Yonge-University-Spadina (TTC)
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A subway train waits for passengers at Bloor-Yonge station.
The Yonge-University-Spadina Line 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 the Yonge subway 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 601), 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 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 start.
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[edit] History
On March 30, 1954, after five years of work, the first subway in Canada opened to the public.[1][2] 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), 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 3:20 p.m., a southbound subway train heading toward Dupont Station crashed under Russell Hill, killing three passengers. 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.
[edit] Future extensions
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available.
[edit] Spadina extension
Construction has begun on an extension to York University northwest of Downsview station, and into the city of Vaughan to the proposed Vaughan Corporate 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. [3] 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. As of 2008, the TTC intends to open this busway for the 2009 academic year, and maintain it after the projected 2015 opening of the subway extension. See the link below.
The TTC is expecting that construction will be complete by mid-2015 with revenue starting in the third quarter of 2015.[4] The first construction contract was awarded on February 27, 2008.[5] Construction has commenced in July 2008 with relocation of sewers.[6]
This extension (North of Steeles Avenue) has been very much maligned in the press for a number of reasons.[7] 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. Because the subway line will be treated as a TTC-fare zone, it cannot be used by York Region commuters headed to York University, as this would require them to pay an additional fare. 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.
[edit] Yonge extension
Proposals have also been put forward to extend the Yonge Street portion of the line