Ontario is celebrating the largest expansion of Toronto's subway system in nearly 40 years by making the TTC free on December 17, the first day of service for the new Line 1 extension into York Region.
Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, along with John Tory, Mayor of Toronto and Josh Colle, TTC Chair, were at Sheppard West TTC station today to announce that on Sunday, December 17, people can ride the entire TTC network for free in celebration of the subway extension opening.
The new Line 1 extension is among the largest subway expansions in North America in recent decades, with six new stations and 8.6 kilometres of new track. Riders will get from the new subway terminus at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre to the Sheppard West station in about 14 minutes and to Union Station in 42 minutes. Students will also be able to take rapid transit to York University for the very first time.
Building better public transit for commuters and families is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of Medicare in a generation.
Quick Facts
- The Line 1 extension (or Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE)) will add an estimated 36 million transit trips and eliminate 30 million car trips per year, helping to ease traffic congestion, improve air quality and fight climate change.
- The project adds more than 2,800 parking spots at three commuter lots along the new extension.
- The Line 1 extension is the largest subway expansion in the region in nearly 40 years, with a total cost of about $3.2 billion. The province provided $974 million to the project through the Move Ontario Trust. The City of Toronto is providing $904 million, the federal government up to $697 million and York Region $604 million.
- The six new subway stations are Downsview Park, Finch West, York University, Pioneer Village, Highway 407 and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.
- The subway’s new terminus at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is a major new transportation hub in York Region. It connects directly to the vivaNext rapidway on Highway 7 — part of an extensive rapid transit network of dedicated bus lanes that York Region Transit is building with up to $1.4 billion in funding from Ontario.
- Ontario and the City of Toronto are cutting costs for commuters in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Starting on January 7, 2018, adult, senior, youth and student TTC riders will pay a TTC fare of just $1.50 when they use a PRESTO card to transfer to or from GO Transit or the Union Pearson Express.
