Yonge subway extension: concept plan and profile
Legend
407 Transitway preliminary
routes under study
Community connector
Hydro corridor
Existing GO parking
Proposed Park & Ride
R
LONGB
Thornhill
Heritage District
Finch
Station
existing
Cummer/Drewry
Station
Clark
Station
Steeles
Station
Royal Orchard
Station
VENUE
GARDEN A
OAD
IDGE R
Service road
right-of-way
Langstaff/Longbridge
Station
NUE
VIEW AVE
MEADOW
11.2008
Richmond Hill
Station
F.P.O.
N
ISIO
DIV INE)
B
U
Viva RHC
L
L
AS
bus terminal R. BAL D HIL
.
N
N
O
.
C CHM
(RI
Pedestrian
bridge
Holy Cross
Cemetery
Langstaff
GO station
D
RE
D
ROA
PLE
A
M
UTILITY
CORRIDOR
Y
RHC
Terminal
Transit City
Finch
Station
Don Mills
Station
West
R
Yo ng e
Ja n e
O
Sheppard
Station
O
N
GO Transit
Eglinton
Crosstown
Waterfront West
to Mississauga
Union
Station
D o n M il ls
Toronto Transit City
Light Rail Plan
to
Pickering
Airport
Steeles
Downsview
Station
T
Cornell
Terminal
Havelock
Subdivision
407
Steeles West
Station
EtobicokeFinch West
to Pearson
Airport
Unionville
Station
GO
Yo n g e
H ig h w a y
407 Transitway
Viva Rapid Transit
Highway 7
GO
Leslie
to Peel
Region
Sheppard
404
GO
Concord
Terminal
Steeles
K
H ig h w a y
GO
R
GO
Highway 400
Highway 50
MacTier
Subdivision
O
York Durham Line
Ken ned y
The yonge subway extension is part of
a GTA-wide transit system
T
Sheppard East
O
to
Durham
Region
Scarborough
Malvern
Metrolinx | the big move
Barrie
Bradford
Top 15 Priorities
Within the first 15 years of the Regional Transportation Plan’s
implementation, the top 15 priorities for early
implementation are:
Kitchener/Waterloo
Guelph
Newmarket
Centre / York
Regional
Hospital
Bolton
41

to Guelph/
Kitchener-Waterloo
8

Georgetown
33
39
5
Cambridge
40
22
26
Downtown
Brampton
23
to Cambridge
4
6

10
Vaughan
Corporate
Centre
27
2
Toronto
Pearson
Airport
Downtown
Milton
28
3
24
31
North
York
Centre
30
Etobicoke
Centre
YongeEglinton
Centre
20
19
Midtown
Oakville
Stouffville
Ancaster
Downtown
Hamilton
17
11

9
32
12
34

13
7
35
25
1
Scarborough
Centre
Downtown
Toronto
Downtown
Burlington

Markham
Centre
16
29
21

Richmond
Hill /
Langstaff
Gateway
15
Mississauga
City Centre
Waterdown
Bloomington
Road
Seaton
Downtown
Pickering
1
37

42
to Peterborough *
36
15-Year Plan for Regional Rapid Transit
and Highway Improvements
38
to Niagara
Mobility Hubs
Anchor Hub
Gateway Hub
New Highway Corridor
Transportation Corridor Under Study
Approved 2006 Settlement Area (Conceptual)
Greenbelt Area
Urban Growth Centre
International Airport
Proposed International Airport
Major Port
The information displayed on this map is conceptual only. It represents projects proposed for full
or substantial completion within 25 years of the Regional Transportation Plan's adoption.
Recommended alignments and technologies will be developed during the project-level benefits
case analysis that Metrolinx will carry out in partnership with municipalities and transit
agencies, as part of the funding approval process for individual projects.
This map is not to scale, and it does not accurately reflect approved land-use or planning
boundaries or actual transportation routes or alignments.
* Subject to the Peterborough Rail Study led by Metrolinx as part of the
Building Canada Plan agreement
Yonge subway extension ~ a key priority
Express Rail on Lakeshore line from Hamilton to Oshawa
Rapid transit in Hamilton from McMaster University
to Centennial Parkway
Hurontario rapid transit from Port Credit to Brampton
403 Transitway from Mississauga City Centre
to Renforth Gateway
Rapid transit service along Hwy 2 in Durham

Improvements/extension of GO Rail service to Bowmanville
Bowmanville
Highway
Finch/Sheppard rapid transit from Pearson Airport
to Scarborough Centre and Meadowvale


Express Rail
Regional Rail (full-day, 2-way)
Regional Rail (peak)
Subway
Other Rapid Transit (BRT / LRT / AGT)
Possible Regional Rail extensions
beyond the GTHA
Upgrade/extension of Scarborough rapid transit line
Rail link between Union Station and Pearson Airport
14
Rapid Transit
Eglinton rapid transit from Pearson Airport
to Scarborough Centre

Downtown
Oshawa
18
Yonge subway extension to Richmond Hill Centre
Early phases of bus rapid transit service on Dundas St
in Halton and Peel

Viva rapid transit on Hwy 7 and Yonge St through York Region

Brampton’s Queen St Acceleride

Spadina subway extension to Vaughan Corporate Centre
What we studied
To develop recommendations for the Yonge subway
extension project, we assessed options and obtained
public input for:

Alignment

Numbers and locations of stations

How the subway will cross the East Don River

The location of the terminus of the subway at
Highway 7, its features and how it works
Yonge-University-Spadina Subway
Richmond Hill Centre
Langstaff / Longbridge
Royal Orchard
Clark
Steeles
Cummer/ Drewry
Finch
Vaughan Corporate Centre
Highway 407
Steeles West
York University
Finch West
Sheppard West
Downsview
Eglinton
Eglinton
West
St. George
Bloor
Union
Where are we today?
Notice of study
commencement
PCC
PCC
PCC
2008
October
PCC
Public Review
Project approval:
In time for consideration
with provincial budget
2009
November
December
January
February
March
April
Design and
Construction
Prepare project report
Toronto report to
Commission/Council
Submit project report
be involved
Visit vivayork.com for updates
MOE review
What are the major phases of planning and building a subway?
2008
2009
2010
2011
Complete Functional Design
Provincial Project Approval
[6 months duration] October 2008 − April 2009
Project Notice To Proceed/Initial Capitalization
May 2009
Project Management/Governance/AFP
Set-up: 1 year, mid 2010
Property | CEAA
[12 months duration ] 2009-2011
Design/Engineering [48 months overall duration]
2010-2013 [multiple projects starts and completion]
Construction [66 months overall duration]
2012-2016 [multiple projects starts and completion]
Subway System Commissioning
[1 year duration] Throughout 2016
In-service
2016/2017
Key targets
project begins: 2009
design/engineering: 2009
construction: 2012
open: 2016/2017
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
What comes with a subway?
passenger
pick up and
drop off
parking
facility
pedestrian
entrance
substation
bus
terminal
emergency exit
building
Yonge subway capacity improvements
% increase
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
5
4
5
6
new subway cars have increased capacity
closer spacing
6
+10%
1
2
3
4
5
6
+36%
1
2
3
4
5
6
n/a
between trains
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
2,300 riders
2,900
* Every other train makes a short turn at Finch station in morning peak period.
full
train
7
*empty
train
7th car added to train
transfer to Spadina Subway
new parking spaces on Spadina Subway extension
+10%
+4%
n/a
Timeline for yonge subway capacity/ridership milestones
Legend
New signalling for Yonge-University-Spadina line
ATO:
Transit City initiatives
EPR: Environmental Project Report
Automatic Train Operation
Yonge subway extension
LRT: Light Rail Transit
Toronto-York Spadina subway extensioin
MOE: Ministry of Environment
Toronto Rocket cars
YUS: Yonge University Spadina line
Related studies
Improved headways to 105 seconds with full ATO in place
ATO complete
Finch/ Downsview
(10% increase in
Yonge subway
speeds/ capacity
Subway railyard
needs study
complete
Funding of new
signalling system
for YUS line
2008
2009
Yonge Bloor station
capacity study
complete
2010
Sheppard
East LRT
opens
2011
2012
2013
Etobicoke
Finch West
LRT opens
2014
Eglinton
LRT opens
(Stage 1)
2015
Earliest possible
opening of
Yonge subway
extension to
Richmond Hill
Centre
2016
2017
Scarborough
Malvern LRT
opens
2018
2019
2020
Downtown relief
line (future)
Yonge subway
EPR to MOE
Toronto Rocket
cars in service
(10% increase in
Yonge capacity)
ATO complete
Eglinton/ Union
ATO complete
Finch/ Union
Don Mills
LRT opens
Jane
LRT opens
Spadina subway opens to
Vaughan Corporate Centre
with ATO (diversion of 4%
of peak hour Yonge riders
to Spadina)
Increased GO service levels on Richmond Hill, Stouffville and Barrie GO lines
AM peak hour /peak direction subway volumes
1985 –2007, with selected modal splits
1996 –2007, projected to 2031
35,000
45,000
42,000
30,000
40,000
37,000
25,000
35,000
Yonge line passenger volumes
southbound to Wellesley Station
20,000
30,000
Yonge line passenger volumes
southbound to Wellesley Station
University-Spadina line passenger volumes
southbound to Museum Station
15,000
25,000
to 2031
10,000
20,000
Central Business District bound TTC modal split for AM peak period
5,000
54%
51%
48%
49%
46%
0
15,000
10,000
1985 1987
1990 1991
Sources: TTC subway count surveys, Cordon Count surveys
1995
2000 2001
2005 2006
1996
2001
2006
2011
2016
2021
2026
2031
Yonge-Bloor station


Key to improving Yonge Subway capacity
Bottleneck to adding more trains, with existing
or new signalling system

Must cut train ‘dwell’ time in half

Add a third platform at Yonge Subway level
- Train doors will open on both sides
- Unload to new centre platform
- Load from relocated side platform
- Unloading/loading at the same time
- Will cut theoretical dwell time by 50%

Could also add platforms on BD level
Capacity Study

Initiated in January 2009

To be completed by Fall 2009

Confirm previous concepts for expansion

Identify other operational strategies to
increase capacity

$450 million project

Currently not funded

4-5 years to design/construct

Station will be operational throughout construction
Third platform concept
(interim)
Third platform concept
(ultimate)
How is a subway built?
RIVER OF LIGHTS
RIVER OF LIGHTS
RIVER OF LIGHTS
RIVER OF LIGHTS
RIVER OF LIGHTS
removal of decking/street restoration
RIVER OF LIGHTS
Storm
Sewer
construction of subway structure
RIVER OF LIGHTS
Sanitary
Sewer
RIVER OF LIGHTS
Storm
Sewer
RIVER OF LIGHTS
RIVER OF LIGHTS
Sanitary
Sewer
excavation and soil removal
installation of decking
utility location and piling
Construction principles
Our goal is to minimize disruption and
inconvenience to the community during subway
construction. Every effort will be made to:








Use tunnelling, wherever possible
Ensure the design of subway related structures
is sensitive to existing neighbourhoods
Maintain property access at all times
Ensure appropriate number of lanes of traffic
are always available in the peak direction
Minimize the size of construction work areas
Contain work areas to maintain community and
pedestrian safety
Provide timely construction updates to
the community
Complete construction as quickly as possible
transit benefits
just ahead
Construction
method
Cut & Cover
Surface facilities/connections
13-bay TTC bus
terminal
[existing];
6-bay after
subway
extension**
Steeles
1200m
Cut & Cover
Tunnel
Clark
1000m
Cut & Cover
Tunnel
1900m
Cut & Cover
Tunnel
Bridge
900m
C&C
Cut & Cover
x
Longbridge/
Langsatff
Royal Orchard
Tunnel
Richmond Hill
Centre
1100m
Cut & Cover
Tunnel
Cut & Cover
bus
turn-around
loop
25-bay
underground
bus terminal
17-bay Regional
bus terminal
[existing];
4-bay after
subway
extension
28-bay
bus terminal
Proposed
407 Transitway
Proposed
Finch West
LRT
Richmond Hill
GO Rail
PPUDO
PPUDO
PPUDO
PPUDO
Approx.
2000 to 2500
park-n-ride
3214
park-n-ride
(existing)
Substation
Substation
Substation
Substation
Substation
Screening criteria
Existing
densities
80
85
110
80
30
40
Planned
densities†
110 - 120
280 - 520
145 - 180
100 - 130
144 - 266
295 - 550
Transportation
connection




Natural
environment






Cultural
environment






v
v
Tail track:
Cross track:
x
* Some reconstruction of existing tail tracks will be required
** 4-bay after Finch LRT is completed
† Persons and jobs per hectare
Not to scale
v
v
850m
Existing*
x
Cummer/
Drewry
v
Finch
v
Stations
Yonge subway extension: station planning
Preliminary construction methodology
While significant lengths of the subway extension will be tunnelled, the construction
of subway stations and special track work structure is done using the cut and cover method.
ay
N
t of w
LS
Potential TBM
launch site
Steeles Station
Clark Station
LS
ES
e.
Cummer Av
2
Matchline – Section 1 -
East Don River
500
kV
Royal Orchard
Station
ES
ES
Cut and cover
Tunnelling
Bridge construction
Tail tracks
LS
Launch shaft
ES
Exit shaft
230
kV
tra
tra
nsm
tra
iss
nsm
ion
nsm
iss
iss
ion
ion
line
line
line
Potential TBM
launch site
407
Boule
vard
Subway station
kV
way
High
Roya
l Orch
ard
Legend
Langstaff/Longbridge
Station
500
Richmond Hill Centre
LS
Matchline – Section 2 -
Cummer/Drewry
Station
Finch Station
Clark Ave.
d righ
e.
Steeles Av
Servic
e roa
Drewry Ave.
1
Cummer/Drewry station
Legend
Subway station
Subway line
Entrance
Limit of surface elements
Underground walkway
Full property acquisition
Partial property acquisition for
surface elements only
Vent structure
Bus loop
Steeles station
Steeles station | level by level
1
station overview all levels
2
street level
3
4
Legend
Street Level
Future Connections
Entrance
Subway Platform Level
Bus Platform Level
Vertical Movement
Concourse Level
Fare Paid Zone
bus platform 1 level below street
subway level 2 levels below street
Clark station
Legend
Subway station
Subway line
Electrical substation
Entrance
Limit of surface elements
Underground walkway
Full property acquisition
Partial property acquisition for
surface elements only
Vent structure
East Don River crossing

Heritage features will be designed into the bridge in consultation with the community.
CENTR
E
Bridge
R O YA L D
ORCHAR
LEGEND
Future Road
Existing Road
Subway Tunnel
River Valley
East Don River proposed traffic staging

Careful removal of existing culvert and embankments will minimize local disruption.
1
stage 1 temporary lanes to the west
2
stage 2 temporary northbound lanes on partially constructed bridge
3
stage 3 final bridge in service
Legend
Southbound traffic
Northbound traffic
Partially constructed bridge
Bridge in service
Crossing the East Don River
2
1 Restore the valley to its natural state
2 Level Yonge Street to provide continued
access to adjacent sites
5
1
6
3 Ensure the bridge design includes heritage
features in context with the community
3
4
4 Ensure lighting is designed to be sensitive
to adjacent uses in the community
5 Provide a safe pedestrian environment to
cross between the heritage community
north and south of the bridge
6 Meet Ministry of Environment guidelines
for attenuating traffic and subway noise
South aerial view from York Condominium 300
Artists rendering ~ concept only
Royal Orchard station
Legend
Subway station
Subway line
Electrical substation
Entrance
Limit of surface elements
Underground walkway
Full property acquisition
Partial property acquisition for
surface elements only
Vent structure
Langstaff / Longbridge station
Legend
Subway station
Subway line
Electrical substation
Entrance
Limit of surface elements
Underground walkway
Full property acquisition
Partial property acquisition for
surface elements only
Vent structure
Limit of PPUDO, Park ‘n’ Ride,
and associated roads.
Langstaff/Longbridge parking
N
Design features that address
community concerns:

Noise buffers

Maintaining a green corridor connection
Image courtesy of Calthorpe


Bio swales
Sustainable treatments for the
parking area
Park N Ride
Langstaff/Longbridge station
works in conjunction with
Richmond Hill Centre Terminal
Legend
Conceptual design, to be further developed in consultation with the community.
High-rise residential
Elementary School
Mid-rise residential
Elementary School
Low-rise residential
Open space woodlot
Main street retail
Green roof
Office
Site boundary
Civic
Site boundary
Richmond Hill Centre alignment
Legend
407 Transitway preliminary
routes under study
Community connector
Hydro corridor
Existing GO parking
Bus terminal
407 transitway station
Limits of PPUDO, PNR
and associated roads
Richmond Hill Centre Terminal
works in conjunction with
Langstaff/Longbridge station
Bus terminal
Image courtesy of Calthorpe
scale: 1:2000
11.2008
Major project costs
major project elements
cost M$
stations and area facilities
$650
Finch improvements
$5
Cummer/Drewry
$70
Steeles
$195
Clark
$70
Royal Orchard
$65
Langstaff/Longbridge
$85
Richmond Hill Centre
$160
tunnels, special structures and operating systems
$600
subway trains
$240
storage and maintenance facilities for subway trains
$110
engineering and other costs
$675
property
$125
project cost estimate, 2008 dollars
$2.4 billion
Next steps
January /February 2009



Issue Notice of Completion
Submit Environmental Project Report to
Ministry of the Environment for 30-day public review
Ministry of the Environment review period
[up to 35 days]
March/April 2009

Issue Statement of Completion
Spring 2009

Project ready to proceed