Canada Line Signage

I’ve noticed several instances in Vancouver recently of whiteboards and other makeshift signs erected (“plonked” might be a better term) at new facilities in an obvious effort to compensate for poor design. One example is the new extension to the CBC building on Georgia Street: a hand-written sign pointed people to the main entrance, which apparently the architect had neglected to make obvious.

The other day I came across this sign at one of the Canada Line stations.

It’s jarring to see such a band-aid on a brand new multi-billion dollar subway line. I’m guessing that no one bothered actually to test to see whether people entering the stations could tell which direction the trains are travelling, perhaps even after checking the overhead red LED signs. I wonder if anyone ever thinks of doing “usability” testing of built environments and wayfinding signage—or the lack thereof.

One thought on “Canada Line Signage

  1. This has bothered me for quite sometime. I find that the care and detail that has was used in the Millennium Line stations was lost on the Canada Line. Each one feels cheap and generic by comparison. This sign and the one at Yaletown Roundhouse have been in use for over a year now.

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