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°WCoordinates: 43°38′44″N 79°22′40″W / 43.64556°N 79.37778°W
Owned by Metrolinx
Platforms 7 bus bays
Bus operators GO Transit
Can-ar Coach Service
Connections Union Railway Station
Union (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 directly across Bay Street from the railway terminal, behind the Dominion Public Building on Front Street. Jaywalking between the stations has been prevented by the installation of a barrier in the central median of Bay Street with pedestrian and wheelchair access provided by an enclosed walkway above the street to railway platform 1 and the GO Transit concourse, however this is regularly ignored by jaywalkers. There is also direct stairway access to railway platforms 2, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B and 7A through the adjoining "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.

View of bus platforms
Platform assignments
41 - Unloading
42 - Hamilton Express via QEW (route 16)[2]
43 - Milton GO line corridor stations, Lisgar, Erindale, Streetsville [3]
44 - Square One Bus Terminal
45 - Richmond Hill GO line corridor stations [4]
46 - Barrie GO line corridor stations/Newmarket Bus Terminal [5]
47 - Stouffville GO line corridor stations/Uxbridge[6] 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 [7] and 72 Pape [8] use curbside stops on the streets nearby.

Relocation

Metrolinx announced plans to move the current terminal to a new complex located to the south of the current location, on the opposite sid of the rail corridor, by 2018.[9] This new terminal will be housed in a complex of office towers and elevated park over the rail cooridor.

References

  1. ↑ CP Express Building Demolition - Union Station
  2. ↑ Hamilton QEW GO Bus Schedule
  3. ↑ Milton GO Train & Bus Schedule
  4. ↑ Richmond Hill GO Train & Bus Schedule
  5. ↑ Barrie GO Train & Bus Schedule
  6. ↑ Stouffville GO Train & Bus Schedule
  7. ↑ TTC Route 6 Bay
  8. ↑ TTC Route 72 Pape
  9. ↑ "Union Station gets new GO bus terminal as part of office tower development". CBC News. Sep 30, 2014. Retrieved September 2014.

External links

Media related to Union Station Bus Terminal at Wikimedia Commons