If you've ever gotten lost trying to navigate Toronto's notoriously confusing PATH system spanning over 30km of pedestrian tunnels and passages, a new 3D map could be your wayfinding saviour to escape the city's sprawling retail catacombs.

Just to underscore how confusing the PATH system is, its main navigation aid is actually unknown to many who use the system daily. Locals would be forgiven for not being aware that each of the PATH system's letters each represent cardinal directions on a map, with P meaning south, A for west, T for north, and H for east.

How confusing is that?

Even modern navigation aids in apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps often struggle to guide pedestrians through the convoluted multi-level maze of corridors and shops that form this vast underground city.

However, a 3D map created by Ontario-based Mappedin is offering a new way to navigate Toronto's intimidatingly large buried network.

"The PATH has long been known for its complexity and lack of detailed maps. We are in the age of using AI-powered mapping tools and technology to provide visitors and commuters with an accurate and user-friendly experience," reads a statement from the company.

"We encourage everyone to safely navigate the PATH and to discover businesses and retailers more easily."

Michael Law, director of marketing at Mappedin, tells blogTO that the map was created in-house using the company's own indoor mapping platform and technology. Law explains that while the company is based in Waterloo within Ontario's tech triangle, some of the team is located in Toronto.

"Our Toronto team decided to take on a challenge: to create a detailed map of the PATH," says Law. "Torontonians always knew that navigating the PATH was difficult, so we decided to create a detailed indoor map to help visitors, tourists and commuters."

The platform lets users cycle between levels, offering important functionality for PATH sections like the Eaton Centre, which includes multiple floors spanning above and below street level. It even allows users to select businesses and get directions, similar to the above-ground functionality of popular mapping apps.

Law says the map is free and "available to anyone who'd like to use it."

While Toronto does indeed have its own map of the PATH system available, it exists in PDF form, does not allow users to differentiate levels, and only includes the names of properties without specifying the businesses within — not super handy if you're just trying to find the closest cup of coffee.

This new navigation tool is helpful not only for pedestrians but also for the many shops and restaurants struggling to attract business tucked away in the difficult-to-navigate corridors. Law notes that "some businesses in the PATH have been very receptive of our detailed map and they were happy to share it with their customers."