UofT Engineering students have a go at improving the TTC

[Ed Drass]

On April 15th, students from ESC102 "Engineering Science Praxis II" at the University of Toronto faculty of Engineering and Applied Science will be showcasing their designs for improving the usability, accessibility, and sustainability of the TTC.

The class spent the first half of the course identifying and researching appropriate challenges and writing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) solvable by their peers.

The top six of these RFPs were selected as the design challenges to be solved during the second half of the course. This year, the class-identified challenges were: subway congestion; platform safety; emergency notification; energy saving; bus interior usability; and, way-finding signage.

The ESC102 students will be presenting their final conceptual designs and prototype(s) from 0900-1900 in the Bahen Centre Lobby.

Additional details on the Showcase can be found at:

http://engsci.utoronto.ca/esc102showcase/Home.html

We have already been able to secure the attendance of representatives from the TTC, the media, selected City agencies, and elected representatives from various levels of government.

The Division of Engineering Science, on behalf of our students, looks forward to seeing you at our Showcase!

[63 Ossington]

Cool

[2044]

Here are photos by joeclark:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeclark/sets...57616950959306/

I have to say, overall I found some displays disapointing.

Queen's Park

Extremely disapointing. Looks like an Easter greeting card and worst of all does away with TTC's famous font.

Queen's Park Corridor

Exactly where is this supposed to be at Queen's Park?

Queens Park Proposed Amenities

Apparently a bar is an amenity.

Orion VII Interior

The arrangement pretty much resembles what we have now save for the perch seats and joined rear and perimeter seats.

Orion VII Seating

Can we be professional and call it what it really is? A perch seat.

[Gil]

Here are photos by joeclark:

Queen's Park Corridor

Exactly where is this supposed to be at Queen's Park?

I think that may be the corridor from Queens Park station to Queens Park itself. It's only open during the Legislature's business hours. I've never actually had the chance to use the corridor, so I'm just guessing here. It's the corridor heading northeast from the fare concourse level.

[Maikeru]

Here are photos by joeclark:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeclark/sets...57616950959306/

I have to say, overall I found some displays disapointing.

Queen's Park

Extremely disapointing. Looks like an Easter greeting card and worst of all does away with TTC's famous font.

Queen's Park Corridor

Exactly where is this supposed to be at Queen's Park?

Queens Park Proposed Amenities

Apparently a bar is an amenity.

Orion VII Interior

The arrangement pretty much resembles what we have now save for the perch seats and joined rear and perimeter seats.

Orion VII Seating

Can we be professional and call it what it really is? A perch seat.

Okay okay, take it easy on those kids

I've taken a course similar to theirs in my first year at UofT, and trust me, it's their first experience doing something in an engineering-type capacity.

For them, it's more of an exercise in learning the general engineering process, and they have 5-7 other classes to worry about. The Engineering Science students are meant to be a group of the highest academic achievers from high school but that doesn't mean that they're perfect. They have a lot to learn and even with first year coming to an end, they still have three more years to endure.

So everyone, please keep this in mind.

[Articulated]

CTV had a report on the project, although it seemed like they mainly focused on the presentations focusing on safety (and ignored all the other ones). One that caught my eye was the platform barrier, parallel to the tracks, in a perfect world the doors would be on either side. Seems like a fairly good way to protect yourself from being pushed onto the tracks (although the best one is still staying well back from the edge!)

[drum118]

The count down sign for when the doors will close will be more of a mess than what takes place now. PA speaker outside the doors is good idea.

Someone needs to tell these students that $14 per hour for labour cost to very low. Got to add in all the overhead cost as well your profit margin.

Giving students $250,000 to do these projects is very low. Give them a Million and lets see what they can do with it.

One of the bus design with the seats sitting in the center facing the side left very little room for people to walk by. Having a grab along the side would help, but cut the space down. Seating range from 32 to 39.

I like the Queen Park paint job as it better than than what plan for some of the station now. The lighting was even better than St Andrew test bed. As for the table, will work if you have a cafe on the platform and time to kill. Got to remember the break dust that each train leaves behind.

This was the first one I have been to.

[R. McConnell]

I'm not impressed with the redesign of the signage system. Everyone uses Helvetica -- use something else! And passing off Arial as Helvetica is one of the worst font crimes I can imagine.

The redesign of Queen's Park subway station looks like a discount hotel room.

[pccstreetcar4549]

i wouldnt make fun of these kids, its the actuall TTC id make fun of there are people in TTC that design things for a living that are no better than first year engineering U of T students! thats sad

[Bus_Medic]

that's one person's opinion......

[hl7534]

Here are photos by joeclark:

Queen's Park

Extremely disapointing. Looks like an Easter greeting card and worst of all does away with TTC's famous font.

Queen's Park Corridor

Exactly where is this supposed to be at Queen's Park?

It actually kinda reminds me of video game graphics from the N64 era. The texture kind of looks like something from out of a Super Mario or Donkey Kong 3D game.