Wikipedia

Finch West station

Finch West is a subway station on the Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway. It is located under Keele Street, north of Finch Avenue West. When Line 6 Finch West opens in the fourth quarter of 2024,[2] it will serve as the eastern terminus of that line.

Finch West
General information
Location3950 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates43°45′55″N 79°29′28″W / 43.76528°N 79.49111°W / 43.76528; -79.49111
PlatformsCentre platform
Tracks
  • Line 1: 2
  • Line 6: 2
Bus routes
  •  36  Finch West
  •  41  Keele
  •  107  York University Heights
  •  336   Finch West
  •  341   Keele
  •  939B  Finch Express
  •  941  Keele Express
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Parking347 spaces
Bicycle facilities13 short term
AccessibleYes
ArchitectSpadina Group Associates (Will Alsop and IBI Group)
Architectural stylePostmodern architecture
Other information
WebsiteOfficial station page
History
OpenedLine 1: December 17, 2017; 6 years ago (2017-12-17)[1]
OpeningLine 6: Q4 2024[2]
Passengers
2023–2024[3]18,345
Rank41 of 70
Services
Preceding station Toronto Transit Commission Following station
York University
towards Vaughan
 Line 1 Yonge–University Downsview Park
towards Finch
Future services
Preceding station Toronto Transit Commission Following station
Sentinel
towards Humber College
 Line 6 Finch West
(opens 2024)
 Terminus
Location
Map

Description

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Finch West station main entrance building and bus terminal

The station is underground and parallel to Keele Street just north of Finch Avenue West. Nearby landmarks include Fountainhead Park. Industrial areas lie to the east, James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School to the west and York University is to the northwest, served by the next station north on the line.

The main entrance is located on the east side of Keele Street with the secondary entrance on the west side. The exterior of the main entrance features a striped, barcode cladding along with colourful tiling and windows. The concourse level around the faregates also features the barcode motif. An elevated substation facility is in the attic level of the main building and overhangs the main entrance as a canopy. The main entrance is highlighted by a glowing panel attached to the canopy. There is a cool roof over this entrance and a green roof over the elevated substation box. The six-bay bus terminal has a waiting area inside the building. Bicycle parking at the station includes 100 secure plus 13 short-term spaces. North of the station is a parking lot for 347 cars plus a pick-up-and-drop-off facility.[4][5][6]

The station was designed by a consortium of architects and engineers, Spadina Group Associates – including All Design (headed by British architect Will Alsop) and IBI Group.[7][8] Scottish artist Bruce McLean – a frequent collaborator with Will Alsop[7] – worked with the design team to integrate sculptural concrete forms with the supporting columns within the entrance buildings, on double-height platform columns, and under the bus canopy.[9][7] Landscape design of the station was by Janet Rosenberg & Studio.[10]

History

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The station under construction in 2016

In March 2006, The Globe and Mail reported that real estate development companies belonging to the family of Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara owned the properties just south of the intersection of Finch Avenue West and Keele Street, according to land registry documents and corporate records. The article said that these companies would benefit from higher real estate values due to the subway extension. Sorbara was the Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament for Vaughan, and was a major advocate for the Toronto–York Spadina Subway Extension, which includes Finch West station.[11]

On November 27, 2009, the official groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Toronto–York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE), and major tunnelling operations started in June 2011.[12] The project, including Finch West station, was initially expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2015 but was delayed to the fourth quarter of 2016;[13] ultimately, the station opened on December 17, 2017.[14]

In mid-2015, the former Toronto Fire Station 141 on the east side of Keele and south side of the hydro corridor was demolished to make way for the bus platform area. A new fire station replaced this building on the opposite side of Keele Street.[15]

This station, along with the five other TYSSE stations, were the first to be opened without fare collectors, although collector booths were installed as per original station plans.[16] It was also among the first eight stations to discontinue sales of legacy TTC fare media (tokens and tickets). Presto vending machines were available at its opening to sell Presto cards and to load funds or monthly passes onto them.[17] On May 3, 2019, this station became one of the first ten stations to sell Presto tickets via Presto vending machines.[18]

Line 6 Finch West

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Main article: Line 6 Finch West
 
Southeast entrance in October 2024

Line 6 Finch West, expected to open in 2024, will have its eastern terminus at Finch West station.[19] The station will be located 11 m (36 ft) underground[20] with an east–west orientation under Finch Avenue West, passing over the crossover box structure for Line 1 subway trains. The station will have a centre island platform, which will be at least 98 m (322 ft) long to handle LRV trains.[21][22] West of the platform, there is a ramp carrying Line 6 to street level. At the top of the ramp, there is a double crossover.[23]

As part of the project, a new two-storey station entrance will be built at the southeast corner of the Keele–Finch intersection, with an underground tunnel to link the new line to the existing Line 1 station. Two skylights will also be built in the median to allow light into the station below.[22] Provision for the Line 6 connection was included as part of the station's design, with knockout panels provided to ease construction.[19]

Subway infrastructure in the vicinity

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The still-clean tunnels and centre storage track (visible at left) north of the station a few days after the Line 1 extension opened in December 2017. Note the cut-away side of the bored mainline tunnel to accommodate the centre track, which was constructed after the initial boring work.

The line curves off the Keele Street alignment a short distance to the north and south of the station, veering northwest to York University station and swings broadly at a 90° angle southeast to Downsview Park station. To reverse trains, there is both a crossover at the south end of the station and a storage track to the north.[24] The centre track structure at this station was constructed in a unique manner from ones at other stations, which were built fully using the cut-and-cover method with columns between the tracks. At this station, after the mainline tunnels were bored and the ground excavated for the station structure, the inner sides of the tunnel liners north of the station box were removed, and the centre track tunnel constructed between them, resulting in three fully separate tunnels.

Surface connections

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Main article: List of Toronto Transit Commission bus routes

The 36 Finch West bus route splits here to help maintain reliable service in light of the Finch West LRT construction west of this station. The 36 Finch West and 939B Finch Express enter via Tangiers Road.[25] When the subway is closed, buses do not enter the station and bypass Tangiers Road. Buses serving Keele Street do not enter the station but stop on-street, and a transfer is required for connection.[26] The following routes serve the station:[27][28]

Route Name Additional information
36A/B Finch West Eastbound to Finch station
36B Westbound to Humberwood Boulevard
36D Westbound to Weston Road and Milvan Drive
(Rush hour service)
36F Westbound to Weston Road and Milvan Drive via Fenmar Drive
(Rush hour service)
41 Keele Northbound to Pioneer Village station and southbound to Keele station
(On-street connection)
107A York University Heights Northbound to Steeles Avenue West via Keele Street
(On-street connection)
107B Southbound to Sheppard West station via Keele Street
(On-street connection)
107C Northbound to Steeles Avenue West via Keele Street and Supertest Road
(Rush hour service; on-street connection)
107D Southbound to Sheppard West station via Keele Street and Supertest Road
(Rush hour service; on-street connection)
939B Finch Express Eastbound to Kennedy station via Finch station
941 Keele Express Southbound to Keele station
(Weekday service; on-street connection)
336 Finch West Blue Night service; eastbound to Finch station and westbound to Woodbine Race Track
(Overnight service stops on Finch Avenue West and does not enter the station.)
341 Keele Blue Night service; northbound to York University and southbound to Keele station
(Overnight service stops on Keele Street and does not enter the station.)

After Line 6 opening

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After the opening of Line 6 Finch West, the above bus connections will be replaced by the following routes (proposed as of November 2023):[29]

Route Name Additional information
36 Finch West Eastbound to Finch station
41 Keele Northbound to Pioneer Village station and southbound to Keele station
(On-street connection)
101 Downsview Park Southbound to Wilson station via St. Regis Crescent and Downsview Park station
107 Alness–Chesswood Northbound to Steeles Avenue West, then southbound to Sheppard West station via Alness Street and Chesswood Drive
939B Finch Express Eastbound to Scarborough Centre station via Finch station
941 Keele Express Southbound to Keele station
(Weekday service; on-street connection)
336 Finch West Blue Night service; eastbound to Finch station and westbound to Woodbine Race Track
(Overnight service; stops on Finch Avenue West and does not enter the station.)
341 Keele Blue Night service; northbound to York University and southbound to Keele station
(Overnight service; stops on Keele Street and does not enter the station.)

References

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  1. ^ Beattie, Samantha; Spurr, Ben (December 16, 2017). "After delays, cost overruns, and tragedy, a subway to Vaughan is complete". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on December 17, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Finch West Light Rail Transit: Train Operating & Services Term Sheet" (PDF). City of Toronto. January 16, 2024. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "Subway ridership, 2023-2024" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved November 12, 2024. This table shows the typical number of customer-boardings made on each subway line and the number of customers travelling to and from each station platform on a typical weekday in Sep 2023-Aug 2024.
  4. ^ Byford, Andy (November 10, 2017). "Next stop on TTC Line 1 extension: Finch West Station". Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  5. ^ "Finch West Station". Ttc.ca. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Moore, Oliver; Gray, Jeff (December 14, 2017). "Next stop, Vaughan: Inside the Toronto subway's big move beyond the city limits". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c "Finch West Station". aLL Design. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  8. ^ "Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension: Finch West Subway Station". IBI Group. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  9. ^ "Finch West Station". Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  10. ^ Cogley, Bridget (January 5, 2018). "Will Alsop designs two colourful metro stations for Toronto's expanded subway". Dezeen. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  11. ^ Moore, Oliver (March 23, 2006). "Subway plan could benefit Sorbara family". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  12. ^ Byford, Andy (March 26, 2015). "Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension – Schedule and Budget Change" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017. The TYSSE project is currently 70 per cent complete. However, it has been determined that the publicly stated opening date of the end of 2016 and the approved budget are not achievable. This report recommends that a comprehensive project "reset" involving a new third-party project manager be undertaken to deliver the project by December 31st, 2017
  13. ^ "Schedule Status Update" (PDF). Toronto–York Spadina Subway Extension Project. Toronto Transit Commission. October 24, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  14. ^ A. Byford, CEO (March 26, 2015). "Toronto–York Spadina Subway Extension – Schedule and Budget Change" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2015. The TYSSE project is currently 70 per cent complete. However, it has been determined that the publicly stated opening date of the end of 2016 and the approved budget are not achievable. This report recommends that a comprehensive project "reset" involving a new third-party project manager be undertaken to deliver the project by December 31st, 2017
  15. ^ "City of Toronto Fire Station 141 has a new Home!". Toronto Transit Commission. February 29, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017. To make room for the new bus terminal at the future Finch West Subway Station, Toronto Fire Station 141 had to be relocated. The new Fire Station 141 can be found at the southwest corner of the intersection of Keele Street and Murray Ross Parkway.
  16. ^ "York University station – Site plan (P. 19)" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  17. ^ "New Customer Service Agents at TTC stations". Toronto Transit Commission. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  18. ^ "TTC extends sales of Presto Tickets to 10 stations". Toronto Transit Commission. May 6, 2019. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Finch West LRT Project FAQs" (PDF). Metrolinx. 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 28, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  20. ^ "From underground to street level – New photos show progress along Finch West LRT route". Metrolinx. March 16, 2022. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022.
  21. ^ "Finch West LRT Project Spring Open House Presentation – May 2020" (PDF). Metrolinx. May 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  22. ^ a b "Finch West LRT Project Spring Open Houses Presentation - May 24, 28 & 30, 2019" (PDF). Metrolinx. May 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  23. ^ "Major vehicle testing milestone on Finch West LRT". Metrolinx. May 23, 2024. p. 0:10.
  24. ^ "Finch West station – Approval of Conceptual Design" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. January 20, 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  25. ^ "Bus Route Changes". Toronto Transit Commission. September 2017. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017. See New TTC Network Archived December 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine map.
  26. ^ "Finch West Station (Connections)". Toronto Transit Commission. December 2017. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  27. ^ "Changes to TTC Bus Routes for Line 1 Extension" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  28. ^ "Miscellaneous TTC Discussion & Questions". December 20, 2007. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  29. ^ "2024 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. November 17, 2023. p. 115.
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  Media related to Finch West station at Wikimedia Commons Official station page

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