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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Scarborough Centre (TTC)

Durham Region Transit DRT

Scarborough Centre Bus TerminalConstructionStructure typeElevatedAccessibleYesOther informationWebsiteOfficial station pageHistoryOpenedMarch 22, 1985; 39 years ago (1985-03-22)ClosedJuly 24, 2023 (2023-07-24) (Line 3)Passengers201924,399Rank39 of 75 (2019) Former services
Preceding station Toronto Transit Commission Following station
Midland
towards Kennedy
Line 3 Scarborough McCowan
Terminus
Location
Map

Scarborough Centre is a bus terminal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving multiple bus routes of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and one Durham Region Transit (DRT) bus route. It was also a rapid transit station serving Line 3 Scarborough of the Toronto subway system until Line 3's closure on July 24, 2023. It is located north of Ellesmere Road between Brimley and McCowan Roads, just south of Highway 401. It was adjacent to the former Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal, which was a station for GO Transit buses and other intercity coach services until the TTC modified the facility for TTC buses.

A new Scarborough Centre station is planned to be built along the Line 2 extension east of the existing station, which is set to open circa 2030.

History

Scarborough Centre station was opened in 1985 along with the rest of Line 3. The station replaced transit access to the Scarborough Town Centre shopping mall's south side (at ground level along roadway).

In 2000, this station became accessible with elevators.

The Toronto Transit Commission had planned to extend Line 4 Sheppard southeast from its current terminus at Don Mills to Scarborough Centre. The 904 Sheppard–Kennedy Express bus currently links the two stations, making limited stops along Sheppard Avenue. In March 2007, however, the TTC dropped this plan when it announced its Transit City proposal to build the Sheppard East LRT. The LRT proposal was later replaced by a plan to extend Line 4 eastwards from Don Mills station to McCowan Road.

Around 2011, there was a proposal to convert Line 3 to light-rail with an extension of the Eglinton Crosstown line (Line 5 Eglinton) over the Line 3 right-of-way.

In 2013, the proposal was changed to abandon the Line 3 right-of-way and build an underground extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth along McCowan Road. This would result in the decommissioning of all Line 3 stations beyond Kennedy station. A new Scarborough Centre station would be built east of the current station and would be oriented on a north–south alignment rather than the east–west alignment of the current station. Between 2013 and 2016, the new Scarborough Centre station was planned as a through-station. In order to save money for another transit project, the plan was revised in 2016 to make it a terminal station. However, in 2019 the plan was revised again to make the new Scarborough Centre station a through-station.

In February 2021, the TTC recommended the closure of Line 3 in November 2023 and its replacement by bus service until the completion of the Scarborough extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. However, the rail portion of this station permanently closed following a derailment on July 24, 2023, after which the TTC decided not to reopen Line 3.

Station description

Existing station

Station entrance
Bus bays with the concourse and train platform levels above

The existing station is located north of Ellesmere Road, between Brimley and McCowan Roads on the south of the Scarborough Town Centre. The station was built on three levels: Line 3 used to operate through the upper level; the mezzanine, passenger entry from the mall, and an automatic entrance from Brian Harrison Way are on the middle level; and two bus terminals were located at ground level, one for TTC buses connected by an automatic entrance to the Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal for intercity buses. (In October 2022, the intercity terminal was relocated so that the TTC bus terminal could expand into its space.) There is elevator access for TTC services, making this station fully accessible to anyone with disabilities.

East of the current station, the Line 3 continued travelling east on an elevated bridge until McCowan station. West of the station, the Line 3 ran on an elevated bridge which descended after passing over Brimley Road. It continued to descend until reaching Midland station.

The TTC permanently closed the Line 3 portion of the existing station after a derailment on July 24, 2023; however, the adjacent bus facilities will be kept in operation until 2030 with its bus bays reconfigured.

Future station

Scarborough Centre
General information
LocationToronto, Ontario
Canada
Construction
AccessibleYes
Other information
StatusUnder construction
History
Opening2030 (6 years' time) (2030)
Future services
Preceding station Toronto Transit Commission Following station
Lawrence East (future)
towards Kipling
Scarborough extension
(opens 2030)
McCowan/​Sheppard
Terminus

The provincial transit agency Metrolinx is building a new underground Scarborough Centre station parallel to McCowan Road along an extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. The new station will be on a north–south alignment to the east of Scarborough Town Centre. The new station will have a new Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal serving TTC and GO Transit buses as well as the Durham Region Transit bus rapid transit line. The new station will be located 500 metres (1,600 ft) east of the former station, on the east side of McCowan Road north of the Line 3 right-of-way next to the site of McCowan station. The new station and bus terminal are expected to open in 2030.

Nearby landmarks

Located in Scarborough City Centre, nearby landmarks include the Scarborough Town Centre shopping mall, Scarborough Civic Centre, Albert Campbell Square, Canada Centre government offices, and Scarborough YMCA.

Surface connections

Toronto Transit Commission Bus Terminal

Bus routes serving the bus terminal include:

Bay number Route Name Additional information
1 920 (DRT) Eastbound to Harmony Terminal
2 134A Progress Northbound to Finch Avenue East via Tapscott Road
134B Northbound to McNicoll Avenue via Tapscott Road
(Rush hour service)
134D Northbound to Finch Avenue East via Centennial College and Tapscott Road
Northbound to Finch Avenue East via Centennial College and Crow Trail
903A Kennedy Station–Scarborough Express Eastbound to Centennial College
3 131 Nugget Eastbound to Old Finch Avenue and Morningview Trail
4 939A Finch Express Westbound to Finch Station
939B Westbound to Finch West Station via Finch Station
5 129A McCowan North Northbound to Major Mackenzie Drive
129B Northbound to Steeles Avenue East
6 904 Sheppard–Kennedy Express Westbound to Don Mills Station
7 133 Neilson Northbound to Morningside Heights via Centenary Hospital
8 38A Highland Creek Eastbound to Rouge Hill GO Station
38B Eastbound to University of Toronto Scarborough
938 Highland Creek Express Eastbound to University of Toronto Scarborough
(AM rush hour service)
9 - 13 38 Highland Creek Southbound to Kennedy Station via Midland Avenue
(Line 3 express bus replacement service)
129 McCowan North
131 Nugget
133 Neilson
903 Kennedy Station–Scarborough Express
904 Sheppard–Kennedy Express
938 Highland Creek Express
939 Finch Express
14 21C Brimley Southbound to Kennedy Station
43B Kennedy Southbound to Kennedy Station via Progress Avenue
15 9 Bellamy Southbound to Warden Station
130A Middlefield Northbound to Steeles Avenue East
130B Northbound to Steeles Avenue East via Maybrook Drive
(Rush hour service)
16 16 McCowan Southbound to Warden Station
Wheel-Trans
17 996 Wilson Express Westbound to Humber College
18 132 Milner Northbound to McLevin Avenue and Hupfield Trail
169A Huntingwood Westbound to Don Mills Station via Van Horne Avenue
169A Westbound to Don Mills Station
(Rush hour service)
19 21C Brimley Northbound to Steeles Avenue East

Other operators

GO Transit and intercity bus services

Scarborough Centre station was also home to the Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal, which was located directly east of the TTC bus platform. Until it closed, the former bus terminal was served by GO Transit and interurban buses, which now stop at various on-street locations near Scarborough Centre station.

Durham Region Transit

Since September 2023, Durham Region Transit (DRT) route 920 buses serve the TTC Scarborough Centre bus terminal. With the introduction of Ontario's One Fare Program, a GTHA-wide fare integration program introduced on February 26, 2024, customers paying by Presto, credit or debit card are able to transfer between TTC and DRT buses without incurring an additional fare. As the station is located inside the TTC's fare-paid zone and as free card transfers need to be recorded for the province to reimburse participating transit agencies as well as to enforce double fares for customers ineligible for free transfers, passengers heading towards Durham Region board the DRT buses inside the TTC bus terminal, while those heading towards Scarborough Centre alight at nearby on-street stops outside of the station. The DRT buses previously terminated at McCowan station.

References

  1. ^ "Subway ridership, 2019" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2023. This table shows the typical number of customer-trips made on each subway on an average weekday and the typical number of customers travelling to and from each station platform on an average weekday.
  2. ^ "Search begins for teams interested in building Scarborough Subway Extension stations". Metrolinx. September 17, 2021. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown Presentation Update - Community Meeting (York Civic Centre)" Archived July 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine June 30, 2011
  4. ^ "Eglinton LRT ready to launch" Archived October 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine By Tess Kalinowski, Toronto Star. June 29, 2011
  5. ^ "Province To Extend Bloor-Danforth Subway Line". MTO. September 4, 2013. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  6. ^ "Tory's new Scarbourough Transit plan: One subway stop, 17 LRT stops". Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  7. ^ Jennifer Pagliaro (July 6, 2018). "Design changes to Scarborough subway come with unknown costs". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  8. ^ Spurr, Ben; Pagliaro, Jennifer (February 4, 2021). "TTC recommends seven years of shuttle buses on Scarborough RT ahead of 2030 subway opening". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  9. ^ Reporter, Lex Harvey Transportation (August 24, 2023). "TTC ends Scarborough RT service permanently". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "Line 3 Bus Replacement Study Update" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. September 15, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  11. ^ Scarborough Centre GO Bus Platform Relocation - LIVE Event. Metrolinx. October 27, 2021. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  12. ^ "September 7, 2021 service updates". Durham Region Transit. August 19, 2021. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  13. ^ "September 5, 2023 service updates". Durham Region Transit. August 16, 2023. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  14. ^ "Ontario's One Fare Program".