Questions about the Toronto Live Map

Yes. Connected to your Wi-Fi, the map reads the open subway data published by the Toronto Transit Commission and checks it every 20 seconds. A station lights as a train arrives and fades as it leaves. The data itself is refreshed about once a minute.

It shows each train at its station. The open data gives expected arrival times in whole minutes, rather than exact positions between stations, so the map lights the station a train is arriving at or standing in: think "at or near this station". Now and then a train drops out of the data for a while, and the map shows exactly what the data shows.

Lines 5 and 6 are engraved, with a light in every station. They glow in every colour mode, and join Live mode as soon as their live data is published.

The subway closes roughly from 1:30 a.m. to 6 a.m., and until 8 a.m. on Sundays. Then the map rests with a few faint, still station dots. A night schedule can also dim the map or switch it off.

The map breathes gently while it waits, and brings the trains back by itself when the data returns. The colour modes run on their own, so it is always a working piece of light art.

From the open subway data that the Toronto Transit Commission publishes, which the map reads directly. The Toronto Live Map is an independent product by Vivolit, a small Toronto company. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the TTC, the City of Toronto or Metrolinx.

Use the TTC's own website or a transit app. The Toronto Live Map is made to be art, and open data sometimes runs late or is incomplete.

The map is 20 × 16 inches (508 × 406 mm), plus a slim wood frame. It hangs on the wall like a picture.

Natural wood, engraved, set in a real wood frame. Designed in Toronto.

There are 108 lights, one in every station on Lines 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. Two Line 6 stops that sit very close together, Albion and Stevenson, share one light at this scale.

It has 10 light modes: Live, Glow, Line tour, Rainbow, Fireflies, Comets, Aurora, Ripples, Sunrise and Demo. Each has its own options, and the Live mode has three colour sets: Vivolit, Warm and Mono.

Yes. Every product photo is our working prototype, photographed on a phone. In the large photos the map is in a colour mode with every station lit; in Live mode only stations with a train light up. The videos on the home page are our prototype filmed in Demo mode, which lights sample trains on every line, and they are labelled that way. The frame and some finishing details may change before production.

A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network (most home routers have one), a phone with Bluetooth and the free Vivolit app for iPhone or Android, and a 5 V USB-C power adapter. The cable is in the box. Set-up takes a few minutes.

Only to change modes, brightness or settings, and to install software updates. The map runs on its own and reconnects by itself after a power cut.

It is subscription-free, with no account to create: the map reads the public data directly.

Private by design: the map has no camera and no microphone, and it only downloads public train data. This website is cookie-free and tracker-free. Details are on our privacy page.

Yes. Brightness goes from a soft glow to off, and a night schedule can dim the map or switch it off between two times you choose.

Yes, anywhere with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and an internet connection. Toronto keeps running on your wall from Vancouver or London.

A C$1 reservation that holds a VIP spot. On launch day you get a private link to the VIP reward on Kickstarter, before anyone else. The C$1 holds your spot; you buy the map itself by backing the campaign on Kickstarter, as usual. The full reservation terms are linked from the home page.

VIP C$199, our lowest price. C$249 on Kickstarter.

We plan to launch on Kickstarter in early 2027 and deliver later that year. VIP reservers hear first, and we will confirm the dates by email.

The first campaign ships to Canada and the USA. Other countries may follow. Anyone, anywhere, can join the digital supporter tier.

Yes, and many people plan to. Reserve a VIP spot with your own email so the surprise stays safe, then back the reward for them on launch day. Our gift guide has more ideas.

Yes. We will publish the warranty terms before the campaign launches.

Vivolit, a small studio in Toronto. We drew the map, built the prototype and wrote the app. Designed in Toronto.

Toronto comes first. If you want a live map of your city, tell us which one at info@vivolit.ca. We read every vote.

Email info@vivolit.ca. Email is our support channel. For your security, we will never ask for your Wi-Fi password.