College station (Toronto)

College is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[2] It is located at Yonge Street and College Street/Carlton Street. Wi-Fi service is available at this station.[3]

College
Location	3 Carlton Street Toronto, Ontario Canada
Coordinates	43°39′41″N 79°22′59″W
Platforms	Side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	TTC buses and Streetcars  97  Yonge  306   Carlton  320   Yonge  506  Carlton
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Disabled access	No
History
Opened	March 30, 1954 (1954-03-30)
Traffic
Passengers (2018[1])	44,370
Rank	15 of 75
Services
Preceding station   TTC   Following station Dundas toward Vaughan Yonge–University Wellesley toward Finch

History

College station opened in 1954 as part of the original stretch of the Yonge line from Union to Eglinton stations. The address originally given to the station was 448 Yonge Street, which is still used on TTC system maps, but the TTC official website uses 3 Carlton Street.

Station description

Collector's booth and automatic turnstiles which accept tokens, Metropass and Presto card

The station lies under Yonge Street south from College and Carlton streets. The entrances on the northeast and southeast corners of the intersection are stairwells directly from the sidewalk. At the southwest corner the entrance is through the former Eaton's store at College Park, with escalators connecting from the street and additional stairs to the station. These three entrances join to the concourse, below the street at the north end of the station, where the collector's booth, turnstiles and a Gateway Newstands are located. Below this, on the lowest level, are the two side platforms which can be reached by escalators and stairs. There are no elevators in this station, which means it is not accessible for persons with physical disabilities.[2]

The TTC plans to start construction for a second entrance at College Station in Q3 2020 for completion and opening in Q4 2023. The second entrance will be south of the main entrance, and riders will be able to access it from the basement level of the College Park building. The second entrance will have a concourse level under Yonge Street with Presto fare gates, and an elevator and a staircase to each of the north- and southbound platforms. Riders can use the College Park elevators from street level and a passage to reach the new concourse where riders use either a short staircase or a ramp to enter the concourse.[4]

Architecture and art

Part of Hockey Knights in Canada on the northbound side

Part of Hockey Knights in Canada on the southbound side

The station features Hockey Knights in Canada, a pair of murals that are named after Hockey Night in Canada; one depicting the Toronto Maple Leafs on the southbound side and facing the Montreal Canadiens on the northbound side, depicting the decades-old rivalry between the two clubs. They were created by Charles Pachter in 1984, when the Toronto Maple Leafs still played at nearby Maple Leaf Gardens.[5]

Before proceeding with the design, the TTC sought to obtain permission from both clubs. The Canadiens agreed as did Maple Leaf general manager Gerry McNamara. However, when Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard learned of the plan to feature both teams, he refused permission to use the Leafs insignia unless plans for the Canadiens mural were scrapped. The TTC thus moved to remove the logos from the murals, until chairman Julian Porter, himself a lawyer knowledgeable on copyright issues, intervened and decided to take Ballard to court, believing that the artistic works could make free use of the logo even without Ballard's permission.[6] TTC commissioner June Rowlands also intervened insisting that all the players wear helmets, to set an example of safety for the city's youth.[7]

Subway infrastructure in the vicinity

North of the station, the tunnel turns off-street, paralleling Yonge Street to the east. South of the station, the subway continues under Yonge Street to Dundas station.

In early 2011 the TTC began work to re-install a double crossover south of the station. The crossover will allow trains to turn back at the station, allowing for more flexibility during emergencies.[8] The crossover had existed from the day the subway opened until the mid-1980s when it was removed due to financial, maintenance and safety concerns and because it was not regularly used.[9] The original crossover was not powered or signaled, meaning that supervisory personnel had to be on scene to manually operate the switches, and ensure safe train passage. The new crossover will be fully integrated into the subway signalling system allowing for remote operation.

Nearby landmarks

Nearby landmarks include the College Park mall, the College Park courts, the Residences of College Park, the Toronto Police Headquarters, and Maple Leaf Gardens. Some Ryerson University students use this station though the campus is situated closer to the next station, Dundas.

Surface connections

Main article: List of Toronto Transit Commission bus routes

A transfer is required to connect between the subway system and these surface routes:

TTC routes serving the station include:

Route	Name	Additional Information
97B	Yonge	Northbound to York Mills station and southbound to Queens Quay
306	Carlton	Blue Night Streetcar service; Eastbound to Main Street station and westbound to Dundas West station
320	Yonge	Blue Night service; Northbound to Steeles Avenue and southbound to Queens Quay
506	Carlton	Streetcar; Eastbound to Main Street station and westbound to High Park Loop

References

1. "Subway ridership, 2018" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved February 5, 2019. This table shows the typical number of customer-trips made on each subway on an average weekday and the typical number of customers travelling to and from each station platform on an average weekday.
2. "TTC College Station". Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
3. "Wi-fi Now Available At". TCONNECT. Archived from the original on 2014-12-04. Retrieved January 2015. Each of the 65 underground stations will have wireless and Wi-Fi service by 2017 Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
4. "College Station – Second Exit/Entrance and Easier Access" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. July 14, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
5. "Maple Leafs: From Hockey Knights in Canada to Legends Row". thestar.com. August 26, 2014.
6. York, Geoffrey (July 25, 1984). "TTC challenge set on Ballard's edict". The Globe and Mail. p. P1.
7. York, Geoffrey (March 21, 1984). "TTC plans murals to cover yellow subway tile". The Globe and Mail. p. M2.
8. Gillis, Wendy (February 25, 2011). "Why the Yonge subway is closing again". The Star.
9. http://transittoronto.ca/subway/5102.shtml

External links

Media related to College station at Wikimedia Commons

• College station at the Toronto Transit Commission