Community of Downsview: Come Aboard the New Line

Community of Downsview: Come Aboard the New Lineby Jessica A. PointonIt’s time for an upgrade.Toronto’s average commute is 30.4 minutes, almost 50% more than the national average. Some evenings, Downsview commuters wait almost that long at the subway station, just to catch their overcrowded bus home.Hope is on the way. The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension will add six new subway stations between Downsview Station and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.Lillian Rodriguez, a local resident, can hardly wait, “I’m looking forward to cutting my travel time, to have more time for other priorities.” With train departures expected every four minutes from the new stations, local residents will have a faster and more predictable commute to work and school.The extension has also boosted Lillian’s sense of pride in her community: “it’s making our neighbourhood a priority for transit.”The Downsview community will no longer be on the margins of city life, but an integral part of a solid transportation link between Toronto and York Region. The extension is expected to attract visitors and business to the area. Two of the new stations – Downsview Park and Pioneer Village – are strategically located to make local tourist attractions more accessible.The extension promises other benefits too. Car traffic between Toronto and York will decrease, aiding efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in highly populated areas. Three commuter parking lots – at Finch West, Pioneer Village and Highway 407 – will help encourage drivers to leave their cars behind.The extension is expected to open by autumn of 2016. Already, the two tunnel producing machines – affectionately named the “Yorkie” and the “Torkie” – have completed their labours. “Torkie” reached its final destination at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre on November 8, 2013. The next phase of the journey requires fortifying the tunnels, installing the tracks, and preparing the signal systems.Construction can sometimes be a bumpy ride. Although residents may find the detours inconvenient, it is a short-term sacrifice for a necessary long-term investment in our neighbourhood. The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension provides a template for other transit- famished areas across the GTA. The population is only going to increase, and it`s time to build the proper infrastructure to uphold the transit-related prospects of Downsview, Toronto and the GTA.Fasten your expectations, Downsview is on the move.Residents are encouraged to check the TTC website for updates.  http://www.ttc.ca/Spadina/index.jsp