The
Bloor-Danforth Line is the main east-west
subway lineThe Toronto subway and RT system is a rapid transit railway network in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . Since the original line following Yonge Street opened in 1954 with 12 stations, the network has expanded to become Canada's largest rapid transit rail...
in
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, operated by the
Toronto Transit CommissionThe Toronto Transit Commission is a public transport authority that operates buses, streetcars, subways, and rapid transit lines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
. It has 31
stationsA metro station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
and is in length. It opened on February 25, 1966, and extensions at both ends were completed in 1968 and again in 1980. It is also numbered as Route 2 (formerly route 602), but its route number is used primarily for internal purposes and is rarely shown on public maps or signs.
The
300 Bloor-Danforth bus provides late night service when the subway is not in operation. This service operates frequently along Bloor and Danforth between East/West Mall and Warden. Some trips extend to
Pearson AirportToronto Pearson International Airport, also known as Lester B. Pearson International Airport or simply Toronto Pearson , is a major international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated northwest of Downtown Toronto in the city of Mississauga, Ontario...
, providing late night service in the place of the 192 Airport Rocket. Service is provided east of Warden and Danforth via the
302 Danforth Rd-McCowan bus. On Sundays, these routes operate through the early morning hours, because the subway starts at 9:00 a.m. instead of the usual 6:00 a.m.
History
There was much debate in the 1950s over where the second Toronto subway line would run. There were many advocates for it to run under
Queen Street WestQueen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
and
Queen Street EastQueen Street East is a major thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, running through neighbourhoods such as Corktown, Moss Park, Leslieville and The Beaches. It extends from Yonge Street in the west to Fallingbrook Road in the east...
, while others supported
Bloor StreetBloor Street is a major east-west commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bloor Street runs from the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto's east-end to the west-end and into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the DVP, Bloor Street becomes Danforth Avenue. The street,...
and
Danforth AvenueDanforth Avenue is a major east-west artery in east Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The road is colloquially referred to by locals as The Danforth.-History:...
. Due to the large amount of growth in that area, and the prophetically available rail deck under the
Prince Edward ViaductThe Prince Edward Viaduct System is the name of a truss arch bridge system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that connects Bloor Street East, on the west side of the system, with Danforth Avenue on the east...
, the second option was constructed.
Before the subway was built, the TTC operated streetcars from
Jane StreetJane Street is a north-south thoroughfare in western Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that begins at Bloor Street and continues north into York Region to near the Holland River in King Township....
in the west to Luttrell Avenue (west of
Victoria Park AvenueVictoria Park Avenue is a major north-south route in eastern Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Except for its very southernmost section , the road once formed the boundary for the former township, borough, and city of Scarborough with the former municipalities of East York, North York, and the former city...
) in the east, using paired
PCC streetcarThe PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...
s or multiple units (MUs) from 1950 to the subway line opening in 1966.
The original Bloor-Danforth line was opened in 1966, running alongside Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue from
Keele stationKeele is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 1733 Bloor Street West at Keele Street/Parkside Drive....
in the west to
Woodbine stationWoodbine is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2072 Danforth Avenue at Woodbine Avenue...
in the east. Construction was already in progress to extend the Bloor-Danforth line in both directions, and these extensions opened simultaneously on May 11, 1968, to
Islington StationIslington is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 3286 Bloor Street West at Islington Avenue. A central platform serves trains running in both directions....
in the west and
Warden StationWarden is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 3276 St. Clair Avenue East, on the southeast corner of the intersection with Warden Avenue...
in the east. Until its abolition in 1973, the five stations from Old Mill and Victoria Park outward then formed an anomaly in the TTC's zone fare system, being treated as part of the central Zone 1.
In 1980, the line was extended once again, this time to the current termini of
Kipling stationKipling is the western terminus station of the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the westernmost station in the system. It is located on St...
in the west end and
Kennedy stationKennedy is a station on the Bloor-Danforth and Scarborough RT lines of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada, subway system; it is a terminus for each line, which depart in opposite directions. It is located at 2455 Eglinton Avenue East, just east of Kennedy Road...
in the east.
The automated audible announcements for the Bloor-Danforth Line were installed in January 2008. However, while the automated announcements on TTC buses and streetcars are both audible and visible, it is not until the new subway trains that enter service will provide audible and visible automated stop announcements.
The TTC estimates that
automatic train controlAutomatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals, and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...
on the Bloor-Danforth Line could be installed by 2020.
Stations
The line has its western terminus near
Kipling AvenueKipling Avenue, formerly Mimico Avenue, is a street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, 6 concessions from Yonge Street, and is a major north-south arterial road in the former city of Etobicoke, Ontario...
and Bloor Street West. Going east for twelve kilometres along Bloor, it meets the
Yonge-University-Spadina lineThe Yonge-University-Spadina Line is the oldest and busiest subway line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Toronto Transit Commission, has 32 stations and is 30.2 km in length. It opened in 1954, and had extensions completed in 1963, 1973, 1974, 1978, and 1996...
at
SpadinaSpadina is a station on the Yonge-University-Spadina and Bloor-Danforth lines of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Out of all the interchange stations, this one is the least-used with approximately 47,570 people using both platforms each day...
,
St. GeorgeSt. George is a station on the Yonge-University-Spadina and Bloor-Danforth lines of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 323 Bloor Street West at St. George Street. This is the second busiest station, after Bloor-Yonge Station, serving a combined total of approximately...
, and
YongeBloor-Yonge is a station on the Yonge-University-Spadina line and the Bloor-Danforth line of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada subway. It is located at 733 Yonge Street at Bloor Street West/East...
stations. Two kilometres further on Bloor East, crossing the Prince Edward Viaduct, it continues just north of Danforth Avenue for six more kilometres before turning northeast for the final five kilometres, ending at
Kennedy stationKennedy is a station on the Bloor-Danforth and Scarborough RT lines of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada, subway system; it is a terminus for each line, which depart in opposite directions. It is located at 2455 Eglinton Avenue East, just east of Kennedy Road...
(near
Kennedy RoadKennedy Road is a north-south street in Toronto and York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its is one of three major streets in Scarborough, and is home to the business district of Scarborough because of the many hundreds of stores along Kennedy Road...
and
Eglinton AvenueEglinton Avenue is an east-west thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and in Mississauga to the west. The Toronto portion of the road runs from Kingston Road in the east to the western city limits of Mississauga, west of Highway 427....
), which is also the southern terminus of the Scarborough RT.
Most of the line is underground, with exceptions noted below; most of the tunnel is cut-and-cover, but some is bored. The line generally does not run under Bloor Street or Danforth Avenue themselves, but is offset to the north: in some areas it runs under parks and parking lots behind the businesses on the north side of the street, while other sections run under side streets. All stations except
ChesterChester is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 370 Danforth Avenue at Chester Avenue, and was opened in 1966. Nearby landmarks include "Greektown" and Withrow Park. The station serves the northern part of Riverdale and the southern part of...
connect to surface
TTC busBus service in Toronto, Canada, started in 1921. There were a few independent bus operators that continued to provide inter-urban bus services:* Hollinger Bus Lines * Danforth Bus Lines...
and/or
streetcar routesThe Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission , the municipal public transit operator. Totalling 305.8 kilometres in length, the network is generally concentrated downtown and in proximity to the city's...
either by transfer or fare-paid terminal. Other surface and train connections are noted below.
Sections of the line that are not underground are the track between
Kipling stationKipling is the western terminus station of the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the westernmost station in the system. It is located on St...
and just west of
Islington stationIslington is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 3286 Bloor Street West at Islington Avenue. A central platform serves trains running in both directions....
, a short section between Islington station and
Royal York stationRoyal York is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 3012 Bloor Street West at Royal York Road.-History:The station was opened in 1968 in what was then the Borough of Etobicoke....
crossing a bridge over
Mimico CreekMimico Creek is a 33 km watercourse with its headwaters in Brampton, Ontario, and its mouth in Toronto, Ontario.The watershed lies between the Humber River to the east and Etobicoke Creek to the west....
, from
Old Mill stationOld Mill is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2672 Bloor Street West at Old Mill Terrace/Humber Boulevard.The station is built into the side of the Humber River valley...
to west of
Jane stationJane is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2440 Bloor Street West at Jane Street. It was opened in 1968.- Surface connections :*26 Dupont To St George Station...
(this is an interesting case, as the portal at Old Mill station is located at roughly the middle of the platform: the west half of the station is underground, while the east half is on the Humber River viaduct), east of
Runnymede stationRunnymede is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2218 Bloor Street West at Runnymede Road...
to west of
High Park stationHigh Park is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 1874 Bloor Street West at Quebec Avenue, near High Park Avenue...
, east of
Keele stationKeele is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 1733 Bloor Street West at Keele Street/Parkside Drive....
to west of
Dundas West stationDundas West is a station on the Bloor-Danforth subway line in Toronto, Canada. It now ranks as the 29th busiest station in the system. Its postal address is 1525 Bloor Street West; the main entrance, however, is on Dundas Street, at the corner of Edna Avenue...
, east of
Sherbourne stationSherbourne is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is the first stop on the east-bound portion of the Bloor-Danforth line after the central Bloor-Yonge station. It was opened in 1966 and is located at 420 Bloor Street East at Sherbourne Street.Sherbourne...
to west of
Castle Frank stationCastle Frank is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 600 Bloor Street East at Castle Frank Road, near the former location of Viaduct streetcar loop . It was opened in 1966. Nearby landmarks include St...
(although the bridge is covered, and so appears to be a tunnel from the inside, merely with an unusual shape), east of Castle Frank station to west of
Broadview stationBroadview is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 90 Danforth Avenue and Broadview Avenue. It was opened in 1966...
(spanning the Don Valley on the
Prince Edward ViaductThe Prince Edward Viaduct System is the name of a truss arch bridge system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that connects Bloor Street East, on the west side of the system, with Danforth Avenue on the east...
), and east of
Main Street stationMain Street is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 2550 Danforth Avenue at Main Street, in Danforth Village. It was opened in 1968. 350 metres to the south, Main Street connects to Danforth station on GO Transit's Lakeshore East railway line...
to east of
Warden stationWarden is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 3276 St. Clair Avenue East, on the southeast corner of the intersection with Warden Avenue...
(Both
Victoria ParkVictoria Park is a station on the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Canada. It is located at 777 Victoria Park Avenue, one block north of Danforth Avenue. The station itself can be accessed by pedestrians via Victoria Park Avenue, or via Albion Avenue, or via a walkway that leads...
and Warden stations are above ground, although they are enclosed).
Designs
Most of the stations have similar designs, which are mainly utilitarian. This design consisted of two colours for the tiles: one colour for the main wall tiles and another colour for the trim tiles near the ceiling of the stations. They follow a regular pattern with few exceptions. The exceptions included the old termini of Islington and Warden, which both have a tricolour design, as well as the current termini of Kipling and Kennedy, which were similar in design to
Union stationUnion Station is a station on the Yonge-University-Spadina line of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada subway. It is placed at the bottom of the ‘loop’ formed by that line, between the Yonge and University sections, at its southernmost point, and is located at 55 Front Street West between Bay Street and...
.
Extension/expansion potential
Although there are currently no plans to extend this subway in either direction, various plans have been considered in the past.
Mississauga City Centre - Kipling
The
TTC's Rapid Transit Expansion Study (RTES) identified the extension of this line as a low priority. Currently, this has been replaced by a planned Dundas LRT run by
Mississauga TransitMississauga Transit is the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada's public transportation operation.The city's Transportation and Works department is in charge of its operation. MT only operates buses, but as part of the Greater Toronto Area, is connected to commuter rail with GO Transit...
going from
KiplingKipling is the western terminus station of the Bloor-Danforth line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the westernmost station in the system. It is located on St...
to
Hurontario StreetHurontario Street is a roadway running in Ontario, Canada between Lake Ontario at Mississauga and Lake Huron's Georgian Bay at Collingwood.In the south, this was Highway 10 running between Port Credit and Orangeville...
, linking to the planned Hurontario LRT as part of the
MoveOntario 2020MoveOntario 2020 is a plan proposed by the Government of Ontario that would fund 52 rapid-transit projects throughout the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area in Ontario, Canada.-History:...
transit plan.
Stations
As per Exhibits ES-14 and ES-15 in the RTES, possible extensions beyond the current western terminus included:
- East Mall
- Sherway Gardens (or West Mall)
- Dixie GO Station (in Mississauga)
- Cawthra (in Mississauga)
- Cooksville GO Station (in Mississauga)
- Mississauga City Centre
Scarborough RT alternative
In October 2005, a number of Toronto politicians began a campaign to expand the line northeastward as an alternative for the
Scarborough RTThe Scarborough RT is a rapid transit line in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
, which is heavily used and under constant repair, and to study the viability of this alternative. As of August 2006, this campaign was ended, when Scarborough councillors agreed to support plans to refurbish the existing RT and pursue other RT and LRT options for Scarborough. At this point an independent Scarborough subway, connecting the civic centre with downtown Toronto, has yet to be examined.
Stations
Possible stations integrated from the Scarborough RT include:
- Lawrence East
Lawrence East is a station on the Scarborough Rapid Transit line of the subway/RT system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 2444 Lawrence Avenue East between Kennedy Road and Midland Avenue and opened in 1985....
- Ellesmere
Ellesmere is a station on the Scarborough Rapid Transit line of the subway/RT system of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 1025 Ellesmere Road, between Kennedy Road and Midland Avenue...
-MidlandMidland is a station on the Scarborough Rapid Transit line of the subway/RT system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 2085 Midland Avenue between Ellesmere Road and Cosentino Drive...
(at the intersection, rather than two separate stations (the two existing stations that would be replaced are among the least busiest in Toronto))
- Scarborough Town Centre
Scarborough Centre is a station on the Scarborough Rapid Transit line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located north of Ellesmere Road between Brimley and McCowan Roads, just south of Highway 401....
- Markham
Markham Road is a north-south route in Toronto. The section was downloaded from the province of Ontario and renamed from Highway 48 to the old name of Markham Road...
(Sheppard Avenue East/Markham Road)
External links