Update — Friday, November 29, 5:50 p.m.: Metrolinx and the Region of York are cancelling the road closure and construction this weekend. GO and YRT buses operate along their regular routes.
A road closure and a new traffic detour are the first steps as Metrolinx starts working to improve Rutherford GO Station, Friday, November 29. When contractors have completed the project, the station will have a new parking structure, a new railway bridge, and better pedestrian and cycling connections.
From 11 p.m. Friday until 11 a.m. Sunday, December 1, the Region of York is closing Rutherford Road near the station and GO Transit and York Region Transit are detouring their buses, while the road is closed.
Metrolinx has opened a temporary parking lot south of the station at 635 Westburne Drive. Over the weekend, the buses loop on access roads around the edges of this temporary lot. Starting Sunday, buses return to the original loop off Rutherford Road.
By Sunday morning, a new detour road will open to keep traffic moving around the first parts of the station under construction. The detour road will have four lanes and allow pedestrians and vehicles to pass during construction. This four-lane detour road will be in place until a new railway overpass bridge over Rutherford Rd is open in spring 2022.
Metrolinx has already installed a pedestrian tunnel under the track and to connect you to the second platform and track it’s building as part of this project.
Once contractors have finished, Rutherford GO Station will include:
- A new second track and platform to accommodate more frequent Barrie line service in both directions;
- better platforms with canopies to connect to the new parking garage;
- new elevators on both platforms to connect to the pedestrian tunnel;
- the new parking structure with 1,200 more spaces
- a new railway bridge over Rutherford Road to enhance safety and enable 15-minute two-way electrified GO service in the future;
- better pedestrian and cyclist connectivity, including a pedestrian bridge over Rutherford Road, and bike lanes on Rutherford Road;
- 100 new bike parking spots;
- a better bus loop for better connections to York Region Transit and the passenger drop-off and pick-up area or “Kiss ‘n’ Ride”;
- a better station building.
Metrolinx is also working with the City of Vaughan to improve access into and out of the station, which has become challenging as ridership has grown over the last few years.
Metrolinx expects to open the new parking spots and the grade separation in 2022.
Improving Rutherford GO Station is just one phase of the larger project to introduce frequent, all-day, two-way service along the GO’s Barrie line by 2025.
You can learn more about the project to improve Rutherford GO Station here and here.
Other changes during construction
For transit passengers
- Metrolinx has removed one of two bus shelters on the north side of the bus loop.
- It’s also reshaped the Kiss and Ride. It’s closed the two south lanes and extended the lanes to the west.
- York Region Transit has removed its bus stop on the north side of Rutherford Road for buses along the 85 / 85C Rutherford and 87 Autumn Hills routes. You can board these buses one block east at Barhill Road.
For pedestrians
- York Region / the City of Vaughan have removed the crosswalk at the bus loop entrance until the grade separation is complete. You can safely cross Rutherford Road at Barhill Road / Westburne Drive or at Peter Rupert Avenue / Confederation Parkway.
- As part of this work, Metrolinx has also blocked off an area north of Rutherford Road across from the station and access to the path from Rutherford Road to Lauderdale Drive at Rutherford. If you walk to the GO from north-east of the station, you can use Peter Rupert Avenue to access Rutherford Road instead of this path.
For cyclists
- Metrolinx has relocated the bike racks to the west side of the station building, close to the Kiss and Ride.
For motorists
- Metrolinx has:
- closed a large section of the south side of the main parking lot to accommodate construction of the new parking structure.
- opened a new temporary parking lot south of the station beside #635 Westburne Road.
- closed the south entrance to the station from Westburne Drive. Use the north entrance from Westburne Drive to access the main parking lot.
- closed 14 parking spaces on the north side of the main parking lot.
- opened four more general parking spaces in the main lot.
- relocated the eight carpool parking spaces in the regular lot to the temporary parking lot.
- relocated all reserved parking spaces to the temporary lot.
- relocated motorcycle and scooter parking to the temporary lot.
- relocated accessible parking spaces to the two lanes west of the Kiss and Ride.
- All carpool spaces in the regular parking lot are open for general parking.