I just got back from checking out all the stations. Some thoughts:
The transfers on this extension aren't well designed. Due to the sizes of these stations, and the large vertical elevations, it takes an exceptionally long time to make bus-to-subway transfers. For example, at Steeles West Station, it took me a little over two minutes to get from the TTC bus platform to the Line 1 platform (yes, I timed it). This is a non-negligible transfer time that will discourage ridership.
The poor transfer flows also does not bode well for either the Relief Line or the Scarborough Subway, both of which will be significantly deeper than TYSSE. The Relief Line needs a fast and convenient transfer to effectively relieve Bloor-Yonge Station. If the Line 2 to Relief Line transfer takes anywhere as long as these TYSSE transfers, the potential for Bloor-Yonge relief will be significantly harmed.
The Scarborough Subway was proposed precisely for the purpose of eliminating a problematic transfer. But with Scarborough Centre Station being the deepest in the system, and with it having much greater horizontal walking distances to access the bus terminal from the platform level, its certain to have a transfer time significantly greater than the 2+ minutes transfers at Steeles West Station. It's looking like the Scarborough Centre transfer will have little to no time savings, when compared to the subway-to-SLRT transfer proposed at Kennedy (which would have been configured similarly to the aforementioned Finch West LRT transfer at Finch West Station).
It is my hope that our planners will look at TYSSE, and apply those lessons regarding the transfer distance to the Scarborough Centre and Relief Line. We're investing $11 Billion into those two projects, and it would be a terrible shame to see their utility diminished because we didn't design passenger-friendly transfers.
Furthermore, the large vertical elevations means that convenient access to operational escalators and elevators 100% of the time will be imperative. I'm a young man, and walking up the stairs in the station left even me slightly fatigued. There's not a chance any of the elderly people I know would be able to climb these stairs. Again, this will be an even bigger issue for the Relief Line and Scarborough Subway.
Finally, a miscellaneous observation: The TYSSE stations are far colder than any of the other stations on the system. Stepping onto the Highway 407 Station from the train, I immediately remarked how freezing it was in the stations. My hands even became uncomfortably cold (without gloves on), which is something I can't say I've ever experienced at any other underground stations in the system.
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