Scarborough Centre station
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox station Scarborough Centre is a bus terminal station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving multiple bus routes of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and one Durham Region Transit (DRT) bus route. It was also a rapid transit station serving Line 3 Scarborough of the Toronto subway system until Line 3's closure on July 24, 2023. It is located north of Ellesmere Road between Brimley and McCowan Roads, just south of Highway 401. It was adjacent to the former Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal, which was a station for GO Transit buses and other intercity coach services until the TTC modified the facility for TTC buses.
A new Scarborough Centre station is planned to be built along the Line 2 extension east of the existing station, which is set to open circa 2030.<ref name="Metrolinx-2021-09-17">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
History
Scarborough Centre station was opened in 1985 along with the rest of Line 3. The station replaced transit access to the Scarborough Town Centre shopping mall's south side (at ground level along roadway).
In 2000, this station became accessible with elevators.
The Toronto Transit Commission had planned to extend Line 4 Sheppard southeast from its current terminus at Template:Stl to Scarborough Centre. The 904 Sheppard–Kennedy Express bus currently links the two stations, making limited stops along Sheppard Avenue. In March 2007, however, the TTC dropped this plan when it announced its Transit City proposal to build the Sheppard East LRT. The LRT proposal was later replaced by a plan to extend Line 4 eastwards from Don Mills station to McCowan Road.<ref name="Metrolinx-2021-09-17" />
Around 2011, there was a proposal to convert Line 3 to light-rail with an extension of the Eglinton Crosstown line (Line 5 Eglinton) over the Line 3 right-of-way.<ref>"Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown Presentation Update - Community Meeting (York Civic Centre)" Template:Webarchive June 30, 2011</ref><ref>"Eglinton LRT ready to launch" Template:Webarchive By Tess Kalinowski, Toronto Star. June 29, 2011</ref>
In 2013, the proposal was changed to abandon the Line 3 right-of-way and build an underground extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth along McCowan Road. This would result in the decommissioning of all Line 3 stations beyond Kennedy station. A new Scarborough Centre station would be built east of the current station and would be oriented on a north–south alignment rather than the east–west alignment of the current station. Between 2013 and 2016, the new Scarborough Centre station was planned as a through-station.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In order to save money for another transit project, the plan was revised in 2016 to make it a terminal station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, in 2019 the plan was revised again to make the new Scarborough Centre station a through-station.<ref name="TheStar-2018-07-06">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Metrolinx-2021-09-17" />
In February 2021, the TTC recommended the closure of Line 3 in November 2023 and its replacement by bus service until the completion of the Scarborough extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth.<ref name="TheStar-2021-02-04">Template:Cite news</ref> However, the rail portion of this station permanently closed following a derailment on July 24, 2023, after which the TTC decided not to reopen Line 3.<ref name="confirmed closed">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Station description
Existing station
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The existing station is located north of Ellesmere Road, between Brimley and McCowan Roads on the south of the Scarborough Town Centre. The station was built on three levels: Line 3 used to operate through the upper level; the mezzanine, passenger entry from the mall, and an automatic entrance from Brian Harrison Way are on the middle level; and two bus terminals were located at ground level, one for TTC buses connected by an automatic entrance to the Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal for intercity buses. (In October 2022, the intercity terminal was relocated so that the TTC bus terminal could expand into its space.<ref name="TTC-2021-09-15" />) There is elevator access for TTC services, making this station fully accessible to anyone with disabilities.
East of the current station, the Line 3 continued travelling east on an elevated bridge until McCowan station. West of the station, the Line 3 ran on an elevated bridge which descended after passing over Brimley Road. It continued to descend until reaching Midland station.
The TTC permanently closed the Line 3 portion of the existing station after a derailment on July 24, 2023;<ref name="confirmed closed" /> however, the adjacent bus facilities will be kept in operation until 2030 with its bus bays reconfigured.<ref name="TTC-2021-09-15">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Future station
The provincial transit agency Metrolinx is building a new underground Scarborough Centre station parallel to McCowan Road along an extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth. The new station will be on a north–south alignment to the east of Scarborough Town Centre. The new station will have a new Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal serving TTC and GO Transit buses as well as the Durham Region Transit bus rapid transit line.<ref name="Metrolinx-2021-09-17" /> The new station will be located Template:Convert east of the former station, on the east side of McCowan Road north of the Line 3 right-of-way next to the site of McCowan station.<ref name="platform relocation">Template:Cite AV media</ref>Template:Rp The new station and bus terminal are expected to open in 2030.<ref name="TheStar-2021-02-04" />
Nearby landmarks
Located in Scarborough City Centre, nearby landmarks include the Scarborough Town Centre shopping mall, Scarborough Civic Centre, Albert Campbell Square, Canada Centre government offices, and Scarborough YMCA.
Surface connections
Toronto Transit Commission Bus Terminal
Bus routes serving the bus terminal include:
| Bay number | Route | Name | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 920 (DRT) | Eastbound to Harmony Terminal | |
| 2 | 134B | Progress | Northbound to McNicoll Avenue via Tapscott Road Template:Small |
| 134D | Northbound to Finch Avenue East via Centennial College and Tapscott Road | ||
| Northbound to Finch Avenue East via Centennial College and Crow Trail | |||
| 903A | Kennedy Station–Scarborough Express | Eastbound to Centennial College | |
| 3 | 131 | Nugget | Eastbound to Old Finch Avenue and Morningview Trail |
| 4 | 939A | Finch Express | Westbound to Finch station |
| 939B | Westbound to Finch West station via Finch station | ||
| 5 | 129A | McCowan North | Northbound to Major Mackenzie Drive |
| 129B | Northbound to Steeles Avenue East | ||
| 6 | 904 | Sheppard–Kennedy Express | Westbound to Don Mills station |
| 7 | 133 | Neilson | Northbound to Morningside Heights via Centenary Hospital |
| 8 | 38A | Highland Creek | Eastbound to Rouge Hill GO Station |
| 38B | Eastbound to University of Toronto Scarborough | ||
| 938 | Highland Creek Express | Eastbound to University of Toronto Scarborough Template:Small | |
| 9 - 13 | 38 | Highland Creek | Southbound to Kennedy station via Midland Avenue Template:Small |
| 129 | McCowan North | ||
| 131 | Nugget | ||
| 133 | Neilson | ||
| 903 | Kennedy Station–Scarborough Express | ||
| 904 | Sheppard–Kennedy Express | ||
| 938 | Highland Creek Express | ||
| 939 | Finch Express | ||
| 14 | 21C | Brimley | Southbound to Kennedy station |
| 43B | Kennedy | Southbound to Kennedy station via Progress Avenue | |
| 15 | 9 | Bellamy | Southbound to Warden station |
| 130A | Middlefield | Northbound to Steeles Avenue East | |
| 130B | Northbound to Steeles Avenue East via Maybrook Drive Template:Small | ||
| 16 | 16 | McCowan | Southbound to Warden station |
| 406 | Scarborough-Guildwood | Southbound to Guildwood GO station Template:Small | |
| Wheel-Trans | |||
| 17 | 996 | Wilson Express | Westbound to Humberwood Boulevard via York Mills station and Wilson station and Humber College Template:Small |
| 18 | 132 | Milner | Northbound to McLevin Avenue and Hupfield Trail |
| 169A | Huntingwood | Westbound to Don Mills station via Van Horne Avenue | |
| 169A | Westbound to Don Mills station Template:Small | ||
| 19 | 21C | Brimley | Northbound to Steeles Avenue East |
Other operators
GO Transit and intercity bus services
Scarborough Centre station was also home to the Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal, which was located directly east of the TTC bus platform. Until it closed, the former bus terminal was served by GO Transit and interurban buses, which now stop at various on-street locations near Scarborough Centre station.<ref name="platform relocation" />Template:Rp
Durham Region Transit
Since September 2023, Durham Region Transit (DRT) route 920 buses serve the TTC Scarborough Centre bus terminal. With the introduction of Ontario's One Fare Program, a GTHA-wide fare integration program introduced on February 26, 2024, customers paying by Presto, credit or debit card are able to transfer between TTC and DRT buses without incurring an additional fare during the 2-hour transfer window. As the station is located inside the TTC's fare-paid zone and as free card transfers need to be recorded for the province to reimburse participating transit agencies as well as to enforce double fares for customers ineligible for free transfers, passengers heading towards Durham Region board the DRT buses inside the TTC bus terminal, while those heading towards Scarborough Centre alight at nearby on-street stops outside of the station. The DRT buses previously terminated at McCowan station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
References
External links
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