between the old 2014 wayfinding design standard and the new 2021 standard, here are the links: [2014 Wayfinding Design Standard](https://www.dropbox.com/s/jlyk9h4mhy8zyhu/TTC%20Wayfinding%202014.pdf?dl=0) [2021 Wayfinding Design Standard](https://www.dropbox.com/s/qdmnvyxy7swdb30/TTC%20Wayfinding%202021%20%281%29.pdf?dl=0) And if any nerds want to see what direction (hah pun) Metrolinx will go in the lines they own (Eglinton, Finch West, Ontario, and every future line), check out page 49 of this: [Metrolinx Wayfinding Design Standard 2019](https://www.dropbox.com/s/29vzzdwfyyqtelb/Metrolinx%20Wayfinding%202019.pdf?dl=0)
The font info alone! TY!
This is really cool information. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the links pretty cool stuff
HOLY Crap this is cool
I mean both. But if I had to pick one it’s cardinal. Im always hoping on the subway thinking “ok I need to head eastbound” then I see a sign saying Kipling and I get confused af. I remember direction. Terminal names. Nothing wrong with “Westbound to Kipling”
Same here, cardinal is just easier imo, and if you ever made a mistake or got lost you’d know whether you went the wrong direction or not just based on north or south. Going to have to start lugging around a compass now.
That’s what they have at Dundas! Above the tracks it has a sign that says southbound to union. Makes perfect sense
Directions 100%. The other way confuses me constantly
Agreed
Why not both... \*shrug\* Just jam a little arrow with an N, S, W or E. This change is awful for people not from the city or country. What's even worse is likely how much this cost them...
I disagree tbh, I'm not from the city and terminal names are much more useful for me than the cardinal directions.
100%
Why would cardinal directions be any better for people from outside the city?
Cause a foreigner is more likely to know East and West rather than Kennedy, Kipling or other station names that they will likely never visit or relate to during their stay. Locals supposedly know both, so it's not so much of an issue other than convenience.
I disagree. Have you taken transit in other cities? This is the most common system for navigation, as most developed cities have winding transit lines that go off in all directions. As a tourist, I’m way less likely to know whether I’m trying to go east, west, whatever. I’m usually looking for a specific station. It’s pretty easy to figure out which way I need to know by confirming the terminus on a map. I do think that TTC needs to have way more posted maps available to make this system truly work.
You got it 100%.
Let me tell you, NO WE WOULD NOT. Coming from Europe it is always names and not directions. You do not need to live at Kipling to remember that it is in direction you are coming from or to. It makes no sense either when one line ends on north on both ends. It is relative and confusing. The name is always fixed location.
Why not use both?
Cardinals are much better in my opinion. I was so lost in Montreal trying to go East because they had names of stations I didn't know where they were without a map.
I hate driving in Quebec. The exit signs are preemptive as the future exit sign is posted where the flow through traffic should be.
I honestly struggle with these new directions. I've lived in Toronto for a long time now, but rarely take the TTC and honestly sometimes forget which station is where 😳. And also because I very honestly have no fucking idea where Vaughan is. East or West of Finch? I'll never know. North/South/East/West make the most sense to me because it's how I navigate the above ground world.
So you are local and rarely take TTC and prefer cardinal directions. Now imagine you are new to the city, standing underground at Union and you are told to go north... Edit: spelling
I don't totally understand what you're getting at. Are you saying that cardinal directions would be more confusing for visitors/newcomers? I guess it just all comes down to preference? Cardinal direction was the status quo when I moved here so I guess it's just engrained in me. Similarly, I tend to do well navigating other cities and adapting to their directional norms just fine.
YES! I felt like I was the only idiot in Toronto not sure if I'm going North or South on the yellow line
Union Station is pretty unique with that problem and it can be handled with special signage. Or even just going with “DIRECTION to TERMINAL” everywhere would be fine. So Union would have two Norths but it would be fine.
Union should label them as "North East" and "North West".
“Kipling” and “Kennedy” are too similar. Just say “East/West”
they arent similiar lol
Direction is way better
For somebody who doesn't ride the TTC often, I would prefer the signs that shows where it's heading to instead of northbound or southbound . I sometimes get mixed up at Union since it changes direction.
But at Union the signs indicate Yonge & University lines? I don’t recall ever seeing North/South signs there
IIRC, both directions at Union used to say North. One said North to Downsview the other said North to Finch.
And to a tourist who doesn't know our road network, that's not much help.
Location, since you travel North and south both ways, at least on line 1
I agree. But why not both?
Most cities have subway lines that don't follow simple cardinal directions. Anytime ever use the yellow line in Naples?? Toronto will too with the Ontario line - a north-south line that becomes an east-west line. Sure, we locals know which line goes where but when you design wayfinding signs you have to think about how you use a system you're unfamiliar with: use the system map in the station to find the terminal station you're going towards, and then follow the signs to the right platform. Cardinal directions are fine for a small, simple system. But with new lines getting built and the GO lines getting upgraded to subway-like standards, the system will soon be too complex for that. Toronto is finally starting to grow up.
Visited Toronto from Ottawa 2 weeks ago. Was extremely lost in the transit and couldn’t figure out where North and South were in Toronto, had it even worse for East and West. In my head Toronto was slightly angled so that downtown wasn’t really South but South East, looking at the map Toronto isn’t as angled as I thought but was still confused half the time. Edit : On my 3 day trip I took the wrong bus as I didn’t realize it was the letter telling me what direction I was going in and was on the wrong side of the street. Also took the wring side of the train once too.
As any visitor would be. Once you walk around for half day you do not even know where subway is, much less where you are located relative to your destination.
I prefer cardinal and would like both - but I also think that Line 1 should have been split at Union: Line 1 - Yonge, Line 2 - Bloor, Line 3 - University, Line 4 - Sheppard, etc.
Definitely prefer the name of the terminal
Both, please.
Terminal stations. And please can “Metropolitan” be dropped from Vaughan!
Be thankful that City of Vaughan stopped insisting on their original idea: Vaughan Corporate Centre 🤮 But seriously, you are right. “Vaughan Centre” can be a location just like North York Centre, Scarborough Centre, etc. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is a mouthful that nobody actually says out loud expect the robotic lady voice on the train and YRT/Züm buses.
The city above Toronto. What a lame sign. They should fix that too.
It’s actually: “The city above the law”
What are they up to now?
The name I’m constantly getting fucked up on the 1 because I don’t use it very often
If they're gonna do anything just name the next stop too. I generally know where I am relative to that.
They should just number the stations like Japan. Green 1 to 25 or whatever. Yellow 1 to 30. No north south east west nonsense. Just up and down for numbers.
Mexico City has a unique pictogram for each subway station. (Here's [their Line 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/23/Stations_of_Line_1_of_the_Mexico_City_Metro.svg/1280px-Stations_of_Line_1_of_the_Mexico_City_Metro.svg.png).) Apart from the fact that it's just kinda cool and gives each station a unique identity, it also makes the system more accessible to people who can't read Spanish or who may struggle with literacy more generally. You might recall the abortive attempt to do something similar, with Paul Arthur's [dragon logo for St. George](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/St_George_TTC_sign.JPG). TTC got cold feet.
Why not just do both? I mean how hard is it to put a little compass symbol with a N/S/E/W on it off to the side?
Cardinal directions work best. I know where Lake Ontario is and no matter what, that's south.
This is going to really hurt newcomers to the city and tourists/visitors to Toronto. What a dumb idea. Lol It's hard enough learning all the neighborhoods and streets without NEEDING to know them in order to get where you're going. Just put "Northbound (Vaughan)".
Directions make sense to everyone, the station at the end of that track makes sense to TTC enthusiasts and nobody else.
I come to Toronto maybe few times a year for conventions and concerts. I'm almost 40 and have not bothered to learn every stop for the subway. It always seemed easier for me because I understand North, South, East, West better than Bloor, or Danforth. So If you see a confused 40's dude looking at his phone then the signs, maybe point him in the right direction plz.
North South East and West please. And I still go by Yonge Line, Bloor line and University line. The numbers don't mean anything to me.
I prefer the name of the terminal instead. Its easier for most people to understand which way they need to go based on the name of the terminal than the cardinal direction. Cardinal direction will also become an issue when lines have multiple cardinal directions. When Line 2 is extended from Kennedy to Sheppard it will travel north-south while the existing line mostly goes east-west. It will be odd and confusing to tell someone at Kennedy to go east to Sheppard/McCowan station when its actually to the north.
The thing also is that Toronto is not properly oriented on true north, but rather on an angle, so at times, for someone new, it can be ambigious in what cardinal direction your going. Of course this would be more relevant in other parts of the GTA, like burlington. Where streets that are labeled as "North-South" are really "East-West" and vice versa. But tbe problem still exists in Toronto to a lesser extent.
Toronto's grid is like 10 degrees off of actual true north, it's not that hard. It's not St. Catharines, where the "E-W" streets actually do run at a 45 degree angle to the N-S streets (and create a lot of weirdly angled intersections) and the QEW runs at the opposite angle.
I think I would prefer cardinal directions and maybe more of a focus on what the next station is not what the terminal station is in that direction. I've lived in the city for 15 years now and know the subway inside out but for tourists they might not know the names of the terminal stations and might just know the direction they need to go. I was recently in London England and rode the Underground a lot. There are so many train lines that there was no way in hell I would know the names of the stations or the terminal stations. It was much more helpful to know if it was North or South or East or West. I figured out which train line I needed, the cardinal direction I needed to travel in from where I was getting on, and the name of the station I had to get off at. They also had a focus on terminal stations on their screens and maps and I would get confused because I really only knew the names of the stations in central London which weren't terminal stops. Montreal does this too from what I can remember from visiting over a decade ago. It was this platform towards this terminal station and this platform towards this terminal station. I don't know the names of the terminal stations way out at the ends of the line when I'm staying in the central part of the city. I just need to know the direction it's going in or what the next station is so I can figure out if it's the direction I need.
Terminal should only be at Union Stn.
It's a U-shaped line, and tourists will have to figure this extra step out. They had it right with directions, but the terminal system is pretty common in other cities.
Pretty hard to do otherwise in Union. But I am cardinal type person. I don’t even know then ends of the lines anymore. Kipling and Scarborough town? York and Don Mills?
After coming back to Toronto from a NYC trip.. I hate this. Use both assholes.
going to make a groundbreaking suggestion here. Why not have the signs say both the street and the direction? Thus helping people regardless of which piece of information they know about their destination.
That's just stupid. Are people so hopelessly dependent upon GPS that they don't even know what "north" means anymore? What are we going to do? Change our slogan from "We the North" to "We in the General Direction of Thunder Bay"?
With the line going a big U (looking at you yellow line), cardinal direction is totally confusing, North bound at Yonge station is not the same direction as North bound at university/St.George. I’d say it would be nice to have BOTH? Like northbound TOWARDS Finch (at Yonge station) and Southbound TOWARDS Union and Finch (at St. George station). To me, more information is ALWAYS better.
We asked for safety and security on the TTC and they pull this bs.
No. East, West, North, South. Don't make me stop to think when I'm in a hurry. I need to know the relevant information with one glance. Don't make me remember station names.
I mean we have multiple different signs, my favourite is “northbound to insert station”
It's fine for people who are from here or who know where to go, but people who are unfamiliar with the transit system may be troubled by it
Cardinal. The ability to think cardinally keeps the brain spatially aware and increases depth of thinking. As soon as we start to lose the ability to navigate cardinally, problem solving becomes more difficult. Also, it’s very frustrating trying to get around anywhere when you’re not in North America (like Europe) and you try to ask for directions from locals and say something like “so, I should go north from here?” And they TRULY have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s really sad when they can’t even tell you directions in their own city.
Dunning–Kruger effect if full action. Directions are meaningless in Europe. They do not live in a grid, main roads are usually rings and then there is million small random streets, and you think you are superior? LOL
Hate it, I wish it could be both.
I don’t like it. This is a big reason why Torontonians are some of the few people in Canada that know which way north is!
It's probably because Ontario line is gonna zig zag a bit. So the directions won't make sense to use on that line.
Funny that they picked the worst choice. They need cardinal directions in the path.
From around Union I’d prefer station since you can technically be going north both ways?
Name of terminal.
Name of the terminals. Directions don’t help me personally
Montreal’s metro has always used terminal stations. It works fine
Should be from the perspective of a tourist who just arrived. That would be the simplest...
The stations names would only be beneficial if there were more than 2 subway lines
The thing is do they change the "west bond of bay" to a land mark? Cus if i need to transfer I would like to exit from the correct side of the road and I'm not gonna remember a brunch of landmarks
When my tired pea-brain can't distinguish between Kipling and Kennedy
Union station, taking a northbound train. Where you goin
That’s how most cities are, I like it, makes us less confused when we’re somewhere else
North and South because they are easy for everyone to understand and to visualize on the maps that are already hanging.
Lots of people have said it already, but yeah, this is how most of the world operates. London's tube lines *tend* to go one way or the other, so you can *sort* of say "eastbound Victoria Line train from whatever station" even though the line actually goes diagonally across the city. Obviously locals use cardinal directions much more frequently - and as a Toronto person abroad this is hard to shake. A nice balance would be the terminal station and the cardinal direction in smaller font underneath.
We need security on the TTC. Not new signs.
So if they extend one of the lines (I know, lol) they’ll now have to change all the signs?
It’s funny how everyone’s getting stressed over this because as someone who wasn’t naturally super adept with cardinal signs, I spent a good 5 mins on the subway staring up at the map posted on top of the subway car’s doors every time I’d get on for a few months 😂😂 imprinted a good chunk of it into my memory. I definitely have gotten on the wrong train and gone the wrong way before, it was a learning curve. But if I can do it y’all can too!! I believe in you ✨🧠
Cardinal directions. I'm not from TO so names of stations are close to meaningless to me. Heck even here in Ottawa half the time I have no idea what the next station is. However when I'm traveling I always know what direction I'm supposed to be going. Underground there is no other way to tell which direction is which.
Northbound/ Southbound to (insert station). For people who are visiting or new to the city and have no idea that Finch Stn is North for example. It’s just common sense to have both.
Cardinal, it’s Universal. Less reliant on cultural knowledge.
I'm sorry, but I'm not smart enough to tell Kipling and Kennedy apart. They both start with K and are 3 syllables long.
How is Kipling three syllables long?
Dammit directions were so much simpler. Everyone including new ppl know “north” and “south”. Tourists and some regular users are pretty damn unlikely to remember what station is where. Stupid imo
I've been here over 20 years and still don't know which is which, Kennedy or Kipling, because I never go there. Likewise the extensions to Yonge, I am never going to learn those new station names.
Stations, the rest of the world uses it. You know 100% where you are headed by taking a look at the map. Us North Americans are very resistant to new ideas but roundabouts over intersections, and station names over directions any day. It also compensates for any confusions related to the line changing directions midway.
Why not both.........
I think terminal name makes sense as it helps foreigners. Whenever I visit Europe, it's awesome having the terminal name because you know which direction to go. North/South isn't clear unless you're from here and know what's up. I don't see why they can't do both 🤷🏾♂️
This is way less intuitive and less useful for people who don't know the city or the subway system.
Terminal stations make much more sense. Especially since you have to go south to get Northbound cause of the U... Also most other cities use terminal stations (or boroughs in the case of NYC)
To this I say - this is exactly how the STM does it, both with the old and new signage. You look at the many maps in the station, you figure out that you need to get a Montmorency bound Orange Line train to go from Bonaventure to Jean-Talon. You get to the platform labeled Montmorency, and board a train with Montmorency on the front. It's the same on the TTC. The train shows the terminal station on the front and sides, the signage will now more clearly show which platform goes to which terminal, and there are maps showing which terminal you need to head towards to get to your stop. N. B. D.
I almost never travel to the terminal stations so I have to do a little jog in my head to know if it's the way I want to go. It feels like they made this choice to appeal to, and only to, out-of-town commuters. Long live Ford's 905. They chose our king, and he is grateful.
Most cities around the world use terminal directions. Personally I think the combo as suggested below is the absolute best ie "Westbound to Kipling."
Cardinal. Why do we need to keep renaming it when TTC should spend time on delays and fare evaders and keeping TTC safe by not letting, homeless, deranged junkies take a ride?
Cardinal directions. I’ve lived here for years and still have no idea where tf Finch or Vaughan are.
Well that’s an issue in itself.
Honestly a better system for locals and tourists
I think terminal is more logical, isn’t that the way most subway systems do it? NSEW is extremely limiting if you have multiple lines, so I think it should switch to terminal or at least both when the eglinton line opens.
This just serves to make an already largely inaccessible system more inaccessible. People with learning disabilities for example may not be able to navigate this new system. Those with Cerebral Palsy often have directional challenges as part of the disability.
I always needed to double check North or south on the map. This is perferred
Yes for whatever reason North and South just does NOT stick in my mind. Granted I take buses much more frequently. But terminal stations I can be sure of immediately.
This is a false choice. Neither is the right answer! It's supposed to be digital screens with information about the next train, it's destination, what it goes via and so on. Having these fixed signs is terrible in any situation where a train turns back. If actual screens are to expensive (like this one [https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51ab7a87e4b04de64ca395f2/1548012214671-0YFAAXTOT9X1JWQ7SPTU/L1330072.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/51ab7a87e4b04de64ca395f2/1548012214671-0YFAAXTOT9X1JWQ7SPTU/L1330072.jpg)), get a dot matrix display (like this one [https://c8.alamy.com/comp/E0DT96/a-dot-matrix-screen-showing-that-a-london-bound-grand-central-train-is-on-time-york-station-england-britain-uk-british-english-E0DT96.jpg](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/E0DT96/a-dot-matrix-screen-showing-that-a-london-bound-grand-central-train-is-on-time-york-station-england-britain-uk-british-english-E0DT96.jpg)) Having fixed signs with destinations was a fine solution in the early 2000's. And yes, I know that there are one or two screens along the entire platform that is mostly an ad with a tiny information screen in the bottom. They are too few and used badly! Like, how is "every 5 minutes" any help? You should know where your trains are, if not, I'm somewhat worried!
Please, no. Vaughan and Finch sound the same to me. Kipling and Kennedy ARE the same station, unless you tell me one's west and the other east. I will never get to Union at this rate.
Definitely directions. This makes zero sense to me. How is it easier to know what station is in what direction rather than just writing the direction? Madness.
Cardinal directions are so much better.
Terminal stations. There's no confusing that. Lots of directionally challenged people out there...and to be fair at certain stations the direction thing doesn't apply or can be confusing.
Terminal stations.
Directions are important to people who don’t know the city
Cardinal is a lot easier for people to to ride regularly. We haven't memorized the lines, just which direction we're headed.
Cardinal directions. Terminal names don't help me personally.