City
Morning Brew: April 24th, 2008
Photo: "Coffee time" by inventor_77, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
Your Toronto morning news roundup for Thursday April 24th, 2008:
I've gone from cold to cool with the idea of naming private buildings after corporations (even though I still call it the SkyDome), but please do not sell naming rights to TTC subway stations in the same manner. Find needed money elsewhere, please!
In other TTC-related news, the union is seemingly divided on the tentative contract deal raising fears that a strike might soon be a renewed consideration.
Pedal/electric-powered EcoCabs are set to begin service downtown next week, but may not be able to due to legal and licensing issues. Cyclists are also not thrilled with the idea of these blocking already hard-to-find, clear bike lanes.
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Defence lawyers lost in their bid to seal some details about the alleged Toronto terrorists plans for mass destruction. Based on how things have proceeded so far, it's very difficult to know what the heck is going on here - did law enforcement agencies thwart a major terrorist attack, or are we seeing a "Torontanamo" in the making?
Some economists are using the R-word to describe Ontario's situation. Don't smash open that piggy bank just yet though.
Things are certainly coming to life outside as spring bloom continues. Now is a perfect time for you green thumbs to brush up on your strategies for great green growing in your garden.
Discussion
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If they have a name to the station they must be PERFECT!
Any other cities in the world doing this already? Are they being called sell-outs (whatever that means)?
Why not name stations after the major businesses or sights in the area? We already have ads in our subway stations - are those too offensive?
Ideally, I would like to see local businesses (or shopping districts) and landmarks be awarded names over "Coca Cola Station", but hey, beggars can't be choosers.
Thiink about the tourists who come to our city - how do they know where Eaton Centre is? Why can't they just look at our subway map and say "Oh there it is"? Why do they have to consult other papers to find it? Why not name Osgoode -> Opera, Dundas -> Eaton Centre, Bay -> Yorkville Merchant's Association? errr... Hazelton Lanes maybe?
I'm all for renaming subway stations after local attractions who could sponsor the station in some way. How do you know what's at King? Eglinton? Christie? Those names don't tell you anything about what's around the area. There just need to be some guidelines for the process of renaming stations.
But if they do it in Dubai, well, then. Could there be a better exemplar of taste, sustainability, and even social justice than that shining jewel?
As for naming stations, there's always the potential you could hear:
"Now pulling into "Virgin" Queen."
No comment on pulling out.
What you're suggesting couldn't be any tackier, IMO. Tourists don't need to have their hands held to such an extent that we should give our subway stations names associated with major attractions in the area, do they?
Google maps, guidebook, and printed tourist maps already suffice, without selling transit station names to corporations.
Also, business is volatile and changes rapidly. Station names should be permanent to avoid logistical nightmares that would occur when businesses change names, fold, etc.
Or perhaps you think we should rename Museum station University? 'Cause, hey, you can't name a station after a place - it would be advertising what's there. Just nondescript names please.
And we're not talking about station renovations - which are tricky to budget (PS: How's this for interesting Trivia who was involved in the Musuem renovation and Mayor Miller's campaign co-chair? Why Jack Diamond of Diamond and Schmitt Architects) - it's just sponsorship.
Are you saying we shouldn't have station names reflect landmarks? Call up the TTC and tell them they'll have to change Queen's Park, Museum, Yorkdale, and Scarborough Town! They could close up and not be there anymore! They actually let people know what's there - that's practically taking tourists by the hand and walking them to the place - they should have to google it (and be exposed to google ads) first!
Historical context, naming after streets, is all fine and good if you have nothing else to refer to... but why not have the option of renaming it to something more relevant to the people who will use the station? Who cares about Spadina? Is it really the Spadina I want to go to for Chinese food? Or is it the place I want to go to for Casa Loma?
What's at Bayview Station?... What's so important about Bayview that they had to name it after the street? Why not call it Bayview Village? Some places need to be put on the map...
(Yet again, another phone call interrupted... so you may have already put up a response)
There's a HUGE difference between naming stations after landmarks that are cultural institutions and selling naming rights to stations to department stores that sell jeans. You don't seem to be making any distinction between the two.
<a href="http://www.toronto.ca/culture/spadina.htm";>I, for one, do</a>.
Thank you for proving my point. I didn't know there was a Spadina museum there and I live here! I knew about Casa Loma however. Perhaps it should be renamed to something more <i>clear</i> like "Casa Loma" (but not "Spadina Museum" to avoid confusion with Museum).
Some cultural institutions are businesses, Jerrold. You seem to not realize that. The Distillery District is very much a place of culture - but it is first and foremost A BUSINESS. If a new line were to open up and have a stop near there, should it simply be called Gooderham? Or Distillery District?
Also, you seem to think that jeans and fashion aren't a part of culture. Try telling that to fashion students - you might hear something different. What makes Dundas so important to our culture RIGHT NOW, that we can't rename it to Eaton Centre?
If you read my first post, I simply I would like to see local businesses (or shopping districts) and landmarks be awarded names over "Coca Cola Station". I don't like that idea, but I wouldn't discount it entirely. (PS: Coke, is a pretty important part of North American culture btw - so maybe that isn't so offensive to you)
There are only a few places where I would be okay with business names sneaking in.
Major malls, like the Eaton Centre. (But I think Dundas Square sounds better)
Longstanding buildings that haven't already sold their name to a company. Though I can't think of any on the subway line that haven't already. York University is an obvious upcoming one.
If they offer a ludicris amount of money I think I'd be willing to forgive them. If they pay for Transit City, then I think I could deal with a Eglinton Pepsi Station.
Bayview fucking Avenue! I hope you're being sarcastic here.
The benefit of naming stations after streets (giving riders an idea of the layout of the city and addresses of a certain neighbourhood) is much more important than characterizing the flavour of a neighbourhood and where people MIGHT go. By disembarking at Bayview Station passengers WILL BE GOING to an address on or off Bayview, and they MIGHT go to Bayview Village.
It was great growing up to know where certain streets were because I had seen them on the subway map. Greenwood east, Islington west, etc. ? those are not vague descriptors of a neighbourhood.
"Historical context, naming after streets, is all fine and good if you have nothing else to refer to... but why not have the option of renaming it to something more relevant to the people who will use the station?"
The most relevant piece of information here is the street name, which is considerably less likely to change than the business makeup of the neighbourhood.
Great point. So true.
It's great to know that when I leave Bayview I'm on Bayview Avenue - but where am I on Bayview? Bayview is a very long street. What about King St? Where on King am I? Spadina - I'm actually on Spadina Road, not Spadina Ave for good Chinese food a long way down the street. Sorry - but I don't see your point as clearly as you would hope.
@Jerrold - I thought you wanted everyone to refer to google maps to know where they should go?
if i have to take a street car 3 blocks i have to pay the same amount as if i were going from etobicoke to scarborough
Actually, what I said was that tourists (not "everyone") had many options (not just "Google maps") for navigating the city, and that naming subway stations to help tourists find department stores is not my idea of an appropriate solution.
My point is that you CAN be sure where you are, with the smaller address text on the map as a guide.
Contact everyone in the TTC and kill this stupid idea now before it's too late.
Have you looked at one of these maps recently? I don't think they've been updated in 10 years.
Take at look at the map at Kipling for example. In addition to roads being out of date, the BUS ROUTES on it are wrong. You'd think such obvious information like where to wait for your bus and where it takes you would be something they'd keep up to date.
Well, Bayview Stn is on the Sheppard line, so even the most confused tourist should be able to work out that it is in fact the intersection of Bayview and Sheppard.
The tourist thing is a bit misleading I think. Tourists arriving by car do not drive up "Eaton Centre St." to go to the Eaton's Centre; they have to find out where it actually IS in the city (Queen/Yonge to Dundas/Yonge).
As it is right now I can tell guests to go to Lansdowne Station and take the "47 LANSDOWNE" to my place near Queen and Lansdowne. Imagine going to "House of Lancaster" station and taking the "47 NO FRILLS". That's infinitely less useful even though the names reflect notable locations.
Something the TTC could do that would be relatively non-intrusive is to charge for businesses to be plugged on the next stop/station announcments. For example, No frills could pay to have the stop at Dundas and Lansdowne announced as "Next stop, Dundas St. W. No Frills grocery store."