Comments on: Naming Names

By: Torin Reid

Torin Reid — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:42:39 +0000

It seems to me that, over time, people are getting dumber and dumber despite having more access to information! Here in New York - maybe 25% of the country’s public transport is here - most people know exactly one way to work and one way back. In Manhattan, at least, there is always an alternative route. If something happens to that one way — say, if a train gets rerouted - then the passengers (especially women!) go nuts!

By: URVOY

URVOY — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:48:17 +0000

I agree with you that males and females don’t have the same vision of space ; This is prooven scientificaly by A. Berthoz (Académie des sciences): females are using front parietal part of their brain that is an egocentric system : they describe the journey : “go straight, turn left at this landmark, etc…”. On the reverse, males are using an allocentric process that enphases the map vision of the journey. The active parts of the brain are not the same. It is strange but it is. Europeen jobs are studying this, taking into account the periodic physiologic variations of ladies and variation of weather conditions for gentlemen (they are hunters !). The way we have to design signaling systems of our public networks must consider the difference between young and old people but also difference between ladies and gentlemen.

By: Ian Fisher

Ian Fisher — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:59:36 +0000

Cities like London and Paris, given their more organic street networks, almost inevitably have to name stations after neighbourhoods and landmarks as, in many cases, there isn’t an obvious cross-street to derive a name from (though there are exceptions!) A number of systems have adopted hybrid names for some stations, combining both streets and landmarks, which can provide the best of both worlds. New York has many good exmaples: 42 St - Times Square, 47-50 Sts Rockefeller Ctr, W 4th St Washington Square, etc. In Vancouver, the Joyce (Street) SkyTrain station was renamed Joyce-Collingwood, after the neighbourhood that grew up around it. Several stations on the Canada Line now under construction will also have hybrid names, such as Broadway - City Hall. This is all good provided the names don’t get unwieldy, as illustrated by “U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo” on the Washington Metro.

By: Donald Shoff

Donald Shoff — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:01:00 +0000

I don’t think that the different concepts of naming stations makes a bit of difference in the long run. The “natives” quickly learn the names of the stations they are interested in, and quite frankly, the “stranger” or the occasional rider would be “lost” until he knows a little more of the City. Further, it has become common that a big map of the line is posted over the windows and/or doors. If one of the stops on a line is 55th St (say) and the next stop is Lakeside, what has the “stranger” learned unless he looks at a map or asks someone. Again, I think there’s no difference.

By: Dwight Mengel

Dwight Mengel — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:44:21 +0000

I agree with naming landmarks instead of street intersections for stop names. But, if you really want to communicate with everybody, you need simple systems.

I like TriMet’s (Portland, OR) system of using icons, colors and numbers to designate service areas and routes.

You are tested when you try to use transit in a country where you can not speak or read the language. In St. Petersburg, Russia, I found two essential aids to using buses and trams. First, small, double-sided square metal signs are hung on wires across the street that list bus and tram routes serving the street. After confirming the T10 (Tram #10) serves the street, you look around for a bus stop to wait at. The second aid, is that all buses and trams have a right-side sign that lists the major stops on the route. The route number and the sign of stops enables you to confirm you are using the right bus. The sign enables you to see, at a glance, if the bus or tram serves the closet major stop you are going to.

The side-mounted sign, showing a list of major stops, is superior to the scrolling LED side destination signs we use, because it shows all stops at once and enables non-Russian speakers (like me) to find their stop, even if all I’m looking for is Ma——ki.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:29:29 +0000

I am a female and can read maps - when I was young I went to DC - and we were lost - the NE & NW of streets were not common - it is from families driving that people learned about maps. I found the London & Paris subways (don’t speak french) easier to travel than NYC. The colors and names do make it much easier. Most locals will tell you the landmark when you ask.

By: Norman Mars

Norman Mars — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:08:48 +0000

I guess my concern with that concept would be, if I’m traveling in an unfamiliar city, and knew that my destination was near 8th street, or Main Street, or Lombard Ave., I’d know where to get off, but if the stations were China Town, or Tower Hill, and I was not familiar with those landmarks, I’d have a difficult time knwoing where to get off.