Yonge–University–Spadina

Yonge-University-Spadina Line
A subway train waits for passengers at Bloor-Yonge station.
Info
Type	Rapid transit
System	Toronto subway and RT
Locale	Toronto, Ontario
Termini	Finch Downsview
Stations	32
Daily ridership	672,390 (avg. weekday)[1]
Operation
Opened	March 30, 1954
Owner	Toronto Transit Commission
Operator(s)	Toronto Transit Commission
Rolling stock	T1, H5
Technical
Line length	30.2 km (18.8 mi)
Track gauge	4 ft 10+7⁄8 in (1,495 mm)
Electrification	Third rail

The Yonge-University-Spadina Line (officially Route 1 Yonge-University-Spadina Subway^[2]) is the oldest and busiest subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission, has 32 stations and is 30.2 km (18.8 miles) in length. It opened in 1954, and had extensions completed in 1963, 1973, 1974, 1978, and 1996. North York Centre station opened on an existing section of line in 1987.

The line's name has changed as it was extended. It was simply called the subway (Yonge subway is its retronym) until 1963, then the Yonge-University Line until 1978, when the Spadina section was added. Although only two stations are actually on Spadina Road, a larger portion of the line was originally planned to follow the Spadina Expressway. The part of the expressway that was actually built was renamed William R. Allen Road, but the name of the line was never adjusted. It is also numbered as Route 1 (formerly route 602^[3]), but its route number is used by the TTC predominantly for internal purposes and is rarely used by the public or on TTC maps.

The subway runs from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday to Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. The subway runs every 4–5 minutes, with frequent service (2–3 minutes) during rush hour periods. There is limited service (5 minutes) northbound from St. Clair West station from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Monday to Friday.

The 320 Yonge Blue Night bus provides late night service when the subway is not in operation. This service operates frequently from along Yonge between Steeles to Union Station. No bus service follows the University-Spadina line, though other night bus services, such as 311 Bathurst pass near some of the stations. Bus service is extended on Sundays to account for the 9:00 a.m. start.

History

Construction on Yonge Street in 1949

Yonge-University-Spadina Line

Legend Viva Blue & Pink GO Bus to York Region Finch Viva Orange North York Centre Downsview Sheppard-Yonge Wilson Yard (Sheppard line) Wilson York Mills Highway 401 Yorkdale Lawrence West Lawrence Glencairn Eglinton West Eglinton Davisville Davisville Yard St. Clair West 512 streetcar 512 streetcar St. Clair Summerhill CPR mainline Old Summerhill Sta. Dupont Rosedale Bloor-Danforth line Spadina 510 streetcar (Bloor-Danforth line) St. George Bloor To Lower Bay Station Museum Wellesley Queen's Park College St. Patrick Dundas Osgoode Queen St. Andrew King GO Trains Union (TTC) Union Station VIA Rail corridor Queen's Quay 510/509 streetcar

On March 30, 1954, after five years of work, the first subway in Canada opened to the public.^[4][5] The original Yonge Street subway line went from Union Station north to Eglinton station. Premier Leslie Frost and Mayor Allan Lamport, among other important persons, rode the first train that morning, going north from the yards at Davisville station, and then from Eglinton south along the entire line. The line was then opened to the public, and that day at 2:30 p.m., the last streetcar to travel Yonge Street made its final trip.

Nine years later, the University segment of the line opened, continuing the line from Union north to St. George station.

In 1973, the line was extended north to York Mills station, and the next year to Finch station as part of the North Yonge Extension project, bringing the subway to North York. Stations were also planned for Glencairn (between Eglinton and Lawrence (though another Glencairn station would be built on the Spadina line)), Glen Echo (between Lawrence and York Mills) and Empress (between Sheppard and Finch - later opened as North York Centre station). In 1978, the Spadina segment of the line was opened, going from the north terminus of the University line to Wilson station.

In 1987, the North York Centre station was added between Sheppard and Finch stations.

On August 11, 1995 at 6:02 p.m., a southbound subway train heading toward Dupont Station crashed under Russell Hill Drive, killing three passengers.^[6] This accident, called the Russell Hill subway accident, prompted the Toronto Transit Commission to review its practices and put its resources into safety.

In 1996, the Spadina expansion was opened, adding one new station, Downsview.

Future extensions

Spadina extension

A map of the Spadina extension (note that Downsview and Wilson are not part of this extension, as they already were completed)

Construction has begun on an extension to York University northwest of Downsview station, and into the city of Vaughan to the proposed Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Six new stations are planned along the 8.7 km extension (6.2 km in the City of Toronto and 2.5 km in York Region). The estimated cost of this extension is $2.09 billion in 2006 dollars, which will have escalated to $2.63 billion considering costs at year of occurrence.^[7] The current Ontario government has committed $670 million in its March 23, 2006, budget, which is about one-third of the expected $2 billion cost. The federal government had long committed to funding one-third of the subway extension, but only recently released its share of the funds at the start of its fall election campaign. The other third of the money comes from municipal governments (Toronto and York Region). In 2003, a temporary busway was planned between Downsview station and the campus, but was opposed by the University, because they felt it would lessen government willingness to extend the subway. After numerous delays, construction started on July 25, 2008^[8] with a short section of the busway being opened September 6, 2009^[9] and the remainder being opened on November 20, 2009.^[10] See the link below.

The TTC will also purchase two tunnel boring machines in the fall of 2010 from LOVAT Inc. for $58.4 million to dig tunnels on this extension and is expecting two more boring machines in the spring of 2011.^[11] Construction will be complete by mid-2015, with revenue starting in the third quarter of 2015.^[12] The first construction contract was awarded on February 27, 2008.^[13] Construction has commenced in July 2008 with relocation of sewers.^[14]

The extension north of Steeles Avenue has been very much maligned in the press for a number of reasons.^[15] The TTC had originally intended to extend the subway as far as York University, with a vast bus terminal complex at the future Steeles West station. However, provincial funding hinged on the line crossing the municipal border. The area around the future Vaughan Corporate Centre station is occupied by big-box stores and highways and lacks the development that surrounds most other subway stations. Although a station is planned for the 407 Transitway, most GO Transit buses will actually terminate at Steeles West station, so as again to avoid commuters having to pay an additional TTC fare to reach York University. The TTC has recently announced that it will incorporate a system in which GO Transit users do not have to pay an extra fare to use the subway to get to York University station from the 407 Transitway.

Yonge extension

Proposals have also been put forward to extend the Yonge Street portion of the line beyond Finch to Steeles and into York Region, most likely ending at the Richmond Hill Centre Terminal of Viva bus rapid transit. On June 15, 2007, the Ontario government announced plans to fund this extension as part of a vast network of rapid transit growth in the form of MoveOntario 2020.^[16]

Although completion of this subway expansion is many years away, a local group in York Region is lobbying for the cancellation of the planned busway along this route,^[17] which would be a part of York Region's Viva bus rapid transit.

Although this extension is the most justifiable, there is a reason it will not be built just yet. The Yonge portion of the subway line operates at capacity during the morning rush hour, and could not carry the additional riders attracted to this extension. Once a new signal system is in place, the TTC will be able to increase the frequency of trains from 2 minutes 30 seconds to every 1 minute 45 seconds, allowing capacity for this extension.

Toronto council approved the plan in principle in January 2009, but added caveats indicating that upgrades within Toronto would be needed to support the additional capacity from York Region. The plan, as approved, lists six new stations: Cummer/Drewery, Steeles, Clark, Royal Orchard, Longbridge/Langstaff, and Richmond Hill Centre.^[18] As of 2009, TTC has no plans to expand this subway line in the "near future" but have VIVA Bus Rapid Transit bus lanes going along Yonge Street from Finch Avenue to Highway 7, which would go into full service by 2013.

Stations

For complete lists and details of stations, lines, and their locations in the Toronto subway/RT system, see List of Toronto subway and RT stations.

The line forms a rough U-shape. Its western leg starts at the northern terminus at Downsview station, at Sheppard Avenue and Allen Road. The line follows the Allen Road, which becomes a small expressway, travelling in its median for 6 km (3.8 miles). Continuing southeast below the Cedarvale and Nordheimer Ravines, it turns south under a short stretch of Spadina Road.

After sharing the Bloor-Danforth Line's Spadina and St. George stations, it turns south again under Queen's Park, passing to one side of the legislature, and running the full length of University Avenue beyond. It turns east onto Front Street to serve Union Station, Toronto's main railway terminus, and then north.

The eastern leg runs straight up Yonge Street for 16 km (10 miles), crossing the Bloor-Danforth Line again at Bloor-Yonge and the Sheppard Line at Sheppard-Yonge, before reaching its northern terminus at Finch station.

A surface section looking south to Rosedale station

The line is generally underground, but has several surface or elevated sections between Downsview and Eglinton West, and between Bloor and Eglinton; some portions of the section between Bloor and Eglinton were originally open and have since been covered over to permit other uses above the tracks. Sections between Bloor-Yonge and the track short of Summerhill, and between St. Clair and Eglinton remain in their original open state. Between Summerhill and St. Clair, the track was originally open, but has since been covered. Evidence of this can be found in the tunnel; there are no columns or walls between tracks, tree stumps, and there are ballast and drainage ditches present in the tunnel - something not seen in the rest of the subway system. There are also clues outdoors; there are seemingly useless railings along the sides of a nearby street which was once on an exposed bridge, and there are empty lots following the trains' right of way marked with signs telling heavy vehicles/equipment to keep off because they might fall through the columnless tunnel below.

Most of the tunnel was constructed by cut-and-cover, but some was bored, as noted below. All stations, whether by transfer or fare-paid terminal, connect to surface TTC bus and/or streetcar routes. Other surface and train connections are noted below.

As of February 2007, a number of stations have elevators for wheelchair access. By the end of 2009, wheelchair-accessible elevators will be added at Lawrence West and North York Centre stations. Museum station could also become accessible as early as 2010^{[citation needed]}.

The preferred alignment and placement for four stations for the proposed "Spadina North" extension beyond Downsview station to serve York University were finalized in September 2005. Six stations are planned: the tentative name for the new terminus is "Vaughan Corporate Centre", with intermediate stations called "Highway 407 Transitway", "Steeles West", "York University", "Finch West", and "Sheppard West". If built, this extension would likely replace the portion of York Region Transit's Viva Orange bus rapid transit line that currently covers the Downsview — York University route.

St. Andrew is typical of downtown station platforms.

Voice announcement system

The Yonge-University-Spadina line uses an automated voice system on board its trains to announce each stop as the train arrives. The new Toronto Rocket trains scheduled for delivery starting in late 2009 are to be the first subway trains on the system to incorporate a visual display, which is already in use on TTC buses and streetcars. The displays and active route map will indicate the train's position, the next station and the side which the doors will open upon arrival at the next stop.^[19]

Automatic train control

The TTC estimates that automatic train control on the Yonge-University-Spadina Line could be installed by 2016.^{[citation needed]} When this system is installed, the TTC will be able to run trains as often as every 90 seconds. Currently, the limit of the signal system is every 150 seconds, the interval at which trains currently operate at rush hours.

See also

• MoveOntario 2020

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toronto Transit Commission

• TTC website
• TTC Transit City LRT proposal
• Spadina line extension
• Transit Toronto (not affiliated with the Toronto Transit Commission)

v • d • e Stations of the Toronto Transit Commission Yonge–University–Spadina line Finch  • North York Centre  • Sheppard-Yonge ■ • York Mills  • Lawrence • Eglinton  • Davisville  • St. Clair  • Summerhill • Rosedale • Bloor-Yonge ■ • Wellesley • College • Dundas  • Queen  • King • Union  • St. Andrew • Osgoode  • St. Patrick • Queen's Park  • Museum • St. George ■ • Spadina ■ • Dupont • St. Clair West • Eglinton West  • Glencairn • Lawrence West • Yorkdale • Wilson  • Downsview  • Sheppard West • Finch West • York University • Steeles West • Highway 407 Transitway • Vaughan Bloor–Danforth line Kipling  • Islington • Royal York • Old Mill • Jane  • Runnymede • High Park • Keele • Dundas West  • Lansdowne • Dufferin • Ossington • Christie • Bathurst  • Spadina ■ • St. George ■ • Bay • Bloor-Yonge ■ • Sherbourne • Castle Frank • Broadview  • Chester • Pape • Donlands • Greenwood • Coxwell • Woodbine • Main Street  • Victoria Park • Warden  • Kennedy ■ Scarborough RT Kennedy ■ • Lawrence East • Ellesmere • Midland • Scarborough Centre  • McCowan Sheppard line Sheppard-Yonge ■ • Bayview  • Bessarion  • Leslie  • Don Mills Streetcar stations Queen's Quay-Ferry Docks • Exhibition Loop Legend: - wheelchair-accessible |  washroom |  ■ - connection  |  proposed station

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