Union Station Bus Terminal

Union Station Bus Terminal
Location 141 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates 43°38′44″N 79°22′40″W / 43.64556°N 79.37778°W / 43.64556; -79.37778Coordinates: 43°38′44″N 79°22′40″W / 43.64556°N 79.37778°W / 43.64556; -79.37778
Owned by Metrolinx
Platforms 7 bus bays
Bus operators GO Transit
Can-ar Coach Service
Connections Union Railway Station
Union station (TTC)
Construction
Bicycle facilities Yes
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Station code GO Transit: USBT
Fare zone 02
History
Opened 2003

The Union Station Bus Terminal is part of GO Transit's facilities at Union Station in downtown Toronto, which is the hub for GO Transit's commuter rail service. The bus terminal opened in 2003 to replace the on-street facility in front of the railway station, relieving the traffic congestion on Front Street, and to accommodate GO buses moved from the Toronto Coach Terminal. Facilities available are: ticket counter/machines, newsstand/snack bar, public washrooms and a heated waiting area.

The bus terminal is located on the east side of Bay Street, directly across the street from the railway terminal. An enclosed walkway above the street connects the bus terminal to the railway station concourse. There is also direct stairway access from the bus terminal to railway platforms 4 through 13 via the Bay East Teamway under the railway tracks.

The site of the Union Station Bus Terminal was once occupied by a small passenger depot and more recently former CP Express & Transport building. Most of the old structure was demolished with a dock door retained and limestone fascia stored.[1] The bus terminal sees an average of 7,000 passengers on week days.

Bus routes

One bus, the Hamilton Express, serves this terminal throughout the day, while other routes are connected to the rail corridors, with no bus service during the weekday peak hours, when the trains are in operation. Due to height restrictions on the approaches to the terminal, all buses plying these routes are single-decker buses or special low-height double-decker buses.[2]

View of bus platforms
Platform assignments
41 - Unloading
42 - Hamilton Express via QEW (route 16)[3]
43 - Milton GO line corridor stations, Lisgar, Erindale, Streetsville[4]
44 - Square One Bus Terminal
45 - Richmond Hill GO line corridor stations[5]
46 - Barrie GO line corridor stations/Newmarket Bus Terminal[6]
47 - Stouffville GO line corridor stations/Uxbridge[7] and Georgetown/Brampton

Connections

Railway services GO Transit, Via Rail and Amtrak are at the adjoining Union Railway Station.

Local Toronto Transit Commission services use Union Subway Station for the Yonge–University–Spadina subway line and streetcar routes 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina. TTC bus routes 6 Bay[8] and 72 Pape [9] use curbside stops on the streets nearby.

Relocation

In 2014, Metrolinx announced plans to move the current terminal to the south tower of the proposed CIBC Square (originally Bay Park Centre), located to the south of the current location on the opposite side of the rail corridor, by 2018.[10] However, the complex did not secure a lead tenant (CIBC) until 2017, at which point the move date was changed to 2020.[11] This new terminal, which will expand capacity from 7 to 14 bays and be able to accommodate GO's fleet of double-decker buses, will be housed in a complex of office towers and elevated park over the rail corridor. The relocation of intercity bus service, such as Greyhound and Coach Canada, from the Toronto Coach Terminal to the new station is under negotiation.[12]

The current site is to be replaced by the north tower of CIBC Square.

References

  1. ↑ CP Express Building Demolition - Union Station Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ "New Low-Height Buses". GOTransit.com. GO Transit. n.d. Retrieved 7 January 2017. 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.
  3. ↑ Hamilton QEW GO Bus Schedule Archived January 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Milton GO Train & Bus Schedule Archived September 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Richmond Hill GO Train & Bus Schedule Archived December 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ Barrie GO Train & Bus Schedule Archived December 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Stouffville GO Train & Bus Schedule Archived January 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ TTC Route 6 Bay
  9. ↑ TTC Route 72 Pape
  10. ↑ "Union Station gets new GO bus terminal as part of office tower development". CBC News. September 30, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  11. ↑ Wright, Lisa (April 12, 2017). "CIBC to move head offices to new Bay Park Centre". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Toronto Coach Terminal Inc. (TCTI) – 610 Bay Street and 130 Elizabeth Street, Toronto – Lease Disposition" (PDF). City of Toronto. 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2017-04-16.

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