Yonge North Subway Extension Plans Advance
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
There will be a fourth station for the 8-kilometer (4.97-mile) Yonge North Subway Extension bringing the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) existing Line 1 subway to the cities of Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill, according to the governments of Ontario and Canada.
The Initial Business Case (IBC) and supplementary analysis released by Metrolinx in March studied six stations, but it was determined that the C$5.6 billion (US$4.39 billion) funding envelope could only accommodate up to four, if the extension followed the newly proposed alignment (pictured above). Three had been deemed essential: Steeles Avenue (underground), Bridge Station (at-grade) and High Tech Road (at-grade). Now, the fourth station will be at Clark Avenue (underground).
An updated stations analysis from Metrolinx shows that “Clark Station will offer seamless transfers between the Yonge North Subway Extension and the planned branch of York Region Viva Orange bus rapid transit,” the Ontario Ministry of Transportation reported. “Clark Station will serve 2,500 riders during the busiest travel times, while providing access to rapid transit in key residential and employment growth areas like Promenade Center and the Bathurst and Center corridor.”
The extension project is expected to attract 94,100 total daily riders.
The province of Ontario will work with York Region and the city of Toronto to explore the possibility of funding additional stations at Royal Orchard Boulevard and Cummer Avenue, according to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
Metrolinx is also investigating extension route refinements to minimize impacts to the communities served. Results are slated for later this year.
The Yonge North Subway Extension is part of a $23.1 billion (C$29.5 billion) subway expansion program for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, which the government of Ontario announced in April 2019. The program also includes these three projects: the Ontario Line (a nearly 16-kilometer or 9.94-mile free-standing line), Scarborough Subway Extension (extending TTC’s existing Line 2 subway service 7.8 kilometers or 4.84 miles), and Eglinton Crosstown West Extension (extending the Eglinton Crosstown LRT 9.2 kilometers or 5.72 miles). The projects are being procured and delivered by Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx.
In May, the Canadian government agreed to pay a 40% share, up to $8.38 billion (C$10.7 billion), for the four subway projects.
“Clark Station is the right choice for York Region,” Metrolinx President and CEO Phil Verster said. “Clark Station will make it faster and easier to get around York Region by bringing the subway closer to thousands of people. The team at Metrolinx is very excited to continue to advance our planning and design work to deliver this important transit project.”
“As a part of the largest investment in public transit in the GTA’s history, the government of Canada is investing up to C$2.24 billion [US$1.75 billion] in the Yonge North Subway extension, helping to kickstart our economy and create thousands of jobs,” said Catherine McKenna, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.
