Wilson station (Toronto)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox station Wilson is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the median of Allen Road at Wilson Avenue. The station is accessible, has commuter parkingTemplate:Sndincluding bike parkingTemplate:Sndand connects to many bus routes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
History
Wilson station was opened in what was then the Borough of North York as the last station in the 1978 subway line extension north from St. George station. According to historian Mike Filey, Wilson Avenue is a misspelling of Arthur L. Willson, who was a clerk and treasurer of York Township for over twelve years around 1875. Among Arthur Willson's accomplishments were writing a "municipal manual", "which has been found of practical value as a guide to those requiring a knowledge of municipal law", according to a history of the County of York.<ref name=Bow1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Wilson was the northwestern terminus of the Yonge–University line for eighteen years and a major hub for TTC bus service, but with the extension to Template:Stl (then named Downsview) in 1996, many of the bus routes serving areas to the north were moved to the new station.<ref name=Bow2>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Concurrent with the opening of the Toronto–York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE) on 17 December 2017, this station became one of the first eight stations to discontinue sales of legacy TTC fare media (tokens and tickets), previously available at a fare collector booth. Presto vending machines were available to sell Presto cards and to load funds onto them.<ref name="TTC-CSRs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 3 May 2019, this station became one of the first ten stations to sell Presto tickets via Presto vending machines.<ref name="TTC-2019-05-06">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In November 2018, construction began on three new elevators, automatic sliding doors, and a new accessible washroom, to make the station wheelchair accessible.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was completed on 18 December 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
By the late 1990s, over 2,000 commuter parking spaces were available. Two lots were declared surplus in 2013 and have been redeveloped.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Until November 2024, 953 parking spaces remained at Wilson; however, in October 2021, the city government reached an agreement with developer Tridel to build 1,484 new homes, a childcare centre and a new park on the main parking lot.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since 18 November 2024, only the Wilson Transit Road Lot with 72 spaces remains available. Following the opening of the subway extension into York Region in 2017, new commuter parking lots are available farther north at stations like Highway 407 and Pioneer Village.<ref name="TTC-2024-11-18">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Architecture and art
Wilson is one of two Yonge–University line stations on the west side of the line, along with Template:Stl, that were designed by the TTC's in-house architects.<ref name=design>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The subway station building is a simple enclosed concrete structure built within the median of Allen Road where it crosses over Wilson Avenue. The mezzanine level connects by a maze of tunnels to the bus terminal, a kiss-and-ride facility and four commuter parking lots with a total of 2257 spaces.<ref name=parking>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> An additional island bus platform, no longer needed for the reduced number of connecting buses after the line was extended to Sheppard West Station,<ref name=Bow2 /> was mothballed and now serves as a storage area.
Wilson station is home to multiple art displays. A wall sculpture by Ted Bieler entitled Canyons<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is located at the mezzanine level. In late 2019, Outside the Lines was installed in multiple parts of the station.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The display can be found in various locations, such as the subway platform level, walkway to bus bays, and on the second floor of the bus bays.
In October 2021, a mural named Daily Migration was unveiled.<ref name=":1" /> The mural is located on a wall of an entrance south of the station, west of Allen Road. Template:Clear left
Subway infrastructure in the vicinity
Northwest of the station is the Wilson Yard, opened in 1977, which houses the system's largest subway marshalling yard having taken over Yonge-University line operations from Davisville Yard in 1993 and a large bus garage servicing most of the bus routes in north Toronto. The original yard access tracks form part of the mainline north to Template:Stl station, crossing under the southbound lanes of Allen Road and descending, as does the road itself, down to ground level. There is a diamond crossover south of the station, used to reverse trains when the station was a terminus, and still frequently used for short turning.
Nearby landmarks
Nearby landmarks include a Costco store and the southern end of Downsview Park. Across Highway 401 is Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Large events at the park, such as World Youth Day 2002 and Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto in 2003, have resulted in heavy use of Wilson station.
Surface connections
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| Bay number | Route | Name | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29A | Dufferin | Southbound to Exhibition Place (Dufferin Gate) |
| 29C | Southbound to Exhibition Place (Princes' Gates) | ||
| 929 | Dufferin Express | Southbound to Exhibition Place (Dufferin Gate) | |
| 2 | 96A | Wilson | Westbound to Carrier Drive via Kipling Avenue and John Garland Boulevard |
| 96B | Westbound to Humberline Drive and Albion Road via Westhumber Boulevard and Martin Grove Road | ||
| 96D | Westbound to Carrier Drive and Westmore Drive | ||
| 3 | 996 | Wilson Express | Westbound to Humberwood Boulevard via Humber College Template:Small |
| 4 | 165 | Weston Rd North | Westbound to Steeles Avenue West |
| 5 | 119A | Torbarrie | Westbound to Arrow Road via Clayson Road |
| Westbound to Arrow Road via Torbarrie Road | |||
| 119B | Westbound to Milvan Drive via Clayson Road and Fenmar Drive Template:Small | ||
| Westbound to Milvan Drive via Torbarrie Road Fenmar Drive Template:Small | |||
| 6 | 118 | Thistle Down | Westbound to Thistle Down Boulevard via Tandridge Crescent |
| 7 | 101B | Downsview Park | Westbound to Finch West station via Stanley Greene Boulevard and Downsview Park station Template:Small |
| 8 | 120 | Calvington | Westbound to Sheppard Avenue West and Jane Street |
| 184 | Ancaster Park | Westbound to De Havilland | |
| Template:TableTBA | 329 | Dufferin | Blue Night service; northbound to Steeles Avenue West and southbound to Exhibition Loop |
| Template:TableTBA | 396 | Wilson | Blue Night service; eastbound to York Mills station and westbound to Martin Grove Road and Steeles Avenue West |
| Bay number | Route | Name | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 165 | Weston Rd North | Eastbound to York Mills station |
| 2 | 96A/B/D | Wilson | |
| 3 | 996 | Wilson Express | Eastbound to Scarborough Centre station via York Mills station Template:Small |
| 4 | 104 | Faywood | Northbound to Sheppard West station via Wilson Heights Boulevard |
| 5 | Wheel-Trans | ||
| 6 | 160 | Bathurst North | Northbound to Centre Street |