Last April, Metrolinx opened the new GO Transit York Concourse to provide passengers with better access to and from train platforms and more amenities to enjoy while they’re heading to and from the trains.
Next Sunday, August 16, it’s closing GO’s Bay Concourse — the area at the east end of the station along Bay Street — for as long as two years during the next phase of its ongoing project to revitalize the station.
The Bay Concourse has been serving GO passengers since 1978, so, it’s due for a retrofit. When the concourse reopens, GO will provide passengers with even more access, including new stairs and elevators to and from the platforms and more food, retail and other services.
But, in the meantime, you should expect challenges — especially the first day with full rush-hour service, Monday, August 17 — as you learn your way around the new, temporary station layout and relearn how to navigate to and from the trains.
GO will assign extra staff to help direct you to various routes around the construction zone.
According to the Toronto Sun, “commuters who enter the station from the Bay St. side… access the train platforms through stairwells that lead to the street. TTC passengers… exiting the subway station can walk east to Bay St. and take the stairs to the platform or they can take a temporary path through the front of the Bay concourse that leads to the York concourse under the Great Hall. New elevators from the York concourse to all platforms and the Great Hall are also available. Ramps from the subway station into the train station will be maintained.”
To help you prepare for the concourse closing, GO suggests you try your new route this week, before what will likely be a very chaotic day Monday. Figure out and try other ways to get to and from the platforms. But, remember that using a different route may take a little longer, so give yourself extra time to get to your workplace or other destination on your way in and to your train on your way home.
For example:
- Use the York Concourse: In the new concourse, you’ll find several customer-service windows, a PRESTO self-serve machine so you can quickly loads your card — and access to all train platforms.
- Use the teamways: Both teamways on Bay and York Streets have customer-service counters, PRESTO machines and access to train and bus platforms.
Here’s how to get to your GO train platform, while the Bay Street Concourse is closed:
Bay East Teamway - Platforms 4 through 13
Bay West Teamway - Platforms 4 through 27
VIA Concourse - Platforms 4,5,8,9 and Platforms 12 through 27
York Concourse - Platforms 4 through 27
York East Teamway - Platforms 4 through 27
York West Teamway - Platforms 4 through 27
(Adapted from an original Metrolinx / GO Transit graphic.)
Toronto Sun reporter, Nick Westoll recently toured the upcoming construction site with Michael Wolczyk, GO’s vice-president of corridor infrastructure. Westoll reports,
“‘People are really familiar with (the Bay concourse),’ Wolczyz said. ‘It’s been the hub for GO operations for almost 40 years, so [passengers] are very used to it and they’ll have to change how they use the station.’
“The existing concourse will be demolished and workers will dig down several feet in order to reconstruct structural columns and build the east end of the new retail level, as well as add a new concourse level with connections to train platforms.
“Wolczyk said work will be done around the clock with most of the work taking place overnight and on weekends.
“‘When it’s all done, people going to the subway will continue down from the concourse level to the retail level and that will go straight into the subway entrance — no more stairs up and down (between the subway and train stations),’ Wolczyk said, adding the new Bay concourse will mirror the York St. side. ‘It’ll be very open and seamless.’”
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