Sheppard West station

Sheppard West
Location	1035 Sheppard Avenue West Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates	43°44′58″N 79°27′43″W / 43.74944°N 79.46194°W / 43.74944; -79.46194Coordinates: 43°44′58″N 79°27′43″W / 43.74944°N 79.46194°W / 43.74944; -79.46194
Platforms	centre platform
Tracks	2
Connections	TTC buses  84  Sheppard West  101  Downsview Park  104  Faywood  105  Dufferin North  106  York University  107  Keele North  108  Downsview  117  Alness  196  York University Rocket  329   Dufferin  384   Sheppard West Orange
Construction
Structure type	underground
Parking	641 spaces
Disabled access	Yes
Architect	Adamson Associates Architects Stevens Group Architects
History
Opened	March 30, 1996
Traffic
Passengers (2015[1])	37,670
Services
Preceding station   TTC   Following station Terminus Yonge–University Wilson toward Finch Downsview Park toward Vaughan TYSSE

Sheppard West (formerly Downsview) is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station, which is located at the southeast corner of Sheppard Avenue West-William R. Allen Road intersection, is currently the northern terminus of the western branch of the line. The station opened in 1996 in what was then the City of North York, and the Viva Orange bus rapid transit route of York Region's Viva Rapid Transit commenced service on October 16, 2005. The large commuter parking lot, accessible via Allen Road and Sheppard Avenue, opened in July 2005. On May 7, 2017, the station was renamed from Downsview to Sheppard West. This change was made in preparation for the opening of the Toronto–York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE), which is scheduled to open by the end of 2017.

When this station opened, it was among the first accessible stations of the Toronto subway.^[2] The station also features Wi-Fi service.^[3]

Name

The former station name, Downsview, in unique mixed case lettering on the platform

The station was officially renamed from Downsview to Sheppard West on May 7, 2017, in anticipation of the opening of the Line 1 subway extention to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.^[4][5][6] The new name was proposed in 2010 and was approved on September 28, 2012.^[5][7]

When it was named Downsview, the station was the only one in the subway system to use mixed case lettering for the station's name on the platform walls. However, the Sheppard West name is rendered fully capitalized using the distinctive Toronto Subway typeface. A smaller type appears underneath the new station name, which reads "formerly Downsview", to ease with the transition.

Originally, the first station on the University extension was to be called Sheppard West, but it was located close to the entrance to Downsview Park. On the other hand, Downsview station was better identified as being on Sheppard Avenue, and was further away from the entrance to Downsview Park. Thus, the TTC proposed partially swapping the names of the two stations to avoid confusion, with the new station being designated Downsview Park.^[4]

Although the name change officially took place on May 7, 2017, the change will gradually be phased in and completed prior to opening the Spadina subway extension in December 2017. The name change cost $800,000, most of which is to cover the cost of updating the Toronto Rocket subway train destination boards and announcement systems. $150,000 was to update signs and maps on TTC vehicles and properties.^[8]

Architecture and art

Boney Bus by John McKinnon

The station was designed by Adamson Associates Architects (above grade buildings and mezzanine) and The Stevens Group Architects (below grade).^[9] The subway platform lacks pillars and the ceiling is high and curved, evoking an aircraft hangar. High ceilings, skylights and an exceptionally large mezzanine make the station feel open and airy. Natural light reaches all areas of the station including the subway platform.

The station features two pieces of artwork. Sliding Pi is a large scale wall mosaic by Calgary artist Arlene Stamp. It can be viewed when traveling between the bus platform and the mezzanine level. Boney Bus by John McKinnon is located in front of the station and consists of an abstract bus shape made from giant aluminum beams and basalt "wheels".

Subway infrastructure in the vicinity

The subway platform is located underground east of Allen Road. The line continues south underground for 750 metres to cross to the west side of the road; after exiting at the Clanton Park Portal the line runs on the surface past Wilson Yard, the TTC's newest subway yard, which opened in 1978. At this point, Allen Road becomes an elevated expressway; the subway, using what were originally the yard access tracks, crosses under its southbound lanes and rises to the road's level.

Nearby landmarks

Nearby landmarks include Downsview Park, which was the site of the World Youth Day Papal Visit in 2002 and the SARSstock concert in 2003. It is the site of an airstrip used as a military base (CFB Toronto), and by an aircraft manufacturer (DeHavilland), separating the station area from the original village of Downsview. William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute lies to the northeast in the Bathurst Manor neighbourhood.

Surface connections

View down to the fare control mezzanine from ground level and the bus platforms

Bus bays as viewed from Sheppard Avenue

TTC routes serving the station include:

Viva bus rapid transit

VIVA Orange bus inside the station

Sheppard West Station is served by the Orange line of York Region's Viva bus rapid transit system. Service began on October 16, 2005.

Viva buses stop three times at Sheppard West. Buses offload all of their passengers at a stop outside station entrance before proceeding within the bus terminal to pick up passengers. This is to ensure that Viva riders do not access the TTC without paying a TTC fare, as the bus terminal is inside the station's fare paid zone. After this, they stop a third time, westbound on Sheppard Avenue, to pick up non-TTC-originating passengers.

This Viva station is considered a Viva terminal. Therefore, there are multiRide ticket vending machines available.

Subway extensions

From its opening in 1996, Sheppard West has been the terminus of the University leg of Line 1 Yonge–University.^[10] When the Line 1 Toronto–York Spadina Subway Extension to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre begins revenue service in December 2017, Sheppard West will become a through station.^[11]

The original plans for Line 4 Sheppard called for it to terminate at (then) Downsview Station and connect there with Line 1, but during construction in the late 1990s, the extension of Line 4 was halted after the first phase due to funding issues. Plans to extend Line 4 are currently inactive, but some local politicians (such as former Toronto mayor Rob Ford) have tried to revive the Line 4 expansion.^[12][13]

References

External links

Media related to Downsview (TTC) at Wikimedia Commons

• Sheppard West Station at the Toronto Transit Commission
• Official page on the Spadina subway extension
• Sliding Pi
• Art on the TTC