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As part of its efforts to meet the Province's Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2005, the TTC's Easier Access Plan is in the process of improving accessibility across Toronto's buses, streetcars, and rapid transit hubs. With a number of these projects already underway, work will start this weekend on adding new elevators to St Patrick Station on the University line.
Two elevators are being installed to serve the Downtown station; one leading down to the station concourse from street level (this one will be inside the Residences of 488 University Avenue, now under construction at the northeast corner of University and Dundas), and a second elevator connecting the concourse with platform level below.
While the northwest entrance’s elevator within the new development will provide minimal disruption to street traffic, the concourse-to-platform elevator will require the use of University Avenue’s centre median as a staging and work site, and will cause some disruptions.
To facilitate the construction, the pedestrian crossing on the north side of Dundas at University is temporarily closing, and median lanes on University will be closed to traffic. The intersection's north traffic island on University Avenue will remain closed for the duration of construction, and pedestrian traffic to and from the station will be assisted by TTC customer service ambassadors: some people may want to cross University by walking through the station, while all others will have to cross on the south side of the intersection.
In addition to improving accessibility within the station, the project will enhance St Patrick Station with new wayfinding, security, and public art.
A video featuring TTC CEO Andy Byford and Executive Director of Corporate Communications Brad Ross has also been released, explaining the specifics of the station's upgrades and how they will affect movement at street level.
A schedule posted by the TTC outlines the planned dates of upcoming Easier Access upgrades between 2017 and 2025. The 31 station retrofits are required to meet the Province's Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2005, which mandates improved accessibility for all public establishments, including public transportation systems. The St. Patrick accessibility project targets a 2018 completion.
You can follow along with the various transportation and infrastructure upgrades around the Greater Toronto Area by visiting our dedicated Forum section. Have an opinion about the accessibility upgrades for St Patrick Station? Share your opinion using the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.
