Union Station Bus Terminal | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | CIBC Square 81 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario Canada |
Coordinates | 43°38′39″N79°22′41″W / 43.64417°N 79.37806°W |
Owned by | Metrolinx |
Platforms | 14 bus bays [1] |
Bus operators |
|
Connections | Union Station Union 310 509 510 |
Construction | |
Platform levels | 2 |
Bicycle facilities | Yes [2] |
Accessible | Yes [2] |
Other information | |
Station code | GO Transit: 02300 |
Fare zone | 02 |
History | |
Opened | December 5, 2020 |
The Union Station Bus Terminal is the central intercity bus terminal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in Downtown Toronto on the second floor of the south tower of CIBC Square, on the northeast corner of Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard. The terminal currently serves GO Transit regional buses as well as Coach Canada, Greyhound Lines and Ontario Northland long-distance bus services, among others. [3] [4] Owned by the provincial Crown agency Metrolinx, the terminal is connected by pedestrian walkways to the adjacent Union Station, Canada's busiest transportation hub. [5]
The terminal opened on December 5, 2020, replacing both an outdoor terminal that was located on the north side of the rail corridor and the Toronto Coach Terminal. [6] [7]
From the 1970s to the 1990s, the Toronto hub for GO Transit bus services was the Elizabeth Street annex to the Toronto Coach Terminal at Bay and Dundas Streets, with some routes also stopping curb-side at the Union Station train terminal, or the Royal York Hotel opposite it, from the inception of the GO Bus service on September 8, 1970. [8] After most operations moved out of that terminal in the mid-1990s, GO buses used a curb-side facility on Front Street in front of the railway station that could hold up to seven buses. However, taxis, delivery trucks and other private vehicles would compete for space in the area reserved for buses. GO staff had to organize lines of waiting passengers so as not to obstruct the sidewalk in front of the station. [9]
Given the traffic congestion and subsequent delays to service, a dedicated bus terminal close to Union Station was required. In 2003, GO Transit officially opened a dedicated Union Station bus terminal at 141 Bay Street at a cost of $9 million on December 5. [10] [9] The terminal unofficially commenced service the Labour Day weekend in 2002, when GO's Hamilton Express service, which was the last GO route still using the Elizabeth Street Terminal, relocated to Union. [8] Non-GO intercity bus operators such as Greyhound and Coach Canada continued to operate out of the Toronto Coach Terminal.
The terminal was built on the site of a small passenger depot and a former CP Express & Transport building. Most of the old structure was demolished, with a dock door retained and its limestone fascia stored for future use. [11]
The bus terminal was located on the east side of Bay Street directly across from the railway terminal, behind and south of the Dominion Public Building on Front Street, with an enclosed walkway above Bay Street directly connecting the terminal to the railway station concourse. There was also direct stairway access from the bus terminal to railway platforms 4 through 13 via the Bay East Teamway under the railway tracks. [12]
The terminal had 7 platforms with fixed platform assignments. [13] Every GO bus route departed from the same platform, a practice that would result in backlogs and delays. Due to height restrictions on the approaches to the terminal, all buses that served the terminal were single-decker buses or special low-height double-decker buses. [14] Per weekday, the bus terminal hosted 485 bus trips and served 13,600 riders. [13] According to Metrolinx, it was estimated more than 100 million customers had used the terminal while it was in operation. [15]
The bus terminal's last day of service was December 4, 2020, when it relocated to its current location under CIBC Square. The 2003 terminal was demolished shortly after. The north tower of CIBC Square will be built on the site, with completion scheduled for 2024. [16]
The terminal took over as Toronto's principal hub for intercity bus services from the Toronto Coach Terminal at Bay and Edward Street, two kilometres (1.2 mi) away. [6] Negotiations with intercity coach services first began in 2012, when the relocation of the Union Station Bus Terminal to the future CIBC Square was being planned. [17] [18] Intercity bus operators stated that they were in favour of moving from the Toronto Coach Terminal, as a location closer to the Gardiner Expressway would reduce journey times. [19] The Toronto Coach Terminal was leased by intercity bus operators from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) until July 7, 2021. [20] Coach Canada / Megabus relocated to the new terminal on June 8, 2021. [21] The Toronto Coach Terminal's last remaining tenant, Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services, transferred its operations to the Union Station Bus Terminal effective July 4, 2021. [22]
Greyhound Canada never moved to the Union Station terminal as it permanently ceased operations in May 2021. US-based Greyhound Lines began cross-border Toronto–Buffalo routes in November 2021, after COVID-19 pandemic–related Canada–United States border restrictions were relaxed. [23] [24]
The TTC declared the Toronto Coach Terminal site surplus effective July 8, 2021, and transferred ownership of it to the City of Toronto for redevelopment. [25] [26]
In 2007, the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (today's Metrolinx) recommended relocating the outdated Toronto Coach Terminal and the Union Station bus terminal into one integrated bus terminal. [27] [28] Planning work continued over the next few years, with Metrolinx stating in 2012 that they were "contemplating building a new bus terminal at 45 Bay St." [19] Intercity bus operators were in favour of moving from the Toronto Coach Terminal, as a location closer to the Gardiner Expressway would reduce journey times. [19]
In 2014, Metrolinx announced plans to move the Union Station Bus Terminal to the south tower of the then-proposed Bay Park Centre, located at the northeast corner of Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard. [29] [30] Bay Park Centre was later renamed CIBC Square when the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) became the lead tenant.
As part of the deal for the new terminal, Metrolinx sold the site of the old bus terminal at 141 Bay Street to Ivanhoé Cambridge and, in exchange, acquired a 99-year lease for the new terminal. [29] Construction on the new terminal began in 2017 and opened in 2020. [31] The terminal was developed through a partnership between Metrolinx and real estate firms Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines. The architects for CIBC Square were WilkinsonEyre and Adamson Associates. [31]
As part of the construction of the new terminal, the East Bay Teamway was closed temporarily. It gave direct access to GO trains on tracks 4 to 13 and provided a convenient way for riders to transfer between GO trains and GO buses at the old bus terminal. Once reopened, the East Bay Teamway will connect the new bus terminal to a future commercial development at the site of the old terminal. [12] By mid-2020, the new bus terminal was complete, and being tested for public use. [13]
The terminal opened on December 5, 2020. In late May 2021, the East Bay Teamway reopened, providing a direct indoor connection between the new bus terminal and GO Transit rail services on tracks 4 to 13. [32]
The streets surrounding the terminal do not have dedicated bus lanes. Since 2021, congestion on these streets has caused buses to be delayed and diverted away from the bus terminal. [33] [34] In 2023, a GO bus route was withdrawn due to this congestion. [35] Politicians and transit advocates have called for bus lanes and dedicated turning lanes to be installed on streets around the terminal, such as on Lake Shore Boulevard. [35] [36]
The bus terminal is located at 81 Bay Street, northwest of Lake Shore Boulevard and southeast of Union Station, on the south side of the Union Station Rail Corridor. The terminal is housed within the 48-storey south tower of the CIBC Square office development and is directly connected to Union Station via Scotiabank Arena (accessed by an enclosed pedestrian bridge over Bay Street, which is part of the city's Path indoor pedestrian network), which lies adjacent to Union Station itself. [15]
There are two street-level entrances, one on Bay Street opposite Scotiabank Arena, and the other on Lake Shore Boulevard just east of Bay Street. There is a pickup and dropoff area and bicycle parking on the P1 level. [2]
The terminal's bus platforms and waiting areas occupy two floors within CIBC Square. The terminal area is climate controlled, with glass doors separating the waiting area from the bus platforms. Other facilities include free Wi-Fi, charging points and washrooms. The terminal is also fully accessible, with elevators, braille and help points throughout the terminal. [37]
Boarding procedures are similar to those for an airport terminal. Digital screens direct riders to the appropriate zone to wait for boarding. Gate assignments appear on digital screens 10 minutes before bus departure, followed by an audio announcement on the PA system. Glass gate doors separating the waiting area from the platform open only when buses are ready to load passengers. [38]
The 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft), bi-level terminal has fourteen bus bays [1] – twice as many as the previous terminal – and can accommodate GO Transit's fleet of double-decker buses. [13] Unlike the old terminal, bus routes are not permanently assigned platforms in the terminal; this allows for reduced delays in bus unloading and departures. For safety and to prevent unauthorized access, passengers are allowed on the platforms only when buses are loading or unloading. [39] [40]
A Second Cup cafe is located on the first floor of the terminal. [41] [42]
Union Station Bus Terminal provides regional and long-distance bus services. As of 2023, seven carriers were using the terminal: GO Transit, Ontario Northland, FlixBus, Greyhound USA, Megabus/Coach Canada, Red Arrow and Rider Express, with GO Transit accounting for approximately 60% of trips arriving or departing from the station. [42]
GO Transit provides bus routes connecting to various cities and towns across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. One bus route, 16 Hamilton/Toronto Express, runs between Union Station Bus Terminal and Hamilton GO Centre in both directions throughout the day. All other GO Transit bus routes complement a namesake GO rail line, providing transit service in directions or periods when GO trains do not run. [43]
GO buses serve the following routes and rail corridors: [44] [43]
Bus company | Main destinations |
---|---|
FlixBus [46] |
|
Greyhound Lines |
|
Megabus [47] |
|
Ontario Northland [22] [48] |
|
Red Arrow |
Niagara Falls |
Rider Express |
|
The bus terminal is connected to Union Station by pedestrian walkways, providing access to connecting suburban and long-distance train services by GO Transit, Via Rail and Amtrak. Union Pearson Express connects the terminal to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The Bay East Teamway provides a direct indoor connection to tracks 4 to 13 used by GO Transit rail services. [32]
The terminal is also connected to the TTC subway and streetcar system at Union subway station –served by subway Line 1 Yonge–University and streetcar routes 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina. Toronto Transit Commission bus routes 19 Bay, 72 Pape and 121 Fort York–Esplanade also connect to Union Station at bus stops at the intersection of Front and Bay Streets. [49]
Porter Airlines operates a shuttle bus service to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport from the intersection of Front and York Streets, northwest of Union Station.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and largest of the urban transit service providers in the Greater Toronto Area, with numerous connections to systems serving its surrounding municipalities.
Union Station is a major railway station and intermodal transportation hub in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station is located in downtown Toronto, on Front Street West, on the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street. The municipal government of Toronto owns the station building while the provincial transit agency Metrolinx owns the train shed and trackage. It is operated by the Toronto Terminals Railway, a joint venture of the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, which directs and controls train movement along the Union Station Rail Corridor, the largest and busiest rail corridor in Canada. Constructed in 1927, Union Station has been a National Historic Site of Canada since 1975, and a Heritage Railway Station since 1989.
Line 1 Yonge–University is a rapid transit line of the Toronto subway. It serves Toronto and the neighbouring city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission, has 38 stations and is 38.4 km (23.9 mi) in length, making it the longest line on the subway system. It opened as the "Yonge subway" in 1954 as Canada's first underground passenger rail line and was extended multiple times between 1963 and 2017. As of 2010, Line 1 was the busiest rapid transit line in Canada, and one of the busiest lines in North America. In 2022, it averaged over 670,000 riders per weekday.
Union is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1954 as one of twelve original stations on the first phase of the Yonge line, the first rapid transit line in Canada. It was the southern terminus of the line until the opening of the University line in 1963, and is today the inflection point of the U-shaped line. Along with Spadina station and Queens Quay station, it is one of three stations open overnight to support late-night streetcar routes.
Eglinton is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway. Located on Eglinton Avenue, it is central to the Yonge–Eglinton neighbourhood in Midtown Toronto. Eglinton station is the seventh busiest station of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).
Scarborough Centre is a bus terminal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving multiple bus routes of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and one Durham Regional Transit (DRT) bus route. It was also a rapid transit station serving Line 3 Scarborough of the Toronto subway system until Line 3's closure on July 24, 2023. It is located north of Ellesmere Road between Brimley and McCowan Roads, just south of Highway 401. It was adjacent to the former Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal, which was a station for GO Transit buses and other intercity coach services until the TTC modified the facility for TTC buses.
MiWay, also known as Mississauga Transit and originally as Mississauga Transit Systems, is the municipal public transport agency serving Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and is responsible to the city's Transportation and Works Department. MiWay services consist of two types of bus routes: MiLocal, local buses that make frequent stops, and MiExpress, express buses between major destinations. MiWay is the primary operator along the Mississauga Transitway, a dedicated east–west bus-only roadway.
Guildwood GO Station is a GO Transit train station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Kingston Road in the Guildwood neighbourhood of the district of Scarborough. The station is situated on the CN Kingston Subdivision. It is a stop on the Lakeshore East line and also for intercity Via Rail Corridor services running from Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal.
Yorkdale Bus Terminal, located at 1 Yorkdale Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada occupies the lowest level of an office building adjacent to Yorkdale Shopping Centre and is connected directly to Yorkdale subway station by a pedestrian bridge.
Viva is the bus rapid transit operations of York Region Transit in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Viva service forms the spine for YRT's local bus service, providing seamless transit service across York Region with connections to northern Toronto.
The Toronto Coach Terminal is a decommissioned bus station for intercity bus services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was the central intercity bus station in Toronto until mid-2021, when it was replaced by the Union Station Bus Terminal. It is located at 610 Bay Street, in the city's downtown. Opened in 1931 as the Gray Coach Terminal, the Art Deco style structure was the main hub for Gray Coach, an interurban coach service then owned by the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC). It replaced an earlier open air depot, the Union Coach Terminal.
Transportation in the Canadian city of Toronto forms the hub of the road, rail and air networks in the Greater Toronto Area and much of southern Ontario. There are many forms of transport in the city, including railways, highways, and public transit. Toronto also has an extensive network of bicycle lanes and multi-use trails and paths.
Highway 407 is a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway. It is located at the southwest quadrant of the Jane Street and Highway 407 interchange, in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Opened on December 17, 2017, it is one of two Toronto subway stations that are outside the city of Toronto, the other being Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station.
Line 6 Finch West, also known as the Finch West LRT, is a light rail transit line under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to be operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. The 10.3-kilometre (6.4 mi), 18-stop line is to extend from Finch West station on Line 1 Yonge–University to the North Campus of Humber College in Etobicoke. The line will operate in a dedicated above-ground right-of-way, much of it within Finch Avenue, segregated from street traffic. The line will use transit signal priority and standard gauge rather than the broad Toronto gauge. The line is forecast to carry about 14.6 million rides a year or 40,000 a day by 2031 and will replace the 36B Finch West bus route, which is one of the three busiest bus routes in Toronto. Line 6 was originally expected to open within the first half of 2024, with an estimated cost of CA$2.5 billion. For budget purposes, the TTC made the assumption that Line 6 would have open no earlier than September 2024. However, the builder, Mosaic Transit Group, expects the line to open by the end of 2024.
Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal is a regional and intercity bus terminal in Scarborough City Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located near its namesake rapid transit station on Line 3 Scarborough of the Toronto subway. It is served by GO Transit buses. The terminal is near the Scarborough Town Centre shopping mall and the Scarborough Civic Centre. Until 2022, Megabus, and other private coach services used the terminal, but have moved to temporary on-street locations nearby due to subway construction.
Renforth, referred to during planning as Renforth Gateway, is a bus station on the border of the cities of Mississauga and Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. Located at Eglinton Avenue and Renforth Drive, it is the eastern terminus of the Mississauga Transitway and is close to the interchange between Highway 401 and Highway 427.
CIBC Square is an office complex in the South Core neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The complex, located on Bay Street south of Front Street, is a joint development of Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines. It serves as the new global operational headquarters for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), consolidating approximately 15,000 staff from several CIBC-tenanted buildings in the Greater Toronto Area, including its existing headquarters at Commerce Court. The complex also includes the Union Station Bus Terminal constructed on behalf of Metrolinx for GO Transit and other inter-city bus services, connected directly to Union Station. The complex will also include a one-acre park elevated over the rail corridor.
The Pearson Regional Transit Centre also known as Union Station West is a proposed second intermodal transportation hub to serve the Greater Toronto Area. The transit hub will be located at the site of Viscount station currently serving the Link Train across from Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario. The transit hub will be accommodated with a new passenger and processing facility known as Terminal New. It will handle functions such as check-in, security screenings and baggage claim. The transit hub will also be at the centre of a new mixed-used area including office, retail and commercial space. The plan is to bring Line 5 Eglinton, Line 6 Finch West, the Mississauga Transitway, the Kitchener line and the Union Pearson Express together into the transit hub and it will relieve Union Station. The transit centre is planned to open in the early 2030s.
Kipling Bus Terminal is a regional bus terminal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The terminal serves MiWay and GO Transit buses. It is owned by Metrolinx and is a part of the Kipling Transit Hub, a Metrolinx mobility hub, together with Kipling station and Kipling GO Station. The terminal first opened on January 4, 2021, replacing the former MiWay bus connection to the Line 2 Bloor–Danforth subway at Islington station.
Humber College is a below-grade light rail transit (LRT) station that is under construction on Line 6 Finch West, a new line that is part of the Toronto subway system. The station will be located at the southwest corner of Highway 27 and Humber College Boulevard on the Humber College North Campus in Etobicoke, Toronto. The station will be the western terminus of Line 6, which is expected to open by the end of 2024. A walkway will connect the LRT station to the nearby Humber College Bus Terminal.
Low-height double-decker buses will ease crowding on some of our busier trips and will be able to serve four terminals that can only currently be served by single-level buses due to height restrictions — Hamilton, Yorkdale, York Mills and Union Station.
Media related to Union Station Bus Terminal at Wikimedia Commons