A new transit hub slated for Toronto’s Stockyards District has edged one step closer to completion.
In December, a Site Plan Approval application was submitted to the City on behalf of Metrolinx, providing a more detailed look at the forthcoming St. Clair-Old Weston SmartTrack Station. The application documents propose a number of expansive features for the station, which will be located north of St. Clair Avenue, between Weston Road and Union Street, in an employment and commercial district.
The proposed station features include:
- Three entrance buildings, with the main entrance situated at the south end of the site, adjacent to Union Street, and two more entrances at the north and west ends of the site;
- Four mainline tracks (increased from three existing tracks);
- Three platforms to serve all four tracks, with canopies over at least 85% of the platform length, enclosures at the top of stairs and elevators, passenger shelters, and amenities such as lighting, public address, digital and static signage, and snowmelt;
- Two tunnels connecting each of the platforms to a station building on the east side of the rail corridor;
- Corridor station facilities, including a six-bay bus loop to accommodate TTC vehicle and Wheel-Trans, a plaza, sidewalk, MUP and circulation space to accommodate all pedestrian and cycling activity, secure and covered cycling facilities, landscaping, street furniture, and plantings.
Upon completion, the new station will be “a new transit hub for the growing Stockyards east neighbourhood” and “act to support increased interest in reinvestment and redevelopment,” according to materials prepared in support of the application.
The application also specifies that, in addition to the scheduled station work, the City will be spearheading a number of infrastructural improvements through the St. Clair West Transportation Master Plan to address local east-west travel capacity restrictions in the area.
The St. Clair-Old Weston SmartTrack Station is part of the SmartTrack Stations program, a collaboration between the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, and Metrolinx. The program was created to make use of existing GO Rail infrastructure in Toronto and to reimagine the regional commuter service into an urban rapid transit network.
SmartTrack was originally proposed as a 22-station rapid transit service along commuter rail corridors, but was gradually reduced to just five stations, with a price tag of $1.46B. Even still, the SmartTrack Stations program is projected to bring 110,000 new daily riders to the rail network by 2031, while providing easier access to more than 52 major regional destinations, including major shopping centres, community facilities, and educational institutions.
