blazer Posted September 29, 2012 Share #1 Posted September 29, 2012 why use abbreviations when there is space available? for example why just "59 St" when there is space for "59th Street" ? This would benefit newbies and tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighton Express Posted September 29, 2012 Share #2 Posted September 29, 2012 That is just the way it has been done. I think it looks more formal as well. And if you see my posts, you notice I do it as well. For instance 2nd Avenue is 2 Av. It just looks more formal to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamen Rider Posted September 29, 2012 Share #3 Posted September 29, 2012 why use abbreviations when there is space available? for example why just "59 St" when there is space for "59th Street" ? This would benefit newbies and tourists. How is it a benefit if the abberivation 'st' for street is nearly universal. It's also the way the name is shown on the subway maps AND on the street signs on the surface. Street signs don't say 'W 59th Street" they say "W 59 st". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1447 Posted September 29, 2012 Share #4 Posted September 29, 2012 How is it a benefit if the abberivation 'st' for street is nearly universal. It's also the way the name is shown on the subway maps AND on the street signs on the surface. Street signs don't say 'W 59th Street" they say "W 59 st". There are some street signs that do say "Street" or even "Avenue" fully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacemak3r Posted September 29, 2012 Share #5 Posted September 29, 2012 Everyone in the world should know St and Ave means Street and Avenue, my grandmother doesn't even speak English and she knows St is Street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazer Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share #6 Posted September 30, 2012 How is it a benefit if the abberivation 'st' for street is nearly universal. It's also the way the name is shown on the subway maps AND on the street signs on the surface. Street signs don't say 'W 59th Street" they say "W 59 st". how about say Lexington Ave-63 St on the F train. It's Lexington Ave on station signs, NTT strip map, printed map but yet it displays "Lex Av-63 St" on the interior display. Lex is not nearly universal and you can't expect everyone especially out of towners to know Lex means Lexington. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCRailfan523 Posted September 30, 2012 Share #7 Posted September 30, 2012 St. and Ave. is used universally. MTA can't just make new mosaics on the subway, it would be too expensive to do so as of now. how about say Lexington Ave-63 St on the F train. It's Lexington Ave on station signs, NTT strip map, printed map but yet it displays "Lex Av-63 St" on the interior display. Lex is not nearly universal and you can't expect everyone especially out of towners to know Lex means Lexington. They know what is Lex because they see it on subway entrance signs. For ex: Lexington Avenue - 63rd St. Of course, they will know what is the abbreviation of the name because they have already saw it on the entrance sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamen Rider Posted September 30, 2012 Share #8 Posted September 30, 2012 can't expect everyone especially out of towners to know Lex means Lexington. Like it or not, they're not the MTA's target audience. If you wanted to make everything so simple they would be able to comprehend, then we'd need to rewite the signage rule book cover to cover. If you know you're going to Lexington and if you can't figure "Lexington" from "Lex", then you've got a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjbr40 Posted October 1, 2012 Share #9 Posted October 1, 2012 What other word can you think of from these three letters "Lex"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazer Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share #10 Posted October 1, 2012 Like it or not, they're not the MTA's target audience. If you wanted to make everything so simple they would be able to comprehend, then we'd need to rewite the signage rule book cover to cover. If you know you're going to Lexington and if you can't figure "Lexington" from "Lex", then you've got a problem. I'm a life long New Yorker and agree if you can't figure out Lex from Lexington, or St from Street yeah you got a problem. But like it or not tourists (and most of them stupid) DO NOT KNOW! I'm not saying rewrite the rule book but my suggestion that on an electronic sign in the NTT if there is room why not spell out the whole street name? Is the person that programs it just lazy and abbreviates everything possible ? Abbreviations are effective for maps and signs w/limited space Everyone in the world should know St and Ave means Street and Avenue, my grandmother doesn't even speak English and she knows St is Street. Sorry not everyone is as smart as your grandmother St. and Ave. is used universally. MTA can't just make new mosaics on the subway, it would be too expensive to do so as of now. They know what is Lex because they see it on subway entrance signs. For ex: Lexington Avenue - 63rd St. Of course, they will know what is the abbreviation of the name because they have already saw it on the entrance sign. who said anything about new mosiacs? did you even read the subject line or contents of previous messages? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamen Rider Posted October 1, 2012 Share #11 Posted October 1, 2012 Other than this.... I can't think of any... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowblock Posted October 1, 2012 Share #12 Posted October 1, 2012 It's because for some dumbduck reason, a couple years ago they decided to remove the "TO" from the beginning of each destination line, so each destination now has 3 blank characters. Depending on the specific program you load on the 5, you'll either get E'CHESTER-DYRE or EASTCHSTR-DYRE as the destination, even though the last stop still gets displayed as EASTCHESTER-DYRE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azspeedbullet Posted October 1, 2012 Share #13 Posted October 1, 2012 to make the subway system more geared for tourists, the exit signs should be replaced with "Way Out" exit signs like the london underground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted October 1, 2012 Share #14 Posted October 1, 2012 to make the subway system more geared for tourists, the exit signs should be replaced with "Way Out" exit signs like the london underground whats wrong with the current Exit signs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brighton Express Posted October 1, 2012 Share #15 Posted October 1, 2012 how about say Lexington Ave-63 St on the F train. It's Lexington Ave on station signs, NTT strip map, printed map but yet it displays "Lex Av-63 St" on the interior display. Lex is not nearly universal and you can't expect everyone especially out of towners to know Lex means Lexington. Considering the fact that they make a clear announcement before the station, arriving at the station, and in the station? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quill Depot Posted October 1, 2012 Share #16 Posted October 1, 2012 Easier than the full street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamen Rider Posted October 2, 2012 Share #17 Posted October 2, 2012 to make the subway system more geared for tourists, the exit signs should be replaced with "Way Out" exit signs like the london underground I think that's enough of a reason to NOT change them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttcsubwayfan Posted October 2, 2012 Share #18 Posted October 2, 2012 Everyone in the world should know St and Ave means Street and Avenue, my grandmother doesn't even speak English and she knows St is Street. +5 If you speak English and don't know that St. is street, then there is no hope for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M31clinton Posted October 2, 2012 Share #19 Posted October 2, 2012 Considering the fact that they make a clear announcement before the station, arriving at the station, and in the station? There are hearing impaired folks that benefit from visuals kind of like lights on an emergency response vehicle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TriboroughBridge Posted October 3, 2012 Share #20 Posted October 3, 2012 if you look at the , by astor place, the sign says, "Astor Pl", but by the , it says, "Park Place" weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazer Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share #21 Posted October 17, 2012 more annoying abbreviations: "34 St - Penn Sta" rather than "34 St-Penn Station" on the E and "42 St" instead of "42 St-PABT" even though the strip map has it as "42 St-PABT". I know my stations by these 2 stations are heavily traveled by tourists, many of them completely clueless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenSin Posted October 18, 2012 Share #22 Posted October 18, 2012 So abbreviation isn't a problem, but what this thread does expose is the MTA's inconsistency. There should be hard rules for abbreviating (an official long form and an official short form) so that the same abbreviations are standardized across maps, signage, reports, and other communications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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