Toronto Spadina Subway Extension Emergency Exits | ?m | 1s | TTC | IBI Group

I never noticed this feature at the north end of Pioneer Village until today. Probably a combination of timing and weather but it’s such an ingenious way of bringing some natural light down to a level that is usually dark and illuminated by lights. Took a few quick pics to illustrate what a difference some natural light can do. Have to say that Pioneer Village is quickly becoming my favourite station in terms of design and art (minus the wasted scrolling type art installation). Now if only we could continue to incorporate this sort of thinking into future underground station building.

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You missed a shot:
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I still can't get over the fact that you have to actually exit York University Station at the surface to get into York Lanes. A direct underground access point should have been a no-brainer. Given the proximity, it's like they had a connection in mind but cheapened out on it at the last minute for some unexplained reason.

It makes some sense if you consider the point of getting the buses out of the loop was re-pedestrianizing the Commons. They wanted people flowing out of the station and into the centre of the campus. Paradoxically, I haven't seen it but what I've gathered is that this hasn't worked. Apparently (especially because of Pioneer Village taking some of the people), the university hasn't done some basic things, like putting out benches and picnic tables, and the area has gone from being a traffic-choked bus loop to a ghost town.
 
I still can't get over the fact that you have to actually exit York University Station at the surface to get into York Lanes. A direct underground access point should have been a no-brainer. Given the proximity, it's like they had a connection in mind but cheapened out on it at the last minute for some unexplained reason.
I don't recall any direct connection in the plans posted earlier in this thread, before construction started. It struck me as odd at the time.

Being that early in the design process, I always assumed it was a criteria set by York Unionversity.
 
I don't recall any direct connection in the plans posted earlier in this thread, before construction started. It struck me as odd at the time.

Being that early in the design process, I always assumed it was a criteria set by York Unionversity.
Wasn’t there also suppose to be a tunnel to the Archives of Ontario building? Too bad the shape of the concourse makes it difficult to add direct connections to the buildings. The only spot see that may be able to accommodate one is here:
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Wasn’t there also suppose to be a tunnel to the Archives of Ontario building? Too bad the shape of the concourse makes it difficult to add direct connections to the buildings. The only spot see that may be able to accommodate one is here:
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Are you sure that there isn't a tunnel, but that it is reserved for the use of York's upper administration who are located above the Archieves in Kanieff Tower?
 
I doubt York's top admin take the subway to campus lol
 
That wasn't my point. In 1973, the greater Burnhamthorpe/Hurontario area was still open fields and pasture. The construction of Square One shopping centre that year was the catalyst for everything that followed (the alignment/routing of Hwy 403, the office towers, the residential towers, the municipal buildings, the City Centre Transit Terminal, second largest GO Terminal in the Province, the Transitway and now the Hurontario LRT).

Malls are a great source of trip generation, which is why they typically double as transit hubs all over the province.

You have some of that backwards. Highway 403 was planned before Square One was opened -- it was on the books since the 1960s, and Metro was going to connect with it via a new highway on what is now Eglinton Avenue in Etobicoke. That's a big reason why the mall is there, just like Yorkdale, Scarborough Town Centre, and Pickering Town Centre. Highway 401 was not built to serve those malls either.
 
Went to Toronto Boxing Day to do some exploring. On the way back to be picked up in Brampton, I passed through VMC station at around 7 PM and made a few observations:

A busker! Didn't expect to see any for a few years up there:
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A good crowd getting off the 20 Jane at the SCP Terminal:
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Another crowd waiting for the 502 Zum (Nobody got on or off a VIVA Orange that passed though during the wait I don't thnk!). I must note that I headed south earlier to York U to catch the 502A but as I was running for the bus at the Commons, it took off and the digital display said the next bus was not for 30-odd minutes and it was not even a 502A. Unpublished holiday schedule?
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Another crowd waiting for the 502 Zum (Nobody got on or off a VIVA Orange that passed though during the wait I don't thnk!). I must note that I headed south earlier to York U to catch the 502A but as I was running for the bus at the Commons, it took off and the digital display said the next bus was not for 30-odd minutes and it was not even a 502A. Unpublished holiday schedule?

I personally stopped bothering with VIVA Orange, the fares for Brampton Transit are cheaper and most of the times a ZUM bus is tailing an empty VIVA bus. At this point, I would argue that the YRT should just abolish VIVA Orange altogether and extend ZUM to Richmond Hill seeing that the service cuts over the next 2 years is evidence that York politicians have forgotten the "bus" part of a bus lane. ZUM already runs the 502 deep into Mississauga so I don't see any problems with them doing the same in York Region. If anything it makes everyone much more happier: transfer free travel between Brampton and Richmond Hill, cheaper fares, the YRT has one less bus service to run and riders don't have to put up with the YRT's service cutbacks.

As for the 30 minute wait, probably a holiday schedule. York U is pretty much deserted this time of the year (they kicked out dorm students on the 20th and exams finished up on the 22nd) so I don't see a lot of demand for that stop besides those odd subway transfers.
 
Speaking of the TYSSE;

It's now part of my daily commute, specifically the use of HWY 407 station. I was actually really impressed by the number of people actually using the station. Throughout the morning rush hour, trains were regularly picking up at least 20-30 people, and dropping off 5-10. Once the 407 transitway finally becomes a real thing, I can see ridership growing to at least 10K PPD, maybe even 15K PPD.

But some criticisms. I don't use 407 to take a GO or YRT bus, I walk to my work directly from there. The access to Jane street is abysmal, and it doesn't even have to be. There are 2 easy pedestrian accesses, but unfortunately, there are "Do not enter" signs everywhere (with, mind you, fines ranging from 500-1000 dollars listed). These should not exist, it's not like you're fare evading by crossing the bus bays, so it shouldn't be illegal for pedestrians at all.
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If they want this station to have some ridership improvements, they can at least make it accessible to pedestrians. Developments are coming to Exchange Ave. You should be able to enter the station coming from jane street on the North Side.

Pioneer Village and Finch west are doing very well from a ridership perspective throughout the day (20-50 people getting on at a time), but I really wish the Keele bus would stop inside the bus terminal at Finch West. If the Finch Bus can do it, the Keele bus can as well.

York University is a peak-use only station, but when classes are starting up and ending, the trains get super crowded.

Downsview Park is still dead.

VMC is doing well, about 10-30 passengers getting on/off each train.

Sheppard west station is easily still the busiest station on the extension. I don't think ridership has dropped that significantly (maybe 10K fewer boardings) since the buses were redistributed. It's always busy, but won't crush load a train.

The thing with this extension is that a good portion of the traffic is counter-peak, and within North York/Vaughan, so it doesn't really contribute to crowding on the University line.

Tl;dr Trains are standing room only during peak periods, but not crushed like Sheppard. Pretty empty during off-peak periods, but this is typical of the end of the line segments. Ridership comes out in 2 months so we'll see what's actually happening.
 

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