MTL Exits
The Right Station Is Only Half the Trip
Washington’s new Metro signs have sparked a wayfinding debate. For Montréal riders, it is a reminder to choose the street exit before choosing where to board.
You can take the right train, arrive at the right station, and still come out on the wrong side of your destination. The last decision underground deserves a little more attention.
On September 26, The Washington Post reported rider criticism of Washington Metro’s new signage. The Montréal connection is a familiar question: once the train gets you there, how do you find the exit you actually need?
A station name does not finish the journey
WMATA’s own project description explains that the rollout began at L’Enfant Plaza in September. Its redesigned signs treat entering, transferring, finding a platform, and choosing an exit as connected parts of a trip. More prominent exit letters link the station’s directions to destinations outside.
That is a useful design principle for any city. A station is a place with several decisions inside it. For a visitor, a street name or landmark can be more useful than an exit that merely looks closest. For a regular rider, knowing the destination exit can influence where to board before the journey begins.
Choose the street, then the door
MTL Exits brings that decision forward for Montréal métro trips. Choose your departure and arrival stations, then select a supported street-level exit where options are available. The app uses the route, direction, and chosen exit to show recommended train cars and doors, including guidance for transfers.
Core route and exit guidance uses bundled data and works offline after installation. Where platform guidance is available, it can also estimate the walk to the recommended boarding position. That estimate is not live position tracking, and bundled guidance does not confirm today’s entrance closures or elevator status.
Coming soon: We’re adding support for the REM network in the next MTL Exits release, extending trip planning beyond the métro. For riders whose journeys cross between the two networks, that means more of the trip can come together in one place.
One small habit for a clearer arrival
Before your next métro trip, check which side of the station puts you nearer your destination. Use MTL Exits to plan your boarding position where guidance is available, then follow current station signs and service notices. If a doorway is crowded, leave space for people getting off and board where you can do so comfortably.
The lesson we take from Washington’s wayfinding debate is simple: getting riders to the right station is only part of helping them arrive. The street beyond the exit belongs in the plan too.
Sources and images: The news angle is September 26, 2026 coverage, within the September 22–October 6 research window; WMATA’s project page supplies the rollout details. Washington’s changes are not an STM announcement. The cover reuses a conceptual brand illustration from the MTL Exits project, not a literal station diagram; the inline image is an existing app screenshot.