SUBWAY^TM Map Not a Joke After All?

By Hamutal Dotan

Click on the map to view a full-size version.

Back in March, the TTC indicated that it would entertain proposals to sell naming rights to subway stations and subway lines. It was a small clause buried in a long document outlining the requirements for those seeking to bid on the TTC’s advertising contract, and we decided to have a bit of fun with it. On April 1, we published a map of what the TTC might look like with the stations renamed after potential corporate sponsors.
We had a great time putting the map (and corresponding platform mock-ups) together, and you, dear readers, seemed to enjoy discovering what your new transit system might look like.
Regrettably, it might turn out to be less of a joke than we intended. This week the City of Toronto also released a proposal that will be examined by the Executive Committee later this month; it calls for a new policy on naming rights for public spaces in Toronto, and would make it easier for a company to, say, purchase the naming rights for a playground. The Toronto Star asked mayoral brother and advisor Doug Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North) about this new approach to naming. Would he, for instance, be comfortable taking a subway to Spadina-McDonalds station?
His reply: “Whatever. If it brings in revenue, I honestly don’t believe anyone cares.”