Among the items on the TTC board’s agenda when it meets on Wednesday will be a proposal to change the name of Dundas Subway Station to “TMU Station.”
A report from the City’s Chief Strategy and Customer Experience Officer urged the TTC Board to approve the change and begin work as quickly as possible.
The report says Toronto Metropolitan Univsersity (TMU) has presented the TTC with an offer that would cover the cost of the renaming and “create an opportunity for ongoing collaboration with the university.”
“The area around Dundas Station has changed dramatically with the rapid growth of TMU, and the TTC station has become fully integrated with the TMU campus and student life,” the report notes.
“A change in the station name reflects the evolution of both the local neighbourhood and university, while aligning with the TTC practice of naming stations after public sector institutions and customer destinations, such as York University, Museum, Queen’s Park, and Osgoode.”
The report called the opportunity “time-senstive” and “unique” and said the TTC could “incorporate the new name at minimal incremental expense and without disruption to the customer experience, by aligning this station renaming with the roll-out of customer information changes for the new Line 6 Finch West.
“Should the Board approve the recommendations … work would begin immediately … Delaying this decision would result in incrementally higher costs in the future.”
Back in 2013 City Council requested that the TTC Board rename both Dundas and Dundas West stations. In its request to rename Dundas Station, the TTC was asked to collaborate with TMU, which led to the proposal to rename the station “TMU Station.”
TMU is also proposing the establishment of a dedicated innovation hub called the “Transit Innovation Yard” which would focus on new innovations and emerging technologies.
The report says the hub would delve into track-level security solutions, wayfinding and customer dashboards and data driven transit optimization.
Toronto City Council approved renaming Yonge-Dundas Square to “Sankofa Square,” as well as both Dundas subway stations in December 2014 in response to allegations that Henry Dundas was involved in delaying the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade.
There was an initial call to rename Dundas Street, but the proposal was dropped due to the multi-million-dollar cost.
