Item - 2012.PW17.12

City Council on October 2, 3 and 4, 2012, adopted the following:

1.         City Council adopt the vision and principles outlined in the final report, titled "Toronto 360° Wayfinding Strategy", attached as Appendix A to the report (August 23, 2012) from the Acting General Manager, Transportation Services.

2.         City Council direct the Acting General Manager, Transportation Services, to proceed to Phase Two (the pilot phase) of the Wayfinding System Strategy by undertaking the following actions:

a.         consult with stakeholders and project partners on design features for Phase Two;

b.         develop detailed graphic and product design and sign prototyping;

c.         update and consolidate the various highway signage policies into one document;

d.         develop a companion digital strategy as a key system element;

e.         implement the Wayfinding System Strategy in the two identified pilot areas (Morningside/Military Trail and East Downtown);

f.          conduct comprehensive pre- and post-implementation evaluation of the pilots;

g.         use the evaluation findings to develop a full business case and detailed report on Phase Three (city-wide roll-out); and

h.         update the map design on existing InfoPillars in keeping with the Wayfinding Strategy.

3.         City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B, to work with any government, corporation, agency or otherwise, within the City of Toronto to ensure compliance with, and support for, the City's Wayfinding Strategy and the Phase Two implementation.

4.         City Council direct the Acting General Manager, Transportation Services, to report back on funding for Phase Two of the Wayfinding System Strategy including direct and in-kind contributions from funders and partners prior to any funding/partnering strategies being adopted.

5.         City Council direct the Acting General Manager, Transportation Services, to consult with the Disability Issues Committee on accessibility.

6.         City Council direct the Acting General Manager, Transportation Services, to develop an addendum to the report "Toronto 360° Wayfinding Strategy", as part of Phase 2, that identifies and outlines potential wayfinding for cyclists. 

7.          City Council request the Acting General Manager, Transportation Services to report on a stand alone website to engage users of the Wayfinding System.  The website should include, but not be limited in scope to, the following components:

a.         Provide an easy way for visitors to your website to generate customized direction sets to or from your facility. Whether you offer an offsite link to a mapping website like Google or Yahoo, or you invest the resources to create a customized tool on your own site, it is very helpful to visitors to be able to print accurate driving directions from their home to your campus.

b.         Review the main mapping sites and confirm that they are providing accurate directions to your location. Google, Mapquest and Yahoo rely on third-party providers of street information and sometimes they can contain errors, such as incorrect street names or traffic flows. Each site offers ways to alert their providers about mistakes. Test getting directions to your address from different parts of town.

c.         Explain parking options on your website. If you have multiple parking options, like lots or garages and valet parking, list them all on your site, along with hours of operations and fees. Help your visitors determine the most convenient parking option for their destination.

d.         Convey information about public transit options and private offerings such as intra-campus shuttles. Link to public transportation trip-planning sites, if available in your area.

e.         The website is optimized for mobile browsing. With browser recognition, the website can be optimized to deliver a mobile-friendly version for cell phone users. As noted in a previous post, everyone now carries their own personal wayfinding device the cell phone. Confirm that your visitors can find relevant information on their phones as they approach your facility or at your facility.

f.          List all your street addresses on a single line, such as 500 Bloor, Toronto M5H 2N2″ so that they can be easily pasted into a mapping application.

g.         Alert your visitors about street closures and construction that may impede their journey to your facility. Alerts should be prominently placed on your website and updated regularly.

h.         For complex facilities and campuses, provide walking directions from parking to the visitors destination. Often the most frustrating part of a journey to a new facility is finding your way from parking into the right building and up the right elevator.

i.          Offer information on popular amenities in the wayfinding section of your website. Where can a visitor find food, a taxi stand or an ATM?

j.          Maintain and update your wayfinding information on a regular schedule. Outdated information is worse than useless as it will negatively impact your visitors' experience.