Union Station for a "World Class City"

[Ladies Mile]

Are you counting the subway platform?

If not, you are in error. The 4/5/6 at Grand Central is the 2nd busiest station in the city after Times Square/Port Authority.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Toronto Union Station and comparisons with NYC's Grand Central Terminal...

Everyone: I am all for making Toronto Union Station a centerpiece for a World-class city but I would also like to set the record straight somewhat in some comparisons about NYC's Grand Central Terminal noted by Jaguar4u and DT Geek among them.

First-NYC's Grand Central Terminal was NEVER rundown but fell into a state of some disrepair in the 70s era. The main concourse itself was NEVER in danger of total demolition but would have been altered significantly had the owners of the Terminal in the early 70s-the Penn Central(Railroad)Estate-gotten the OK to construct a skyscraper above on the "air rights" back then. I believe it would have been something similar heightwise to the Pan Am(now MetLife)Building next door which was constructed using sold-off air rights also.

Back then the Landmark Preservation movement-which began in earnest after NYC's Penn Station was torn down in the 60s-was starting to have large influence over plans to alter historic structures and a group that included former US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis fought and prevailed to save the main concourse of GCT and made the Penn Central back down on their skyscraper plans.

When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority took control/title of GCT in the late 70s/early 80s era the decision was made for a large scale renovation of GCT. The MTA cleaned the interior walls,renovated the famous roof with its "constellations" inside and further renovated other parts of the Terminal complex beginning in the 80s mainly after the formation of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad in 1983. The work was done gradually over more then 20 years and today we have a showpiece for the City of New York. It also makes me think "We could have lost most or ALL of this!"

I do now feel that the influence of landmark preservationists helped save the main concourse of Toronto Union Station from demolition keeping what we now have today - the busiest Rail station in Canada.

Thoughts,Memories and insight from Long Island Mike

 

[EnviroTO]

Are you counting the subway platform?

If not, you are in error. The 4/5/6 at Grand Central is the 2nd busiest station in the city after Times Square/Port Authority.

No, I am not including buses, subways, and steetcars... only counting the train station. Grand Central has about double the subway passengers (not a surprise considering it has three lines compared to one) but a fraction of the train passengers, and no buses or streetcars.