Торонто қалалық автобус терминалының тарихы

Principal intercity bus terminal for Toronto, Ontario, Canada
the bus terminal

The terminal opened on December 5, 2020, replacing both an outdoor terminal that was located on the north side of the rail corridor and the Toronto Coach Terminal.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the Toronto hub for GO Transit bus services was the Elizabeth Street annex to the Toronto Coach Terminal at Bay and Dundas Streets, with some routes also stopping curb side at the Union Station train terminal, or the Royal York Hotel opposite it, from the inception of the GO Bus service on September 8, 1970. After most operations moved out of that terminal in the mid 1990s, GO buses used a curb side facility on Front Street in front of the railway station that could hold up to seven buses. However, taxis, delivery trucks and other private vehicles would compete for space in the area reserved for buses. GO staff had to organize lines of waiting passengers so as not to obstruct the sidewalk in front of the station. The terminal unofficially commenced service the Labour Day weekend in 2002, when GO's Hamilton Express service, which was the last GO route still using the Elizabeth Street Terminal, relocated to Union. The bus terminal was located on the east side of Bay Street directly across from the railway terminal, behind and south of the Dominion Public Building on Front Street, with an enclosed walkway above Bay Street directly connecting the terminal to the railway station concourse. There was also direct stairway access from the bus terminal to railway platforms 4 through 13 via the Bay East Teamway under the railway tracks. The terminal had 7 platforms with fixed platform assignments. Every GO bus route departed from the same platform, a practice that would result in backlogs and delays. Due to height restrictions on the approaches to the terminal, all buses that served the terminal were single decker buses or special low height double decker buses. Per weekday, the bus terminal hosted 485 bus trips and served 13,600 riders. The bus terminal's last day of service was December 4, 2020, when it relocated to its current location under CIBC Square. The 2003 terminal was demolished shortly after. The north tower of CIBC Square will be built on the site, with completion scheduled for 2024.

The terminal took over as Toronto's principal hub for intercity bus services from the Toronto Coach Terminal at Bay and Edward Street, away. Intercity bus operators stated that they were in favour of moving from the Toronto Coach Terminal, as a location closer to the Gardiner Expressway would reduce journey times. Coach Canada / Megabus relocated to the new terminal on June 8, 2021. The Toronto Coach Terminal's last remaining tenant, Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services, transferred its operations to the Union Station Bus Terminal effective July 4, 2021. Greyhound Canada never moved to the Union Station terminal as it permanently ceased operations in May 2021. US based Greyhound Lines began cross border Toronto–Buffalo routes in November 2021, after COVID 19 pandemic–related Canada–United States border restrictions were relaxed. The TTC declared the Toronto Coach Terminal site surplus effective July 8, 2021, and transferred ownership of it to the City of Toronto for redevelopment.

In 2007, the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (today's Metrolinx) recommended relocating the outdated Toronto Coach Terminal and the Union Station bus terminal into one integrated bus terminal. Planning work continued over the next few years, with Metrolinx stating in 2012 that they were "contemplating building a new bus terminal at 45 Bay St." Intercity bus operators were in favour of moving from the Toronto Coach Terminal, as a location closer to the Gardiner Expressway would reduce journey times. Bay Park Centre was later renamed CIBC Square when the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) became the lead tenant. As part of the deal for the new terminal, Metrolinx sold the site of the old bus terminal at 141 Bay Street to Ivanhoé Cambridge and, in exchange, acquired a 99 year lease for the new terminal. The terminal was developed through a partnership between Metrolinx and real estate firms Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines. The architects for CIBC Square were WilkinsonEyre and Adamson Associates. In 2023, a GO bus route was withdrawn due to this congestion. Politicians and transit advocates have called for bus lanes and dedicated turning lanes to be installed on streets around the terminal, such as on Lake Shore Boulevard.

The bus terminal is located at 81 Bay Street, northwest of Lake Shore Boulevard and southeast of Union Station, on the south side of the Union Station Rail Corridor. The terminal is housed within the 48 storey south tower of the CIBC Square office development and is directly connected to Union Station via Scotiabank Arena (accessed through an enclosed walkway above Bay Street which is part of the city's PATH indoor pedestrian network), which lies adjacent to Union Station itself. Boarding procedures are similar to those for an airport terminal. Digital screens direct riders to the appropriate zone to wait for boarding. Gate assignments appear on digital screens 10 minutes before bus departure, followed by an audio announcement on the PA system. Glass gate doors separating the waiting area from the platform open only when buses are ready to load passengers. A Second Cup cafe and a convenience store kiosk are amenities to be added to the terminal in 2023.

The bus terminal is connected to Union Station by pedestrian walkways, providing access to connecting suburban and long distance train services by GO Transit, Via Rail and Amtrak. Union Pearson Express connects the terminal to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The Bay East Teamway provides a direct indoor connection to tracks 4 to 13 used by GO Transit rail services. Porter Airlines operates a shuttle bus service to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport from the intersection of Front and York Streets, northwest of Union Station.