Platform Decals
A precursor to platform doors
As I returned from Asia this week, I have been checking up on a few things. One of the first was the state of this 2019 pilot project to put decals on the subway platforms to indicate where the subway doors would be.
As I expected, the pilot has not progressed any further. Only Bloor and St. George have the treatment - and only on line 1. A request for further information from the media email at TTC resulted in no response.
Essentially every station in the four countries I visited over the last two months had at the least platform decals, and most had platform decals and platform doors.
The benefits of the decals are actually somewhat significant for a few reasons.
Less conflict at the doors results in faster boarding and lower dwell times. A few seconds at each station results in minutes of time saved every trip. This results in lower operating costs and higher capacity.
The blue accessibility stickers indicate that riders with disabilities should be given priority boarding - which again reduces time, and may simplify trips for those who use them.
There are additional customer experience benefits with less jostling and pushing and more overall friendly and consistent boarding experience, especially for frail or elderly riders.
In classic TTC fashion we have made a pilot project for something that is significantly well understood in the transportation industry. Then we didn’t follow up on the pilot.
Obvious stations to implement this include Union, Dundas, Queen, King, and Spadina. But given the cost and benefits to all riders, it makes more sense to just implement it in all stations - this is a relatively low cost, high benefit solution.
TTC Board should:
Direct TTC staff to budget for the 2026 year a project to add platform decals to all stations where the subway is able to accurately stop (we believe this is just line 1 now, but if it’s possible on 2/4 staff should expand the program)
Add to regular station maintenance a plan to ensure that decals are refreshed as needed
Great point George - I was really hoping when I first saw these floor decals on Line 1 that the TTC would put them down across the network at busy stations. GO hasn't put anything down on their platforms, other than orange tactile platform edge strips - which is great for safety. Oh, GO had trialed paint on the asphalt platforms at Long Branch Station, indicating where to stand, out of the way of the doors. The paint is completely gone now, 2 years later.
I'd written an article surveying platform decals & wayfinding. As one would expect, Montreal has created a beautiful, state of the art wayfinding and flow design standard. I also look at Japan, some US cities, and Europe: https://www.londonreconnections.com/2023/floors-the-next-dimension-in-safety-and-wayfinding/.