FINSBURY PARK STATION SIGNAGE PETITION

The Park Theatre · September 2012

<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 20px; color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; ">At the moment visitors any of the residences and businesses close to the Wells Terrace exit stand a 33% chance of getting utterly lost when they exit the underground platform. Those stats aren't good!<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 20px; color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; ">The reason is that there are three exits from the platforms; two state 'Way Out / Piccadilly & Victoria Lines' from which you can then follow signs to Wells Terrace, one states "Way Out / Rail" which spits you out at the front entrance having given no option for Wells Terrace.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 20px; color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; ">TFL have stated to us that the signage at Finsbury Park station meets their stringent requirements and that the Wells Terrace exit is "unmissable". Obviously their guidelines need readdressing. Please help us put pressure on TFL to change the signage - it's not rocket science. All they need to do is specificy that there is no exit to Wells Terrace from the 'Way Out / Rail' exit.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 20px; color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; ">To view the petition simply go here: <a href="http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/transport-for-london-to-amend-the-way-out-signs-in-finsbury-park-station">http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/transport-for-london-to-amend-the-way-out-signs-in-finsbury-park-station</a><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 20px; color: rgb(95, 95, 95); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; ">and invite all your friends to do the same. Thanks!

Roy · September 2012

I completely agree. When I have friends visiting who don't know the area, if I want to give them directions to my flat I always feel the need to give them detailed instructions as to how to exit the station, lest they accidentally end up on Station Place. Signed.

The Park Theatre · September 2012

Thanks! It's just so crazy!

harpistic · September 2012

I've had friends who have sworn blind that there are no signs to Wells Terrace - and who can easily spend half an hour wandering around the wrong side of Finsbury Park just because they took the station exit by accident. Mind you, Seven Sisters is much the same, the same happened to me when I first went to see a show at Bernie Grant - it was only later I was told to take the exit by the front of the train. Surely TfL can do better than this!

gem · September 2012

I give my visitors instructions to take Wells Terrace exit and take any bus for a couple of stops.<div>One friend took a wrong exit and took any bus for a couple of stops... and ended up in Blackstock Road.</div><div>Another friend also took a wrong exit, it didn't look familiar, took a cab and the cab took her to Clapton for some reason... must have been a similar street name.</div><div>Signed the petition.</div>

Sutent · September 2012

Petition signed!!

Ali · September 2012

I have "lost" lots of friends giong the wrong way. Signed it

Idoru · September 2012

Golly! That sounds dramatic - like they wandered off and never came back. Eaten by morlocks perhaps? (Also signed.)

Marquis · September 2012

Do you know which way they disappeared? Holloway? (About to sign)

Ali · September 2012

I have had people end up lost around Blackstock Rd, Stokie was the worst example. My instuctions to people arriving on the North Bound trains is to leave the platform using the midle exit, go to the top of the stairs turn right and the righ again, you can't go wrong but if you go up the stairs at the back of the train you end up in SS rd

boxrunner · September 2012

Signed.

Doug · September 2012

I'm not quite understanding this. It doesn't matter whether you exit the platform from the middle or the rear Way Out, you still end up at the same place. If you turn towards the Station Place exit there is no sign indicating Wells Terrace, not unreasonably, as you cannot exit towards Wells Terrace. If however, you turn in the opposite direction, there are signs to Wells Terrace which seem to me to be perfectly clear. I don't really see the point of signing a petition that seems destined to failure, since it is protesting an issue that isn't there. Maybe if you make it clearer (as you are asking TFL to do) what exactly the issue is, then we can all get behind you. Good luck wih the theatre, what's on? Doug

harpistic · September 2012

Other stations manage to indicate at platform-level which exits lead to which station exits. And they also manage to have far more visible signage in the corridors. We're not asking for anything too complex or taxing here...

Roy · September 2012

It doesn't matter whether you exit the platform from the middle or the rear Way Out, you still end up at the same place. @Doug - there are three exits from the platform signed Way Out, not two. If you take the wrong (Northern-most) one, you end up taking the spiral staircase up to the National Rail part of the station, and from there, the only exit is on to Station Place. (That exit also involves climbing a spiral staircase that takes you above ground level, only to have to take another staircase down again - not ideal for anyone who is mobility impaired who inadvertently uses it.)

Doug · September 2012

We're not asking for anything too complex or taxing here... At platform level it says Way Out. Once you climb the stairs (and here, I think, there is an issue) you are faced with - I would say; perfectly adequate - signage to Wells Terrace

Doug · September 2012

Yes, the third exit I know goes only to National Rail, and is clearly signposted. I would be surprised if anyone who is mobility impaired and who inadvertently uses it - as you suggest is a possibility - should be so adventurous as to embark on such a tortuous route, however the possibility remains. My point was; that the signage really isn't all that bad, and that any campaign that we back should really have more substance behind it. It really isn't all that difficult to reach Wells Terrace from the tube platforms, presupposing average mobility and reading ability. pip pip

miss annie · September 2012

I agree with Doug. I've never any problem directing visitors. If you go to Green Park or Vauxhall, both of which have several exits leading all over the place, you don't encounter any directional signage until you're through the ticket barriers. It's not necessary to have step by step signage all over the place.

NorthNineteen · September 2012

I'm not sure how much difference a petition will make. Your best recourse is to lobby councillors and in turn the Public Transport Liaison officer at Islington. They will regularly meet with TfL (in fact a quarterly meeting should be public). I think the solution would be to remove the Way Out sign for the route up to National Rail.

gardener-joe · September 2012

Lived here more than 20 years. Never had a problem with navigatimg the tube station, nor have any of my visitors as far as I know.

Roy · September 2012

@Doug - you say the third exit only goes to National Rail and it is clearly signposted. I suggest you look again - that third exit is signposted "Way Out" just like the other two. If you're suggesting the fact that it is also signposted to National Rail means we should disregard the "Way Out" sign on it - then, well, that's not how I (or it appears most people) seem to interpret it. roy

The Park Theatre · September 2012

@Doug @Miss Annie @Gardener-Joe - the signage is terrible, if you leave via 'Way Out / Rail' there are NO signs to Wells Terrace - yes, you say, because you can't get to Wells Terrace from there. Well that's our point - it needs to say 'No Exit to Wells Terrace' under that Way Out sign (or remove the Way Out from the sign as someone else suggested). It becomes very tedious to have to explain to people: "when you leave the tube platform make sure you follow signs to 'Way Out / Piccadilly & Victoria Lines' and NOT 'Way Out / Rail' (otherwise you end up at the wrong side of the station) then follow the signs to Wells Terrace." We do explain it - but it's rather convoluted and not everyone remembers. Anyway good news is that MP Jeremy Corbyn has just got behind it and will be speaking to TFL shortly. Keep signing please though - need more numbers!

Roy · September 2012

Right. I think most people here know the station well enough that they don't think about what it's like for some unfamilliar with the station. Take a closer look at the signage next time you're there. What the Park Theater, and all of us who live on the SGR side of the station, want to be able to do, is say to visitors "leave the station by the Wells Terrace exit". If you don't know the station, then when you arrive on the platform you just see three signs saying "Way Out'. Granted,, they say other things as well, but all three say Way OUt, and none say Wells Terrace. So you're going to pick the nearest Way Out. Except, if you pick the Northernmost (National Rail) Way OUt, there is no signage or direct route to Wells Terrace. It doesn't help that descritpions like "I'll meet you at the exit by the bus station" are unworkable because there are bus stations on both sides of the station. And if youre' meeting someone at the station, you surely need to be able to direct them to one of the three exits that you'll be waiting at. I fail to see any plausible way in which someone could regard this as not being a problem, but do please expain. roy

miss annie · September 2012

I did pay particular attention to the signage today, in fact I went out of my way to look at every one. Unless you exit by the National Rail exit you come up the stairs and immediately see the signage that reads 'Way Out - Wells Terrace' or Way Out - Station Place' above the stairway opposite - I'm short and I can see it. There is then more signage at the t-junction with the little ticket box reading 'Seven Sisters Rd' or 'Wells Terrace'.As long as you tell people not to take the National Rail exit and your visitors know they are looking for Wells Terrace, I can't see how they could get lost.

Roy · September 2012

@miss annie - right, so we're in agreement- you can't just say to someone "meet me at the Wells Terrace exit". You have to say "When leaving the platform, make sure you don't take the exit signposted to National Rail. Take one of the other exits and then follow the signs to Wells Terrace". Which is a nuisance. Particularly for people from outside London who are probably focussing their mind on how to get to London and then how to get to Finsbury Park, rather than on remembering which exits from the platform they should or should not take. Yes, it's obvious to you and me that you shouldn't take the National Rail exit from the platform if you want to get to the Wells Terrace exit of the station - but only because we know the layout of the station. To anyone else, it's not obvious without additional instructions. roy

miss annie · September 2012

You see, to me that doesn't seem particularly arduous. I travel all over London and the 'burbs as part of my new role and some stations (Vauxhall especially) are really quite confusing for a first time visitor. I just don't think that Finsbury Park is.

ProGreen · September 2012

Having moved to SG a year ago & fallen victim to the spiral stairway to no way (out) I do think it's a valid issue, although I agree with miss annie et al that its not that difficult to find Wells Terrace whatever exit you come out from. However, whilst I appreciate the intention of a petition & the benefits of improved signage, I would say a wider issue is marketing of the theatre as a whole. I work in the City & not one colleague is aware of the development or even friends who live in highbury/angel or even FP on the blackstock side. @The Park Theatre perhaps it's bypassed me but have you produced any marketing material or are you waiting for TFL to resolve this issue before you do so? Im aware of your website, in case thats the main marketing tool at the mo. Doug has asked a couple of times for information, which hasnt been forthcoming. Previously you've had open days - anything planned for the near future?

kreuzkav · September 2012

On the scale of problems 0 to 10, 10 being the highest, this has to be 1. You guys must have very easy lives to complain about this. I have friends visiting from another country next month who have never been here before. I will suggest to them to look for the Wells Terrace exit. If they don't find it I will suggest they ask someone where Stroud Green road is. They also have mobile phones. <div> </div><div>I understand this can be a problem. I remember visiting a friend in New York who gave me directions. First time there. I ignored the directions and followed a map to a subway stop with the same street name. I was a mile from her at the wrong end of the street. Found my way after some time. It did introduce me to New York and we joked about this as we walked to the subway stop the next morning. It broke me into New York!</div>

tosscat · September 2012

I think there should be a sign at the top of each of the platform staircases saying 'JUST GO DOWN EITHER STAIRCASE AND STOP BLOCKING THE TUNNEL, THE TRAINS GO THE SAME BLOODY DIRECTION' but I don't think it's going to happen.

harpistic · September 2012

Park Theatre is a great addition to the area, so on their behalf and on the behalf of all their future customers, please sign the petition.

ProGreen · September 2012

1)the petition/issue is not a complaint, its exercising the democratic right to make a change 2) The park theatre is a business which is validly trying to improve its chances of attracting visitors, although my point stands about the signage v good marketing 3) signed.

Siolae · September 2012

I know I am going to sound like an idiot but when they changed the sign from just National Rail to Way Out, despite having lived in SG for 20 years I went the wrong way. I do think it is confusing and wouldn't be too hard to fix so I have signed

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FINSBURY PARK STATION SIGNAGE PETITION

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