Dundas West station explained

Dundas West
Symbol Location:toronto
Symbol:2big
Style:Toronto Transit Commission
Address:2365 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Country:Canada
Coordinates:43.6569°N -79.4529°W
Structure:Underground
Platform:Side platforms
Tracks:2
Rebuilt:2002 (streetcar infrastructure)
Accessible:yes
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail-metro
Marker-Color:
  1. 000
Zoom:15

Dundas West is a subway station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth of the Toronto subway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located just north of Bloor Street West at the corner of Dundas Street and Edna Avenue. The station is about 200 metres west of Bloor GO Station on the GO Transit Kitchener line and the Union Pearson Express.

The station, which is the northwestern terminus of the 504A King and 505 Dundas streetcar routes, has two streetcar platforms and five bus bays to allow riders to transfer between connecting routes. Wi-Fi service is available at this station.[1] A McDonald's restaurant serves the station, with access from both the fare-paid and non-fare-paid areas of the station's upper level, and there is a Gateway Newstand on the mezzanine level.

Overview

To the east of the station, the subway runs in a twin-bored tunnel until just before the next station (Lansdowne). This allowed the tracks to pass underneath nearby railway lines without disturbing them during construction. To the west, the tracks follow a short "cut and cover" tunnel before emerging outside at the Dorval Portal. Trains run in the open air until they enter Keele Station.

The four tunnels comprising the Vincent Subway Yard are underground and south of the subway platforms. This station also houses the Subway Track Maintenance Office, which is located on the Mezzanine level.

Nearby landmarks include The Crossways residential and retail complex, Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School, The Lithuanian House banquet hall, Roncesvalles and The Junction neighbourhoods.

History

Dundas West station opened in 1966 as a part of the initial segment of the Bloor–Danforth line between and .

In 2002, as part of a scheduled reconstruction of the streetcar tracks on Dundas Street, a second streetcar track and platform were added to improve reliability on both the 504 King and 505 Dundas streetcar routes. Until the completion of the second track, a streetcar waiting in the station on either route could hold up vehicles on the other. At the same time, elevators were added, making the station wheelchair-accessible.

Following controversy over the namesake of Dundas StreetHenry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, who delayed the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade[2] Toronto City Council voted in 2021 to rename Dundas Street and other civic assets named after Dundas, such as Dundas West station.[3] A new name was to be chosen in April 2022. In December 2023, citing costs, Toronto ultimately decided to keep Dundas' name for the street but to rename Yonge-Dundas Square and the two subway stations named after him, Dundas and Dundas West.[4]

In April 2022, the streetcar loop was closed for two months to replace track and to extend the 505 streetcar platform to accommodate two Flexity Outlook streetcars.[5] [6]

Surface connections

See main article: List of Toronto Transit Commission bus routes.

TTC routes serving the station include:

RouteNameAdditional information
40AJunction–Dundas WestWestbound to Kipling station
40BWestbound to Jane Street
168SymingtonNorthbound to Rogers Road and Weston Road
304KingBlue Night Network
eastbound to Broadview station
305DundasBlue Night Network; eastbound to Broadview station
340JunctionEastbound to Gunns Loop
402ParkdaleCommunity bus
504AKingStreetcar; eastbound to Distillery Loop
505DundasStreetcar; eastbound to Broadview station

Connection to Bloor GO station

Metrolinx has contracted to build a connection between Dundas West station and the nearby Bloor GO Station via a new pedestrian tunnel at the east end of the subway platforms. Customers transferring from the TTC to GO/UPX need to walk east along city streets from the only station entrance at the west end of the subway platforms. The new tunnel will shorten that distance to . The work includes:

Metrolinx began proceedings to expropriate necessary properties for a pedestrian tunnel in September 2017.[7] Metrolinx intended to start construction in 2018, but this was delayed when the ownership of the Crossways changed hands. Metrolinx expected property within the Crossways' parking garage necessary for tunnel construction to be transferred to Metrolinx in 2019.[8] By August 2023, the contract to construct the pedestrian connection between the two stations was awarded to Kenaidan Contractors Ltd.[9] Construction on the tunnel began in May 2024.[10]

In 2011, Metrolinx predicted there would be 2,000 transfers between the two stations by 2031.[11], there were approximately 600 daily transfers.

Notes and References

  1. News: There's now free WiFi at over 40 TTC subway stations. blogTO. 21 December 2016. 12 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170912082156/http://www.blogto.com/city/2016/11/theres_now_free_wifi_at_over_40_ttc_subway_stations/. live.
  2. Web site: 29 June 2021. Recognition Review Project Update and Response to the Dundas Street Renaming Petition. live. 29 June 2021. Toronto City Council. https://web.archive.org/web/20210628160811/https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-168523.pdf . 28 June 2021 .
  3. Web site: 14 July 2021. Toronto city council votes to rename Dundas street, other amenities with same name. 14 July 2021. CTV News. en. 3 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220403205423/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-city-council-votes-to-rename-dundas-street-other-amenities-with-same-name-1.5509387. live.
  4. News: December 15, 2023 . Toronto changes course on name change for Dundas Street . en-CA . The Globe and Mail . December 17, 2023.
  5. Web site: Dundas West Station - streetcar track renewal and platform expansion . . 11 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220411004629/https://www.ttc.ca/service-advisories/construction-notices/Dundas-West-Station---streetcar-track-renewal-and-platform-expansion . 11 April 2022 . live .
  6. Web site: Dundas West Station Reconstruction (Revised) . . Steve . Munro . 6 April 2022 .
  7. https://www.facebook.com/MetrolinxOfficial/posts/10155714412328035
  8. Web site: blog.metrolinx.com . Another round of work kicks off on the Kitchener Line that will see an upgraded Bloor GO Station and West Toronto Railpath . 6 July 2022 . 4 December 2022 . 26 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220726235846/https://blog.metrolinx.com/2022/07/26/another-round-of-work-kicks-off-on-the-kitchener-line-that-will-see-an-upgraded-bloor-go-station-and-west-toronto-railpath/ . live .
  9. Web site: New connection for Bloor GO/UP Express & Dundas West Stations . . 2023-08-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230901232928/https://www.metrolinx.com/en/news/new-connection-for-bloor-go-up-express-dundas-west-stations . 2023-09-01 . live . dmy-all .
  10. Web site: McLawhorn . Jennifer . Metrolinx Begins Bloor-Dundas Tunnel Construction . RT&S . May 30, 2024 . May 24, 2024.
  11. Web site: GO and TTC make a connection at Dundas West . . 22 March 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121024174941/http://www.thestar.com/news/transportation/article/958841--go-and-ttc-make-a-connection-at-dundas-west . 24 October 2012 . live .