Glencairn (TTC)

Glencairn
Location	785 Glencairn Avenue Toronto, Ontario Canada
Coordinates	43°42′32″N 79°26′27″W / 43.70889°N 79.44083°WCoordinates: 43°42′32″N 79°26′27″W / 43.70889°N 79.44083°W
Platforms	centre platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	at grade in highway median
Architect	Adamson Associates
History
Opened	28 January 1978
Traffic
Passengers (2013[1])	5,500
Services
Preceding station   TTC   Following station Lawrence West toward Downsview Yonge–University Eglinton West toward Finch

Glencairn is a subway station on the Yonge–University line in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the median of William R. Allen Road at Glencairn Avenue.

The station is in the Glen Park neighbourhood of the city, a lower-density residential area, and despite being near a cluster of high-density residential buildings to the south, it is one of the least-used stations.

History

The station opened in 1978 in what was then the Borough of North York. It was part of the subway line extension from St. George to Wilson station.

A station at Glencairn and Yonge was considered for the North Yonge extension in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, this was dropped (along with Glen Echo Station at Yonge Boulevard) because of budgetary concerns. If built, it would have been placed between Eglinton and Lawrence stations on the Yonge line.

Station description

Escalators between the platform, an intermediate concourse and street levels, all under the glass roof

Glencairn station was constructed at ground level within the median of Allen Road, between the Glencairn Avenue and Viewmount Avenue bridges.

Glencairn Avenue, at the north end of the station, has entrances on the north and south side of the street. Here there are both up and down escalators and stairs between the centre train platform, the intermediate concourse where there is a collectors booth and turnstiles, and street level. Viewmount Avenue, at the south end of the station, only has stairs to an automatic entrance on the north side of the street. There are no elevators at this station.^[2]

Architecture and art

Glencairn was designed by Adamson Associates.^[3][4] A central vaulted glass roof spans the length of the station, allowing the penetration of natural light to all areas of the station during the day and to be seen at night as a long illuminated strip of light.

The glass roof is directly above the single centre platform. This is similarly to Yorkdale station, where the interior walls of the station at platform level are unfinished concrete, with curved sections over the tracks to form a lower ceiling. Unlike Yorkdale, the curve is less sudden making the walls more rounded in appearance and they are clad with white horizontal panels between vertical concrete "ribs", along with a wider orange panel strip displaying the station name. Platform level seating is sheltered within glass walls. Wayfinding signage is backlit. Floors and some of the walls are clad with red-brown tiles.

Glencairn formerly featured a multi colour stained glass skylight entitled Joy designed by Rita Letendre,^[5] which was removed at the artist's request after it became faded, and replaced with clear glass.

Surface connections

• 14 Glencairn between Davisville Station and Glencairn Avenue at Caledonia Road.

The station has no off street bus platforms and a valid paper transfer or pass is required to connect between the subway and the bus route at curbside stops. 109 Ranee runs along Marlee Avenue one block west of Glencairn station, but is not a walking transfer.

References

1. "Subway ridership, 2013" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved September 12, 2015. 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. "Glencairn Station Description". Toronto Transit Commission. Retrieved August 2014.
3. "Design for Transit", Canadian Architect 21, 1976: 35
4. "Information on Building Name: Glencairn Subway Station". Architectural Index for Ontario. Toronto Public Library. Retrieved August 2012.
5. "Rita Letendre". VIDEO PORTRAITS. Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art. Retrieved August 2012.

External links

Media related to Glencairn Station at Wikimedia Commons

• Glencairn Station at the Toronto Transit Commission