Toronto's new PATH map prototype has been released (VIDEO)

A new PATH map has been released by the Toronto Financial District BIA.

The map has been in the works for the past two years, as the City of Toronto collaborated with the BIA to develop a better wayfinding system.

According to the Toronto Financial District, the PATH is a collection of 75 properties in Toronto’s downtown core that are connected by above and below-ground connections with over 200,000 people who use it each workday.

“If the public knows anything about the PATH, they know that it’s difficult to get around for new users,” says Grant Humes, Executive Director of the Toronto Financial District BIA, in a release. “Improvements we’ve made with the new map will help build confidence for those new users. Buildings and PATH connections are represented more accurately and it should help users avoid getting lost. The signage is now tied to final destinations, as in ‘this way to the waterfront,’ as opposed to building-to-building connections.”

Check out the new #PATH map prototype in Royal Bank Plaza! 🚶‍♀️🚶🚶‍♀️🚶 pic.twitter.com/3qcDvKt5HP

— TOFinancialDistrict (@MyTOFD) August 25, 2017

There are 1,100 shops and restaurants as part of the network, and every 1% growth in regular PATH users adds $17 million in annual sales revenue, according to a 2016 report from N. Barry Lyons Consulting.

A prototype map is now up at Royal Bank Plaza to help evaluate final details before a major rollout of the new PATH maps next year.

“Our ultimate goal is to make the PATH easier to use,” says Humes. “The PATH is now so large that it’s a benefit for more than just downtown workers. We want downtown residents and visitors to feel comfortable entering the system and getting around.”

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