[ad_1]
The new Union Station bus terminal will open next month in downtown Toronto after more than three years of construction.
The new terminal will officially open on December 5th, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of GO Transit’s bus service.
Transportation agency Metrolinx says the new transit hub “will act a bit like an airport” with a modern method of tracking bus traffic and movements, keeping passengers informed of any changes.
“The sophisticated terminal, which will start operating early next month, will protect customers from the elements, offer them easy access to and from the city center, and operate much like a modern airport,” reads a Metrolinx blog post published on Monday.
The new terminal was built in collaboration between Metrolinx, Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines, and is located on the northeast corner of Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard, in the CIBC Square development, south of the busy rail corridor.
There are three customer entrances to access the new terminal, including exterior access through the main entrance on Lake Shore Blvd., east of Bay St., the entrance on Bay St. across from Scotiabank Arena, and a new closed footbridge over Bay St. connecting to Scotiabank Arena tunnel and PATH.
Metrolinx notes that the Bay East Teamway will still be under construction on December 5, but customers can still access the terminal from the Bay St.
A big change with the new terminal is that buses will no longer depart from the same platform. Under the current model, the same bus lines always depart from the same platforms, but the new terminal will allocate buses to an available platform “to avoid backlogs and minimize delays”.
The new terminal will also have bus docks and customer waiting areas that will occupy two floors of the building compared to the existing single-level terminal.
Another change will be the way customers will be informed about their respective gates to board the buses. The new terminal will use a two-step departure process with customers heading to the affected area before gate information is shown on digital screens approximately 10 minutes prior to boarding and subsequently announced on the PA system.
Metrolinx says digital signage in customer waiting areas will direct customers to the appropriate area and gate prior to boarding.
Before boarding, customers will wait inside in the waiting areas where they can access the Wi-Fi.
To adhere to its motto “Safety never stops”, Metrolinx says the new terminal will have glass gate doors that will physically separate the customer waiting area from the platform area to prevent unauthorized access. The gates will be opened and closed only to allow customers to get on and off the buses.
The current Union Station bus terminal will close at the end of the service day on 4 December.
.
[ad_2]
Source link
