Chester station (Toronto) explained

Chester
Symbol Location:toronto
Symbol:2big
Style:Toronto Transit Commission
Address:22 Chester Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Country:Canada
Structure:Underground
Platform:Side platforms
Tracks:2
Bicycle:bike racks
Accessible:Yes
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail-metro
Marker-Color:
  1. 16A753
Zoom:15

Chester is a subway station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station is located on Chester Avenue just north of Danforth Avenue. Wi-Fi service is available at this station.[1] It opened in 1966 as one of the original stations of this subway line.

Facilities

Following the design style set by the stations of the Bloor–Danforth line, Chester station uses a two-colour theme with the station's name in the Toronto Subway font.[2] In keeping with the style, Chester's blue trim tiles and light green main tiles complement the original tile colours of Lansdowne and Dufferin, respectively.[3] The station has side platforms with 2 tracks serving the station, each with an elevator between platform level and street level at the existing entrance. Chester station has two entrances, both located on Chester Avenue just north of Danforth Avenue but on opposite sides of the street. A walkway leads to the station from a nearby street to allow access to the station from the west side. The Toronto Parking Authority operates a public parking lot across Chester Avenue opposite the subway entrance.

By 2021, the TTC had installed the artwork titled FLORAE by artist Katharine Harvey. The artwork is inspired by native plants and flowers of the area and consists of a series of wall mosaics and art glass elements. These were installed over the front entrance and by each of the two elevators. The station art is part of the TTC Public Art Program announced in June 2017.[4] [5]

Communities served

The nearby communities that are served by this station include Greektown, Withrow Park, Riverdale, and Broadview North. In addition to serving these communities, Chester station is commonly used to access local street festivals such as the Taste of the Danforth.[6]

History

Chester station was opened on February 26, 1966, along with the rest of the first phase of the Bloor–Danforth line which operated initially between and stations.[7]

The Gateway Newsstand kiosk at the station, which had been vacant for over six years, was reopened on May 8, 2015,[8] as "the Artist Newsstand" by a group of local artists led by Jess Dobkin.[9] [10] Along with the usual offerings of newspapers, magazines and drinks, the Artist Newsstand is a performance and gallery space for artists[11] and was staffed by artists as a way of funding their work. A $4,000 Kickstarter campaign was launched to fund the renovation of the kiosk, with the campaign successfully raising $4,931.[12] The Artist Newsstand operated in the space for one year.

Although the station's need for a second exit was rated as a high priority in 2004,[13] Chester was the last station left on the east end of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth where design work and consultation on the addition of a second exit had not started.[14] In May 2014, a list of 15 potential second-exit sites was developed.[15] In June 2016, the location of the second exit was announced, situated at the west side of the parking lot across the street from the main entrance.[16] The construction of two elevators and the second exit started in 2018, and the elevators opened on September 2, 2020; the second exit opened on April 23, 2021.[17] [18] [19] As part of the accessibility upgrades, the station was closed for two weeks in June 2020.[20]

Surface connections

See main article: List of Toronto Transit Commission bus routes. Chester station is not served by TTC buses during the day. When the subway is not in operation, the station is served by the 300 Bloor–Danforth night bus.[21]

!Route!Name!Additional information
300ABloor–DanforthEastbound to Warden; westbound to Pearson Airport
300BEastbound to Kennedy station; westbound to West Mall

Notes and References

  1. News: OUR STATIONS - TCONNECT.ca. TCONNECT.ca. December 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161222152337/http://tconnect.ca/our-stations/. December 22, 2016.
  2. Web site: Brader . Mark. An Essay on Original Subway Station Design. Transit Toronto . January 10, 2008. July 28, 2012.
  3. Web site: Blackett . Matthew . Ride the Rainbow of the Bloor–Danforth . Spacing Toronto . March 25, 2008 . July 28, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111130054941/http://spacingtoronto.ca/2008/03/25/ride-the-rainbow-of-bloor-danforth/ . November 30, 2011.
  4. Web site: TTC Public Art Program . . June 5, 2017 . July 18, 2017 .
  5. Web site: TTC celebrates accessibility at Wellesley, Chester stations . . October 1, 2020 . October 2, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201002210822/http://www.ttc.ca/News/2020/October/01_10_20NR_Easier_Access.jsp . October 2, 2020 .
  6. Web site: Map To Greektown With TTC and Parking Lots. Greektown on the Danforth BIA. July 28, 2012. https://archive.today/20130203091401/http://www.tasteofthedanforth.com/tasteofthedanforth_map.php. February 3, 2013.
  7. Web site: Bow . James. A History of Subways on Bloor and Queen Streets. Transit Toronto . November 29, 2009. July 28, 2012.
  8. Web site: We open on Friday, May 8! Grand Opening celebration on Wednesday, May 13!. Kickstarter. August 26, 2015.
  9. Web site: Art kiosk and newsstand set to open at Chester Station . Derek Flack . March 18, 2015. blogTO . The kiosk opens on May 1st. . March 1, 2015.
  10. News: Dupuis. Chris. Artist Newsstand breathes new life into the TTC. August 26, 2015. Daily Xtra. April 29, 2015.
  11. Web site: Toronto artists to transform Chester Station newsstand into performance space . March 18, 2015 . MetroNews . The plan is to re-open the kiosk as a newsstand, but also sell artists' works and schedule regular performances. . March 1, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150604223554/http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1316427/toronto-artists-to-transform-chester-station-newsstand-into-performance-space/ . June 4, 2015 .
  12. Web site: Extra! Extra! An Artists Newsstand is Coming to Toronto! . The Artists Newsstand. Kickstarter. August 26, 2015.
  13. Web site: Fire Safety and Second Exits at Subway Stations . Richard C. Ducharme . April 14, 2004 . Toronto Transit Commission . August 1, 2011 . August 7, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110807055806/http://www.ttc.ca/postings/gso-comrpt/documents/report/f2037/_conv.htm .
  14. Web site: Chester station last one without emergency escape . Danielle Milley . July 20, 2010. InsideToronto . https://web.archive.org/web/20100731021821/http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/849834--chester-station-last-one-without-emergency-escape . July 31, 2010 . January 1, 2012.
  15. Web site: Chester Station Local Working Group . Potential Exit Locations . ttc.ca . Toronto Transit Commission . 26 March 2020 . May 15, 2014.
  16. Web site: Chester Station Local Working Group . Chester Station Second Exit – Design Concept . ttc.ca . Toronto Transit Commission . 26 March 2020 . 12 . June 1, 2016.
  17. Web site: Chester Station Second Exit & Easier Access . ttc.ca . Toronto Transit Commission . 26 March 2020 . 6–7, 16 . June 5, 2018.
  18. Web site: Chester Station Second Exit & Easier Access. ttc.ca. Toronto Transit Commission. 6 September 2020.
  19. Web site: Chester Station - Second Exit/Entrance and Easier Access project update . . April 23, 2021 . April 26, 2021 . https://archive.today/20210426144458/http://www.ttc.ca/Service_Advisories/Construction/ChesterStationSecond.jsp . April 26, 2021 .
  20. News: TTC's Chester Station closing for two weeks to advance accessibility upgrades . June 3, 2020 . Toronto Transit Commission . Toronto Transit Commission . The TTC is taking advantage of lighter customer loads to advance important accessibility work at Chester Station. As a result, the station will close for approximately two weeks beginning next Tuesday, June 9, reopening on Tuesday, June 23..
  21. Web site: September 2022 . TTC System Map . https://web.archive.org/web/20221009124634/https://ttc-cdn.azureedge.net/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Images/Home/Routes-and-Schedules/Landing-page-pdfs/TTC_SystemMap_2021-11.pdf?rev=cf54155e99514157bcc5a9445cc0c3ac . October 9, 2022 . October 14, 2022 . Toronto Transit Commission.

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