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Have any of the haters ridden Line 5 yet?
Line 5 is "too cooked" for them to even try it out...
Not a hater per se, more so just indifferent, and yes I have. No immediate plans to try line 6 tho, partly because I have no reason to since it doesn't go all the way to Yonge. Literally the entire stretch it serves is very Jane&Finch-y.
The wayfinding here is absolutely atrocious, and needs an immediate overhaul. It invites confusion, and at the very least disturbs pedestrian glow if one has no idea which entranve they need to go to connect to a bus, or go to a destination
I got a bit lost at Don Valley station too, trying to exit onto the street to catch a 925 and going up the wrong stairs to the bus terminal, only to have to go all the way back.
 
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February 11, 2026:

Part 3: Avenue Station Secondary Entrance:

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11th, can you point me to the station map for Don Valley? I'd be interested to see if they show the features I was griping about above.
Unfortunately I didn't take one when I was there. Maybe someone else had done so.
 
I was out of country for the launch, so getting groceries at C&C was my first use case 😂. Though I opted to go backwards first (to start at Kennedy), and had a slightly longer walk outside from the nearest stop to my destination, it was way smoother & about the same amount of time to get there as the old line 2 to Pape with a transfer to bus 25 route. On a bad weather day with heavy groceries, I'd maybe still take the old route home since the bus stop is closer, but will definitely be taking the new route on the way there each time when I'm unencumbered. Big improvement compared to buses!

For my second trip, I decided to incorporate it into a trip to Mel Lastman Square for some skating. Kennedy (line 5) -> Eglinton (line 1)-> North York. Again, it was almost the same timewise despite having to first go backwards AND despite the slower surface portion, but it felt shorter somehow. I liked that I had a quieter "backdoor" option to get to that part of town instead of having to transfer through the perpetually crowded Bloor-Yonge station.

Way-finding was less than stellar. Never got too turned around, but definitely had to cross-check a few times & noticed confusion from other riders, too. The stations feel spacious, but very sterile. I definitely feel they could add more retail. I hope they'll allow temporary seasonal stands, if not for anything else just for some colour!

I was surprised that the washrooms at Cedarvale had only two stalls. For a system that has so few washrooms overall, I'd have hoped they'd be a bit more generous in the few places they actually put some.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the new line. 8/10
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Apologies it's not the best quality
Might be a lateral move as the photo above looked fine to me but sharing one below.

Fun fact: every single Metrolinx map created for lines 5 and 6, including the ones in the digital kiosks, were developed by one person and executed by them along with one other. All the isometric drawings showing the levels within each station were drawn manually (the neighbourhood maps used shape files from open data sources as a base and which was then refined with labels and other elements added on top, the station interiors were all created from scratch). Unlike the rest of the wayfinding scope for line 5, Metrolinx had control over all the maps, except for the line diagrams on the sign band above the platform edge, and everything was done in house.

Each neighbourhood map even has a little isometric drawing of the station exterior near the you are here label.

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Unfortunately I didn't take one when I was there. Maybe someone else had done so.
Don't know why the TTC (or Metrolinx) doesn't have a "station map" on their website showing the bus bays (and corresponding bus routes), entrances, and the surrounding neighbourhood. The TTC website needs to be updated big time.
 
How was Line 5 during regular weekday usage this week? (I didn't see it in the discussion). Anyone use it to get to work 3/5 days this week?
 
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How was Line 5 during regular weekday usage this week? (I didn't see it in the discussion). Anyone use it to get to work 3/5 days this week?
I had no issue aside from Monday evening. When frequency is as expected, it’s fine. When there is bunching, it’s bad and crowded. Just my experience. These LRVs don’t handle large passenger loads as well as light metros which can be a real annoyance at times, but that was expected.
 
How was Line 5 during regular weekday usage this week? (I didn't see it in the discussion). Anyone use it to get to work 3/5 days this week?
I do. I find it fine, but, again, I only travel from Mt. Pleasant to Yonge, so...my opinion on the line is rather limited. A little crowded on weekends.
I'm mostly notong design issues in my posts here/places to improve, as I've only ridden this in the stretch from Yonge to Bayview.
 
The Line 5 stations seem to be mercifully free of the TTC's incessant safety announcements. A nice break from "if you see something say something" every 30 seconds.

On the downside, the trains themselves have too many announcements. Do we really need to be told to hold on while the train is moving at every single station?

I definitely feel they could add more retail. I hope they'll allow temporary seasonal stands, if not for anything else just for some colour!
Architecture in the 2020s: colour is forbidden.
 
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