The TTC has released details on the first part of their final push to place new paddle-style presto-enabled fare gates into the remaining 25 station entrances which still have traditional turnstiles. Of the 69 open stations in the system, all already have presto-enabled entrances of some type, with 44 stations completely switched over to the new fare gates. (The six stations of the Toronto York Spadina Subway Extension will open in December with the new fare gates in place.)

Fare gates at Bay Station, image via screenshot of TTC news release video

Eight downtown stations—Dundas, King, Queen, Museum, St. Andrew, College, Osgoode, and Queen's Park—will have fare gates installed during the Fall. In order to maximize rider safety and the efficiency of the installation process, the TTC will use a combination of nighty closures and weekend closures, with some stations experiencing both types and others only requiring one. A detailed timeline and closure description provided by the TTC is below.

Presto enabled fare gates at Main Street Station installed last April, image by Stefan Novakovic

Dundas Station:

  • 11 PM closures nightly, September 10 to 14
  • Weekend closure from 11 PM September 15 until 6 AM September 18  
  • 11 PM closures nightly, from September 18 until the middle of October

King Station:

  • 10 PM closures nightly, September 19 to 23

Queen Station:

  • 11 PM closures nightly, October 18 and 19
  • Weekend closure from 11 PM October 20 until 6 AM October 23
  • 11 PM closures nightly, October 23 until the end of November

Museum Station:

  • 10 PM closures nightly, November 1-2 and 6-7

St Andrew Station:

  • Weekend closure from 10 PM November 10 until 6 AM November 13

College Station:

  • 10 PM closures nightly, November 14 to 16, and November 20

Osgoode Station:

  • Weekend closure from 10 PM closures November 17 until 6 AM November 20

Queen's Park Station:

  • 10 PM closures nightly, December 6-7 and December 11-12

Nightly closures will involve stations closing early for specific periods of time, with trains bypassing the station after closure. Weekend closures will involve stations being completely closed over weekends, with trains bypassing stations. In order to minimize inconvenience for riders, two adjacent stations will not be closed at the same time. Citing the close proximity of downtown stations, the TTC assures that walking to the next station is possible during thes closures. 

Presto self-service machines, part of the modernization, image via TTC news release

By April of 2018, the remaining 25 stations in the system will be fully converted from the old turnstyles and automatic entrances. In the informational video below, the TTC's Brad Ross and Andy Byford confirm that some time in 2018 tickets and tokens will be phased out, and "a huge number of" new self service reloaders and presto card vending machines will be coming to stations. 

We can expect more details on the TTC's presto integration and fare gate installation in the coming months as the push continues into the winter. We will keep you updated. In the meantime, you can engage in the discussion in our Fare Gate Forum thread. More information is also available on the TTC's official website and via news release.