Downsview (TTC)

Downsview is an underground subway station in Toronto. It is the northwestern terminus of the Yonge- University - Spadina line of the Toronto Subway, at the corner of Allen Road and Sheppard Avenue. The station, which has a central platform, is used daily by an average of 31,600 passengers (2009 /10). In the vicinity is the Downsview airport.

Station

For the station design Adamson Associates Architects ( input range and distribution level ) and Stevens Group Architects were responsible ( platform level ). The platform does not require any supporting pillars, and the high vaulted ceiling gives the impression of a hangar. This impression is reinforced by incident light. Also the distributor level and the adjoining bus terminal act extremely spacious with high ceilings, skylights and the extensive use of glass.

The station is surrounded by fallow land, the building density is very low. Nevertheless, it has a good passenger frequency, which is due to the design as a transportation hub. In the bus terminal connecting flights to nine bus routes of urban society Toronto Transit Commission (TTC ) and three bus routes from York Region Transit to the neighboring Regional Municipality of York. In addition, the commuters are a park -and-ride with 641 paid parking and a kiss- and-ride facility available.

Two works of art adorn the station. Sliding Pi in the stairwell to the bus terminal is a large-scale wall mosaic with square tiles. According to the artist Arlene Stamp the irregular pattern is based on the scale of the circle number (Pi). At the entrance stands Boney bus, an iron sculpture of John McKinnon, reminiscent of a bus.

History

Plans for the station there was for the first time at the beginning of the 1980s. In Downsview subway lines two should meet. Political infighting delayed the plans out again and again. As a concession to the then independent town of the municipality of North York Metropolitan Toronto Association decided in 1989, at least the extension of the Yonge- University - Spadina line of Wilson after Downsview. The groundbreaking ceremony took place three years later. Due to the small distance of the planned route to ammunition depots of the adjacent air force base Downsview the route had to be performed twice a new, even the Environmental Impact took a long time to complete. Finally, the extension could be put into operation on 30 March 1996.

Opened in 2002, Sheppard Line was originally to be extended from the station Sheppard - Yonge along the Sheppard Avenue to Downsview. Plans for an already existed for two decades, but the construction of this section was never due to lack of funding materialize until today. 2003, the TTC, the western part of the Sheppard Line decided to postpone indefinitely, because the low population density still does not justify the subway.

Under construction currently is a further extension of the Yonge- University - Spadina Line. It will be 8.6 km long and include six new stations. The route across the campus of York University will result in the suburb of Vaughan. Construction began in November 2009 and should be completed by 2015.