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Finch (TTC)
Encyclopedia
Finch is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system
of Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is located at 5714 Yonge Street between Finch Avenue
East and West. The station is the northern terminus of the line's Yonge Street
section, and the northernmost station in the system.
It is also the busiest bus terminal in the TTC system, and the sixth busiest subway station in the system, serving around people a day. The station also serves as a link to other transit agencies by proximity to the Finch Bus Terminal.
Additionally, passengers on TTC buses that stop at Finch Station can enter the subway station through the bus terminal. It is illegal for pedestrians to enter or exit the bus terminal at street level. This can be frustrating for those coming off a bus at the terminal that would rather not go through the entire subway station to get across the street from the bus terminal, and sometimes people do exit the station at street level (and almost always overlooked by TTC employees even if they are spotted).
There is an emergency exit between Finch and North York Centre
stations at Church Avenue and Yonge Street. The site was once the Willowdale United Church, demolished to make way for subway construction. Stairs from the tunnel surface in a brick building in the northeast corner, beside a cemetery and a Metro supermarket.
, by provincial premier Bill Davis
and borough mayor Mel Lastman
. It replaced York Mills
as the northern terminus of the line.
The terminal consists of a central narrow rectangular building oriented north-south with a bus platform on either side. Each bus route has its own assigned boarding location on the platforms. Buses travel clockwise on a looped roadway that circles the terminal structure. The roadway exits to the public streets at the north, south and west ends. Most buses travel north, and board on the west platform. Only Finch Avenue routes exit south, and board on the east platform. Buses typically (but not exclusively) let passengers off on the opposite platform as they board. Pedestrians are not allowed to enter or exit the terminal on street level, and must pass through the subway station below.
Prior to the construction of the Pemberton Exit, all buses except the Finch Avenue routes travelled north on Yonge Street, and thus had to exit at the north end of the station. The number of such buses amounted to approximately 65 buses per hour during the morning rush period and 51 buses per hour during the afternoon rush period. The combination of the bus and car traffic volume resulted in significant delays and queues along Bishop Avenue as buses leaving the station had to make a left turn into heavy traffic and almost immediately reach the right hand curb to make the turn onto Yonge Street. The queue of exiting buses often backed up into the station loop, further congesting buses circulating within the station, as well as buses trying to enter the station at the same point. In the morning rush hour, buses took an average of 1 minute and 58 seconds to travel the 40 metres from the station to Yonge Street, with some waiting up to 4 minutes.
To reduce the delays involving bus congestion, construction began in April 2006 on the Pemberton Avenue Exit. On the western stub of Pemberton Avenue, the metered parking was permanently removed (a new Toronto Parking Authority
lot was relocated to the former private parking lot at the south-east corner of Yonge and Bishop), and the street was connected to the main loop of Finch Station. When it was finally completed in January 2007, the street resumed two-way public traffic for access to the parking behind the commercial buildings; the connection to Finch Station became an alternate exit for buses headed northbound on Yonge Street (all buses except Finch Avenue buses). For some time during 2008 and 2009, this exit was closed off, forcing all buses (except the Finch Avenue buses) to exit onto Bishop. It was a parking lot for the surrounding stores until the exit reopened.
The lower concourse level is the main concourse of the subway station. It is divided into the fare-paid and unpaid areas. The unpaid area is a long corridor, part of which runs alongside the fare-paid area lined with several automated token/pass
and manned entrances. The unpaid area contains connections to office towers (North American Life, Place Nouveau, and condominiums on Pemberton Avenue), the regional bus terminal, and the “Kiss-n-Ride” passenger drop-off facility; it also contains token machines. The fare-paid area houses a few shops, including Gateway Newsstand and Tim Hortons
, florist, lottery booth, clothing shop, and stairs and escalators down to the subway platform.
The platform level consists of a central platform between two tracks with an operations tower at the south end. Since Finch is the last station on the line, trains alternate which track they arrive on, and trains on both tracks travel southbound. When both tracks are occupied, overhead signs indicate which train will depart first. North of the platform is a space that allows a train to be stored there.
Krystyna Sadowska's sculpture Rhythm of Exotic Plants (1965) is displayed on the lower concourse level, outside the fare-paid area; A stainless-steel plaque celebrating the station's opening is also located on the lower concourse. A smaller plaque is located at the south subway platform.
There are two major TTC parking lot
s (referred to as the car park in directional signage) at Finch Station for use by commuters. They are called simply the East Lot and the West Lot, and are located north of Bishop/Hendon, east and west of Yonge Street respectively. The lots have a combined capacity of 3251 parking spaces. Since the TTC got rid of free parking for Metropass holders, these lots rarely fill up. As of Feb. 1 2010 Parking costs $5 from 5:00am to 3:00pm weekdays, and is free after 3:00pm and all-day on weekends & holidays.
In addition to the parking lots, Finch Station also features a relatively elaborate “Kiss-n-Ride” passenger drop-off/pick-up facility, which is connected to the lower concourse level of the station (outside the fare-paid area) by pedestrian tunnels. The area has a round, indoor waiting area for passengers, with about 20 temporary parking spaces circularly surrounding the structure. It is adjacent to the west parking lot. Many people also use the aforementioned Pemberton Avenue Cul-de-sac as a pick-up and drop-off point, especially during busy hours when the Kiss-n-Ride area may be full. Although it's technically illegal for cars to stop or park in this area, it is almost always overlooked.
On the north side of Bishop Avenue, slightly east of the TTC bus terminal (along the southern edge of the GO bus terminal) is a parking lane for taxicabs. This is best accessed by exiting the subway station at the stairs/escalator to the north-east corner of Yonge and Bishop (the GO bus terminal).
As is often the case with TTC’s larger bus terminals, the bus terminal at Finch Station is within the fare-paid area, so pedestrians wishing to board buses will need to enter through the subway station. Once one has entered the fare-paid area of the station (by paying or by arrival on a TTC vehicle), they can access the subway or any bus in the terminal without a transfer.
Bus routes serving Finch include:
WheelTrans
also makes connections to the station as the station is accessible.
With the exceptions of route 97 southbound and “Blue Night Bus
”, all TTC buses stop inside the bus terminal to pick up and drop off passengers. Transfers (or fare) would be required on the two aforementioned exceptions.
North of the Finch TTC station, directly across Bishop Ave. from the TTC bus terminal, is the Finch Bus Terminal, which connects the subway to GO Transit
and York Region Transit
buses (including two lines of York Region's Viva rapid transit system
).
in Richmond Hill by 2020 as part of the government's MoveOntario 2020
plan. As of 2008 the plans for a north Yonge extension have become less of a priority with focus shifting to the possibility resurrecting plans for the Downtown Relief Line
.
The Transit City
proposal calls for a new LRT line known as the Etobicoke-Finch West LRT line, running along Finch Avenue
West from Humber College
to Finch Station.
Toronto subway and RT
The Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...
of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located at 5714 Yonge Street between Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue is an arterial thoroughfare and concession road which travels east–west through the city of Toronto. The road also has short extensions into Peel and Durham Regions as Peel Regional Road 2 and Durham Regional Road 37.-History:...
East and West. The station is the northern terminus of the line's Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
section, and the northernmost station in the system.
It is also the busiest bus terminal in the TTC system, and the sixth busiest subway station in the system, serving around people a day. The station also serves as a link to other transit agencies by proximity to the Finch Bus Terminal.
Entrances
Pedestrians can enter Finch Station from:- North American Life Building — lower floor (to fares concourse)
- Yonge Street east side
- GO Finch Bus Terminal building by escalator, an adjacent stairwell exiting on the sidewalk at the north-east street corner of Yonge Street and Bishop Avenue (to fares concourse), and an outdoor elevator
- Kiss-n-Ride entrance, elevators and stairs — north-west corner of Yonge Street and Hendon Avenue (with tunnel to fares concourse)
- stairs — north-east and north-west corners of Finch Avenue and Yonge Street (to fares concourse)
- Pemberton Avenue cul-de-sac (privately maintained entrance) (to upper concourse)
Additionally, passengers on TTC buses that stop at Finch Station can enter the subway station through the bus terminal. It is illegal for pedestrians to enter or exit the bus terminal at street level. This can be frustrating for those coming off a bus at the terminal that would rather not go through the entire subway station to get across the street from the bus terminal, and sometimes people do exit the station at street level (and almost always overlooked by TTC employees even if they are spotted).
There is an emergency exit between Finch and North York Centre
North York Centre (TTC)
North York Centre is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the Toronto subway and RT. It is located at 5152 Yonge Street, where Yonge is intersected by Park Home Avenue and Empress Avenue. This is within North York Centre, a high density area of the Willowdale neighbourhood...
stations at Church Avenue and Yonge Street. The site was once the Willowdale United Church, demolished to make way for subway construction. Stairs from the tunnel surface in a brick building in the northeast corner, beside a cemetery and a Metro supermarket.
History
The station was opened on March 29, 1974, in what was then the Borough of North YorkNorth York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
, by provincial premier Bill Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
and borough mayor Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
. It replaced York Mills
York Mills (TTC)
York Mills is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 4015 Yonge Street at Wilson Avenue/York Mills Road...
as the northern terminus of the line.
Geography and layout
Bus terminal
On street level is a bus terminal. It is bordered on the south by Finch Avenue, and on the north by Bishop Avenue (which is named Hendon when it crosses west of Yonge). To the west of the terminal, separated by a chain link fence, is a parking area behind a strip of small 2-storey commercial buildings which stand between the terminal and Yonge Street. To the east, separated by wavy-shaped brick/masonry wall, are several taller buildings. The station interrupts the path of an east-west street, Pemberton Avenue, which runs between Bishop and Finch. It ends east of the station, and a very short length resumes west of the station, connecting it to Yonge. (see Pemberton Exit below)The terminal consists of a central narrow rectangular building oriented north-south with a bus platform on either side. Each bus route has its own assigned boarding location on the platforms. Buses travel clockwise on a looped roadway that circles the terminal structure. The roadway exits to the public streets at the north, south and west ends. Most buses travel north, and board on the west platform. Only Finch Avenue routes exit south, and board on the east platform. Buses typically (but not exclusively) let passengers off on the opposite platform as they board. Pedestrians are not allowed to enter or exit the terminal on street level, and must pass through the subway station below.
Pemberton Exit
To reduce the delays involving bus congestion, construction began in April 2006 on the Pemberton Avenue Exit. On the western stub of Pemberton Avenue, the metered parking was permanently removed (a new Toronto Parking Authority
Toronto Parking Authority
The Toronto Parking Authority is a public corporation owned by the City of Toronto.TPA was established in 1998 with the merger of parking operations in the cities of Toronto, York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York and the Borough of York...
lot was relocated to the former private parking lot at the south-east corner of Yonge and Bishop), and the street was connected to the main loop of Finch Station. When it was finally completed in January 2007, the street resumed two-way public traffic for access to the parking behind the commercial buildings; the connection to Finch Station became an alternate exit for buses headed northbound on Yonge Street (all buses except Finch Avenue buses). For some time during 2008 and 2009, this exit was closed off, forcing all buses (except the Finch Avenue buses) to exit onto Bishop. It was a parking lot for the surrounding stores until the exit reopened.
Subway station
Stairs, escalators, and elevators lead from the bus terminal down three levels to the subway platform. The upper concourse, one floor below the bus terminal, is a corridor running the length of the bus terminal. It collects the landings of all of the terminal's stairs and escalators and leads to another bank of stairs and escalators down to the lower concourse.The lower concourse level is the main concourse of the subway station. It is divided into the fare-paid and unpaid areas. The unpaid area is a long corridor, part of which runs alongside the fare-paid area lined with several automated token/pass
Toronto Transit Commission fares
On the Toronto Transit Commission, fares may be paid with a variety of media, the price of which may be determined by the age of the rider.-Single-trip fares:...
and manned entrances. The unpaid area contains connections to office towers (North American Life, Place Nouveau, and condominiums on Pemberton Avenue), the regional bus terminal, and the “Kiss-n-Ride” passenger drop-off facility; it also contains token machines. The fare-paid area houses a few shops, including Gateway Newsstand and Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
, florist, lottery booth, clothing shop, and stairs and escalators down to the subway platform.
The platform level consists of a central platform between two tracks with an operations tower at the south end. Since Finch is the last station on the line, trains alternate which track they arrive on, and trains on both tracks travel southbound. When both tracks are occupied, overhead signs indicate which train will depart first. North of the platform is a space that allows a train to be stored there.
Krystyna Sadowska's sculpture Rhythm of Exotic Plants (1965) is displayed on the lower concourse level, outside the fare-paid area; A stainless-steel plaque celebrating the station's opening is also located on the lower concourse. A smaller plaque is located at the south subway platform.
Parking lots and passenger drop-off facility
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
s (referred to as the car park in directional signage) at Finch Station for use by commuters. They are called simply the East Lot and the West Lot, and are located north of Bishop/Hendon, east and west of Yonge Street respectively. The lots have a combined capacity of 3251 parking spaces. Since the TTC got rid of free parking for Metropass holders, these lots rarely fill up. As of Feb. 1 2010 Parking costs $5 from 5:00am to 3:00pm weekdays, and is free after 3:00pm and all-day on weekends & holidays.
In addition to the parking lots, Finch Station also features a relatively elaborate “Kiss-n-Ride” passenger drop-off/pick-up facility, which is connected to the lower concourse level of the station (outside the fare-paid area) by pedestrian tunnels. The area has a round, indoor waiting area for passengers, with about 20 temporary parking spaces circularly surrounding the structure. It is adjacent to the west parking lot. Many people also use the aforementioned Pemberton Avenue Cul-de-sac as a pick-up and drop-off point, especially during busy hours when the Kiss-n-Ride area may be full. Although it's technically illegal for cars to stop or park in this area, it is almost always overlooked.
On the north side of Bishop Avenue, slightly east of the TTC bus terminal (along the southern edge of the GO bus terminal) is a parking lane for taxicabs. This is best accessed by exiting the subway station at the stairs/escalator to the north-east corner of Yonge and Bishop (the GO bus terminal).
Nearby landmarks
- Plaque on the North American Life building commemorating the birth place of former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. PearsonLester B. PearsonLester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
- Newtonbrook Plaza
- Finch's Hotel (historic landmark that no longer exists)
Surface connections
Bus routes serving Finch include:
- Route 36: Finch West
- 36A to Kipling
- 36B to Humberwood
- 36C to Jane
- 36D to Weston Road and Milvan
- Route 39: Finch East
- 39 to Seneca CollegeSeneca CollegeSeneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is a Canadian public college in the greater Toronto area. Seneca College is currently Canada's largest college with approximately 108,000 students.-History:...
- 39D to Neilson
- 39F to Seneca College - express service
- 39G to Old Finch and Morningview
- Route 42: Cummer
- 42 to Victoria Park
- 42A to Middlefield
- 42B to Kennedy
- Route 53: Steeles East
- 53 to Pharmacy
- 53A to Staines
- 53B to Markham Road
- 53E to Markham Road - express service
- 53F to Staines - express service
- Route 60: Steeles West
- 60B to Martin Grove
- 60C to York UniversityYork UniversityYork University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
- 60D to Highway 27
- 60E to Kipling - express service
- 97 Yonge
- 125 Drewry to Bathurst (Torresdale)
- 199 Finch Rocket to Scarborough Centre StationScarborough Centre (TTC)Scarborough Centre is a station on the Scarborough RT line of the Toronto subway and RT. It is located north of Ellesmere Road between Brimley and McCowan Roads, just south of Highway 401...
WheelTrans
WheelTrans
TTC Wheel-Trans is a specialized accessible transit service provided by the Toronto Transit Commission within the City of Toronto, Canada.-History:...
also makes connections to the station as the station is accessible.
With the exceptions of route 97 southbound and “Blue Night Bus
Blue Night Network
The Blue Night Network is the overnight public transit service operated by the Toronto Transit Commission in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The network consists of a basic grid of 22 bus and 2 streetcar routes, distributed so that almost all of the city is within 2 km of at least one...
”, all TTC buses stop inside the bus terminal to pick up and drop off passengers. Transfers (or fare) would be required on the two aforementioned exceptions.
North of the Finch TTC station, directly across Bishop Ave. from the TTC bus terminal, is the Finch Bus Terminal, which connects the subway to GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
and York Region Transit
York Region Transit
York Region Transit is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road....
buses (including two lines of York Region's Viva rapid transit system
Viva (bus rapid transit)
Viva is a bus rapid transit service operating in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Viva service is integrated with York Region Transit's local bus service to operate as one regional transit system providing seamless transit service across York Region and connections to northern Toronto.Viva was...
).
Tenants
A number of retail tenants have been added to the station, namely at the lower concourse level:- Tim HortonsTim HortonsTim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
- location inside the fare paid area
- second location in the unpaid area opened in 2009
- Gateway NewstandsGateway NewstandsGateway Newstands is a company that operates convenience stores and kiosks in large office buildings, shopping centres, public places, and transit stations in the United States and Canada...
- two separate booths located inside the fare paid area
- Finch Gift Shop
- Wicket Ticket - (lottery booth)
- Chantelle - accessories store
- Bank of MontrealBank of MontrealThe Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
Bank MachineAutomated teller machineAn automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
Expansion plans
On 15 June 2007, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a plan to extend the Yonge Subway from Finch Station to Highway 7Highway 7 (Ontario)
King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
in Richmond Hill by 2020 as part of the government's MoveOntario 2020
MoveOntario 2020
MoveOntario 2020 is a plan proposed by the Government of Ontario that would fund 52 rapid-transit projects throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area in Ontario, Canada.-History:...
plan. As of 2008 the plans for a north Yonge extension have become less of a priority with focus shifting to the possibility resurrecting plans for the Downtown Relief Line
Downtown Relief Line
The Downtown Relief subway line is a subway line planned for Toronto, Canada, but not yet constructed. Various plans along the basic right-of-way have been proposed since the earliest history of the Toronto subway system, which are collected in the Queen Street subway article.-History:The Downtown...
.
The Transit City
Transit City
Transit City was a plan for developing public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was first proposed and announced by then-Toronto Mayor David Miller and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission Adam Giambrone on March 16, 2007...
proposal calls for a new LRT line known as the Etobicoke-Finch West LRT line, running along Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue
Finch Avenue is an arterial thoroughfare and concession road which travels east–west through the city of Toronto. The road also has short extensions into Peel and Durham Regions as Peel Regional Road 2 and Durham Regional Road 37.-History:...
West from Humber College
Humber College
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning is a polytechnic college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humber offers more than 150 programs including: bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, post-graduate certificate and apprenticeship programs, across 40 fields of study. Humber serves...
to Finch Station.