Dundas West station

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.

Dundas West
General information
Location2365 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates43°39′25″N 79°27′10.5″W
PlatformsSide platforms
Tracks2
Connections
  •  40  Junction–Dundas West
  •  168  Symington
  •  402  Parkdale Community Bus
  •  504A  King
  •  505  Dundas
  •  300   Bloor - Danforth
  •  306   Carlton
  •  312  St Clair
Bloor GO
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
AccessibleYes
Other information
WebsiteOfficial station page
History
Opened26 February 1966 (1966-02-26)
Rebuilt2002 (streetcar infrastruture)
Passengers
2019[1]32,471
Rank26 of 75
Services
Preceding station Toronto Transit Commission Following station
Keele
towards Kipling
 Bloor–Danforth Lansdowne
towards Kennedy
Terminus 504A King Roncesvalles Avenue
towards Distillery Loop
505 Dundas Roncesvalles Avenue
towards Broadview
Location

The station, which is the north-western 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.[2] 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
Looking westwards over Vincent Yard towards the elevated Keele station

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 open-air until they enter Keele Station.

South of the subway platforms, underground, are the four tunnels that comprise the Vincent Subway Yard. This station is also home to the Subway Track Maintenance Office, 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 Keele and Woodbine.

In 2002 as part of a scheduled reconstruction of the streetcar tracks on Dundas Street, a second streetcar track and platform was added in an effort 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 Street – Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, who delayed the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade[3] – Toronto City Council voted in 2021 to rename Dundas Street and other civic assets named after Dundas, such as Dundas West station.[4] A new name will be chosen in April 2022.[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
Streetcar and bus platforms
Main article: List of Toronto Transit Commission bus routes

TTC routes serving the station include:

Route Name Additional information
40A Junction–Dundas West Westbound to Kipling station
40B Westbound to Jane Street
168 Symington Northbound to Rogers Road and Weston Road
304 King Blue Night Network; eastbound to Broadview station
306 Carlton Blue Night Network; eastbound to Main Street station
312 St. Clair-Junction Eastbound to St. Clair station
402 Parkdale Community bus
504A King Streetcar; eastbound to Distillery Loop
505 Dundas Streetcar; 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. Currently, customers transferring from the TTC to GO/UPX need to walk 500 metres (1,600 ft) 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 200 metres (660 ft). The work includes:[7]

  • a new concourse in the lower level of The Crossways’ building
  • elevator access to the TTC platform level
  • two elevators and a stairwell to connect GO’s Bloor tunnel to a new TTC concourse
  • an electrical backup system in case of power outages

Metrolinx began proceedings to expropriate necessary properties for a pedestrian tunnel in September 2017.[8] 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.[9] By August 2023, the contract to construct the pedestrian connection between the two stations was awarded to Kenaidan Contractors Ltd.[7]

In 2011, Metrolinx predicted there would be 2,000 transfers between the two stations by 2031.[10] As of 2023, there were approximately 600 daily transfers.[7]

References
  1. "Subway ridership, 2019" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2023. This table shows the typical number of customer-trips made on each subway on an average weekday and the typical number of customers travelling to and from each station platform on an average weekday.
  2. "There's now free WiFi at over 40 TTC subway stations". blogTO. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  3. "Recognition Review Project Update and Response to the Dundas Street Renaming Petition" (PDF). Toronto City Council. 29 June 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  4. "Toronto city council votes to rename Dundas street, other amenities with same name". CTV News. 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  5. "Dundas West Station - streetcar track renewal and platform expansion". Toronto Transit Commission. 11 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022.
  6. Munro, Steve (6 April 2022). "Dundas West Station Reconstruction (Revised)". Steve Munro.
  7. "New connection for Bloor GO/UP Express & Dundas West Stations". Metrolinx. 31 August 2023. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023.
  8. https://www.facebook.com/MetrolinxOfficial/posts/10155714412328035
  9. "Another round of work kicks off on the Kitchener Line that will see an upgraded Bloor GO Station and West Toronto Railpath". blog.metrolinx.com. 6 July 2022. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  10. "GO and TTC make a connection at Dundas West". Metrolinx. 22 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012.
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