The northern entrance to the Toronto Transit Commission’s Yorkdale station where 1,000 new parking spaces just opened. (GTD Aquitaine)
By: Jefferson Marshall
Commuters rejoiced as the Toronto Transit Commission added a significant extension to the Yorkdale Station parking lot on Wednesday morning.
“[The parking lot] offers more than 1,000 spaces in a covered, heated and well-lit multi-level structure,” said the TTC in a press release.
“It also features a communication system monitored by mall security and pay-on exit payment system, allowing for quicker entry.”
With the new features and increased number of spaces, the price of the parking has risen to $7 from $5.
Some TTC riders believe the new pay hike is worth it.
“I go through the Yorkdale subway station about three to four times a week to go to the gym,” said regular TTC user Ethan Ward, 20.
“It really depends on the day, but it is usually busy so I’m glad there’s going to be more spaces.”
The lot is open from Monday to Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is closed on weekends.
This extension will hopefully keep commuters from having to battle through chaos, like in early December when five commuter lots were shut down on the same day. It could also limit the use of apps like ShariSpace, where users list their driveways online and charge strangers to park.
“The pressure was high for this lot to get done with the others over at Wilson closing down,” said TTC representative Stuart Green.
“Development took a couple of years to finish, but a lot more people should be able to safely find spaces.”
By the end of the 2017, the TTC is expected to have added around 2,800 additional parking spots to three different lots on the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension.