Yonge North Subway Extension
Better Transit Connections For York Region and Toronto
The Yonge North Subway Extension will transform the commute in York Region, North York and beyond by extending the TTC’s Line 1 service north from Finch Station to Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill. The latest plans propose up to four stations along an extension of roughly 8 kilometres.
When it goes into service after the Ontario Line is complete, the extension will make it faster and easier for more people to travel between York Region and downtown Toronto while cutting down on traffic congestion and pollution.
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are teaming up with municipal and regional partners to move the Yonge North Subway Extension forward quickly, in the best way possible.
4
Cities Connected
8
Kilometres
94,100
Daily
Boardings
Simpler, more connected travel
Not only will extending Line 1 service to Richmond Hill make it easier to travel between York Region and downtown Toronto, it will create convenient connections with local transit services and allow more subway riders to complete their journeys without having to transfer.
The proposed extension will connect to the Richmond Hill GO train and Highway 407 GO bus service, as well as local bus routes at every station.
Transit hubs are proposed at Steeles Avenue and within the Highway 7/Highway 407 corridor (Bridge Station). A station at High Tech Road would serve future communities envisioned within the Richmond Hill Centre area.
By having Bridge and High Tech stations at surface level, riders will be able to use the subway faster and more easily because they will not have to connect to and from deep underground platforms. Transferring from a bus, GO train, or any other type of surface-level transit will be simpler and easier at these stations. High Tech Station will reduce traffic congestion by putting the subway within walking distance for more than half of the residents expected to live in the Richmond Hill Centre area by 2041.
More planning will be done through the Preliminary Design Business Case to determine where a fourth station will be located.
More time back in your day
The Yonge North Subway Extension will help you spend less time traveling so that you can dedicate more time to the people and things you care about most.
For example, the extension will reduce the time it takes to travel from the Yonge Street and Langstaff Road area to downtown Toronto by as much as 22 minutes – going from 70 minutes today to 48 minutes with the extension.
As drivers get out from behind the wheel in favour of using the subway, the total distance travelled by cars during morning rush hour will be reduced by 7,700 kilometres.
Better transit, sooner
Running the extension at ground level along the existing CN railway corridor reduces the need for complex, time-consuming, and costly construction of tunnels and underground stations by using a dedicated rail corridor that already exists.
It will ensure the project can be built quickly and reduces the need for large, disruptive excavation sites for underground stations and exit buildings. This allows Metrolinx to limit property needs in the surface-level section of the alignment. Keeping as much work as possible in areas that are more out of the way will also reduce disruptions to utility services like hydro, natural gas, and water service in the surrounding areas.
Metrolinx is committed to addressing any noise and vibration due to construction and operation of the extension to ensure the project improves the quality of life in the neighbourhoods it serves. We will work with communities to ensure a comprehensive array of measures are in place to address noise or vibration impacts and to ensure designs are sensitive and respectful so that our neighbours can continue to enjoy a high quality of life.
By the numbers
(All numbers are approximate, based on current plans for the project)
| Aspect | Future |
|---|---|
| Proposed stations | 4* |
| Proposed connections to other transit options |
|
| Route length | 8 km |
| Ridership | 94,100 daily boardings |
| Improved access to transit | 26,000 more people living within walking distance to a station |
| Improved access to jobs | 22,900 employees within walking distance to a station |
| Daily reductions in traffic congestion | 7,700 km in vehicle kilometres traveled |
| Yearly reductions in greenhouse gas emissions | 4,800 tonnes |
* The number and location of stations included in the final project is subject to change based on further analysis and exploration.
Learn more in the Initial Business Case and supplementary analysis.
Get Involved
Metrolinx will share the latest details of our plans directly with the people who live, work and play in the neighbourhoods served by the extension.
Metrolinx will also engage and consult with Indigenous communities to ensure impacts to the Aboriginal and treaty rights and interests of Indigenous peoples are considered in decisions related to the project.
Your opinion matters. You can always share thoughts, questions or comments on the project by emailing YongeSubwayExt@Metrolinx.com or by calling 416-202-7000.
Recent developments
March 18, 2021
- Metrolinx released the Initial Business Case along with a supplementary analysis that reveal how the project will serve the heart of major growth centres and significantly cut travel times.
