Bay (TTC)

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Coordinates: 43°40′10.93″N, 79°23′21.98″W

Bay
64 Bloor Street West
Opened February 25, 1966
District Old Toronto
Line Bloor-Danforth line
Next station Bloor-Danforth line:
≅0.8 km west to St. George 1 min
≅0.2 km east to Bloor-Yonge 1 min

Lower Bay tunnel:
≅0.6 km southwest to Museum 1 min, not in regular use
≅0.2 km east to Bloor-Yonge 1 min, not in regular use
Daytime Connections 6 Bay
Night Connections 300 Bloor-Danforth
Daily Boardings 33,540
Rank 2007-08 19th busiest out of 69
Platforms Centre platform (additional closed centre platform underneath) 
Accessibility 0 elevators 

Bay is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 64 Bloor Street West at Bay Street. It was opened in 1966. Nearby landmarks include the Manulife Centre and Yorkville.

Early plans of the Bloor line, and even some published maps, named this station ‘Yorkville’; the platform signs still read ‘BAY’ in large type, with a smaller ‘YORKVILLE’ underneath.

Contents

[edit] Lower Bay

Lower Bay signage from 1966, when the TTC was about to open the Bloor Danforth subway line.
Lower Bay signage from 1966, when the TTC was about to open the Bloor Danforth subway line.

Below the main platform for Bay station is an abandoned platform, which was used for only six months in 1966 when the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) experimentally ran trains whose routes included portions of both the Yonge-University and Bloor-Danforth lines. This abandoned platform is sometimes referred to as Lower Bay by the general public or Bay Lower by the TTC.

The platform was in service from February to September 1966 as part of an ‘interlining’ experiment, in which the TTC ran trains along three routes, with one matching the subsequent Bloor-Danforth line, and the other two combining parts of the Bloor-Danforth line with the Yonge-University line. The experiment was deemed a failure, largely because delays anywhere quickly cascaded to affect the entire system. Also, as the stations had not been laid out effectively for cross-platform interchange, trains travelling west from St. George and east from Bay alternated between the two levels, leading passengers to wait on the stairs in-between the levels, since they were unable to tell which platform would receive the next train.

With every station served by at least two routes (Bloor-Yonge station was served by all three routes, with the Yonge-University-Danforth route passing through it twice, once on each level), passengers could travel between any two stations without changing trains; though for some station combinations, such as travel between a station north of Bloor and one on the Bloor-Danforth route, transferring at Bloor-Yonge station resulted in a more direct path. The TTC found that when the extra time waiting for a train from the correct route was considered, the time savings were not significant.

Cumberland exit from Lower Bay station on the Upper Bay platform, May 26, 2007
Cumberland exit from Lower Bay station on the Upper Bay platform, May 26, 2007

Interlining was discontinued because of the confusion and delays, although it has been argued that it was politically motivated and that the experiment was sabotaged by the TTC, perhaps even designed to fail from the start. Much of the infrastructure for interlining is still present on the system, and most older stations still have signs informing passengers of each train’s next destination, although they no longer change. While St. George and Bloor-Yonge stations remained operating upper and lower platforms for the two crossing subway lines, Bay station would be served by only the Bloor-Danforth line. Lower Bay was closed to the public.

Lower Bay is now used to train new operators, to move trains between the two current lines, for platform-surface experiments, and to allow filming in the subway without disrupting public service. The station has been modified several times to make it look like a "common" North American subway station, and the TTC once had an elaborate pre-built set for converting it to a New York subway station. The set was used for the filming of the movie Don't Say a Word. The TTC asked the production company if they could donate the set. The set remained up for about three weeks as a selling point for other movies but was then torn down due to safety concerns. Other notable movies shot at Lower Bay include Johnny Mnemonic, Bulletproof Monk and Mimic.

The tracks connecting Lower Bay are still in existence and are used if subway trains or equipment must be moved between lines. The station platform can be reached through normally-locked service doors on the upper level, and at one end of the upper platform of the station.

A map of the Toronto subway routes, as they appeared during the 1966 interlining trial; all stations were served by at least two routes, allowing direct trips between any two stations. The route names and colours are derived from the official maps of the time.
A map of the Toronto subway routes, as they appeared during the 1966 interlining trial; all stations were served by at least two routes, allowing direct trips between any two stations. The route names and colours are derived from the official maps of the time.

[edit] Public access

During structural repairs to the tunnel roof between Bay and St. George stations, trains were bypassed to Museum station via the interlining tracks on Saturdays and Sundays from February 24 to March 11, 2007.[1][2] As a result, riders could see Lower Bay through the windows of trains they rode between between Bloor-Yonge and Museum stations.

The TTC opened Lower Bay to the public for Doors Open Toronto on May 26, 2007.[3] According to TTC Chair Adam Giambrone's introduction leaflet, this event was the first time since 1966 that the station's platform was open to the public. There were large line-ups, as a limited number of people were allowed on the platform at any one time. Two trains were parked on the tracks, a video screen displayed movies or commercials shot in Bay Lower, and movie posters were hung around the platform. The station was opened again for the event on May 24, 2008.

2007 Doors Open images

Line-up outside the Cumberland Terrace building.

Front of the line, on the collector's level.

Sign on Upper Bay platform directing towards Lower Bay lineup.

Looking westward from the Bay St. entrance.

Looking westward at the west end of the platform.

Derelict escalator in the Cumberland exit stairwell on the platform's west end.

Platform near the Bay St. entrance, with faded tile signage.

TTC leaflet.

[edit] Surface connections

  • 6 Bay

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ Toronto Transit Commission (2007-02-22). "Media Advisory: TTC Adjusts Subway Service During Weekend Construction". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-05-27.
  2. ^ Toronto Transit Commission (2007-03-15). "TTC Construction Completed Ahead of Schedule No Weekend Subway Diversion". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-05-27.
  3. ^ Doors Open TTC Bay Lower (HTML). Living in Toronto. City of Toronto (May 2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-26.

[edit] External links

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