The Spadina subway line (usually called either the Spadina subway or the Spadina line) was the former name of a portion of the northwestern branch of the Toronto subway's Line 1 Yonge–University built in 1978 and extended in 1996.
The first section was a eight-station extension of the University branch, which opened on January 28, 1978, along the route of the partially built Spadina Expressway from St. George station to Wilson station. Initially proposed to run along Christie Street as a separate line, the plan was revised to follow the expressway route in 1959. The project was then postponed twice: first in 1964, to build extensions of the Bloor–Danforth line and then again in 1965, to build a northerly extension of the Yonge Street branch of the line. In the 1970s, the impending construction of the expressway meant that the TTC decided to pursue the project if funds could be found. However, the partially built Spadina Expressway's cancellation in 1971 led the TTC to consider running the route down Bathurst Street, south of the constructed section of the expressway. Despite the City of Toronto's strong opposition, the TTC and Ontario government moved forward with the Spadina route.
Construction on the extension began in 1974 and opened in 1978. In a first for the TTC, external architects designed most of the stations on the extension and all stations featured public art. Following the opening of the extension, ridership was less than expected, though it did reduce crowding on the Yonge branch.
Construction of an extension northwards to Sheppard Avenue began in 1992, with Downsview station (later renamed ) opening in 1996. It was the first step to either extend the line further to York University or loop it back to the Yonge branch. An extension to the university (and beyond to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre in the City of Vaughan) was chosen and built. It was dubbed the Toronto–York Spadina subway extension (TYSSE) during planning and construction, and opened in 2017.
In 2014, the TTC assigned numbers to its subway lines and also removed Spadina from the line's name, referring to it as Line 1 Yonge–University.
Background
The Yonge line, Toronto's first subway, began construction in 1949 and opened on March 30, 1954, running between Union and Eglinton stations. The line was extended north along University Avenue to St. George station at Bloor Street in February 1963 as part of the Bloor–University subway project. The Bloor–University project also saw construction of the initial section of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth, which opened in February 1966.
Study of an expressway extension of Spadina Road began in 1954 and was approved by Metropolitan Toronto in 1957, though construction was not expected to begin for five to ten years. However, construction was accelerated over threats by the developers of Yorkdale Shopping Centre to only build the mall if the expressway were constructed. The expressway had already received opposition from York Township over destruction of the Cedarvale Ravine. The township preferred subway construction. The expressway would lead to major protest from residents and ratepayer groups in the 1960s and 1970s.
Planning Initial plans and route dispute (1955–1961)
By the end of 1955, city planners at Metropolitan Toronto had begun studying a subway to be built as part of the Spadina Expressway project to provide an additional connection to the proposed Bloor–Danforth line. As originally proposed, it would be a new line running along Christie Street as it approached Bloor Street, connecting with the Bloor–Danforth line at the proposed Christie station. North of St. Clair Avenue, the route would enter the Cedarvale Ravine and join the Spadina Expressway there. A Christie route was planned to be extended further south in the future to the proposed Queen subway line but, when initially opened, would require passengers to transfer to the Bloor–Danforth line to reach downtown. TTC transit consultant Norman D. Wilson called for the line to form a large U, continuing on Queen to Leslie Street then running northeast to Thorncliffe Park, Don Mills, and Scarborough.
However, the plan was revised in 1959 to run fully along the Spadina Expressway route (which was to be built along Spadina Road and Spadina Avenue south of the Cedarvale Ravine) and connect with the Bloor–Danforth line at St. George station. A route along Christie would have been shorter and served a more densely populated area, but a route connecting at St. George would be able to function as an extension of the University line or at least connect directly with it. However, it would prevent Bloor trains from running directly downtown via the University line as then proposed. The connection between the two lines would be about east of its originally proposed location. At the time, construction was expected to be done in conjunction with the Spadina Expressway.
This revision was reversed by the TTC in March 1960, causing friction between the TTC and Metropolitan Toronto, which had approved the Spadina Expressway route. The TTC argued the Christie route was $3 million cheaper and avoided complications at the wye junction between the Bloor and University lines. The TTC reversed its decision, initially that April and again in May, reinstating the Spadina route. The April meeting had been done in secret by three of the commissioners while Christie line supporter Ford Brand was vacationing. Brand only heard of the meeting from a phone call by a reporter. This led to infighting between the TTC's commissioners as well as with Metropolitan Toronto. The issue of which riders would need to transfer and construction of the necessary wye to interline Bloor and University services were the primary sources of disagreement. In June 1960, Metropolitan Toronto Council voted to build the full wye and the line as an extension of the University subway. The TTC continued to prefer the Spadina route over the Christie route despite Brand's continued protest.
Postponement (1961–1970) Since 1959, the Spadina line had been expected to be constructed following the completion of the Bloor–Danforth line. However, in 1962, Metropolitan Toronto chair William Allen proposed extending the Bloor–Danforth line first, with a busway to occupy the median of the Spadina Expressway temporarily. This move was opposed by Metro planning commissioner Murray Jones, who noted the Yonge line was already nearing capacity. In 1962, Metropolitan Toronto's transportation committee recommended extensions of the Bloor–Danforth line be given priority despite the possibility of delaying the Spadina line and by 1964, the Bloor–Danforth extensions were to be built before the Spadina line.
In 1964, there was again debate on which subway line would be built next. Being considered were the Spadina line, the Queen line, a line to Weston, and a northerly extension of the Yonge line. Supporters of the Spadina line stated the Yonge line would be overcrowded if its extension were built first. Despite this, in October 1965, Metropolitan Toronto voted in favour of extending the Yonge line first. Additionally, a long-term plan released by the TTC in 1966 called for the Queen line to be constructed first, which would potentially further delay the Spadina line. This led Allen to endorse the Christie route, which would again be voted down by the TTC in July 1968.
In 1968, the TTC recommended the Spadina line be the first subway extension built once the Yonge extension is completed, which was then expected to be in 1972. At this point, the line was expected to open in 1983, but Metro Toronto's 1969 decision to speed up construction of the Spadina Expressway caused the TTC to start looking for the $53 million required to build the Spadie line, as the tax levy normally used for subway construction was being used for the Yonge extension. Metro Toronto Council considered delaying the section of the Yonge subway extension from Sheppard to Finch to build the Spadina line faster, but this was defeated by a 16–6 vote in August 1970.
Approval after cancellation of Spadina Expressway (1970–1973)
In late 1969, construction work on the Spadina Expressway was halted while the Ontario government reviewed the project, which was unpopular with area residents. The review ended with the June 1971 decision by Premier Bill Davis and his cabinet to cancel the expressway but support the quick construction of the proposed subway along its route. In 1970, the Toronto Planning Board recommended another review of the subway route, this time proposing the line run down Vaughan Road and Bathurst Street south of Eglinton Avenue. The board did not believe the Spadina Expressway routing would be cheaper than a Bathurst route, which was the reason the TTC was supporting it at the time. Anti-expressway activist and author Jane Jacobs also criticized the Spadina route and preferred a subway on Bathurst, believing a Spadina route would be more difficult for pedestrians to access, leading to lower ridership.
In October 1971, following the expressway's cancellation, Davis announced the line would continue to follow the expressway's route. Metro Toronto chair Albert Campbell protested Davis' decision, believing Metro should decide the route. Metro had already formed a committee to determine which route would work best, which was expected to report on its findings within a month. The TTC did not want the route to change. The committee recommended a route just west of the Bathurst route despite determining it would cost $169 million and require 150 expropriations, compared to $141 million and fewer expropriations for the Spadina route without the expressway. The Spadina route was forecast to be the cheapest and quickest to build. The proposed Bathurst-area routings all went to St. George, and route alternatives continued to be considered in 1972. Early that year, Metro Toronto was sent 130 briefs recommending the Spadina route under the belief it would allow the Spadina Expressway to be built.
While the routing was undecided, the TTC began design work on the section of the line north of Eglinton Avenue. The City of Toronto strongly opposed the Spadina route, voting in favour of a route under Bathurst Street or Dufferin Street in March 1972. Metro Toronto's transportation committee supported the Bathurst route, but Metro again approved the Spadina route in a September 1972 council vote. It was estimated to cost $154 or 155 million and take four and a half years to complete. The Bathurst route was expected to cost $40 million more. The City of Toronto appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board, then to the Ontario Cabinet, calling the route a waste of money and arguing it would destroy the Cedarvale Ravine, but both also approved the Spadina route, respectively in May and August 1973.
Continued dispute with the City of Toronto (1974)
In early 1974, residents of the Annex asked the TTC not to build Lowther station, which was planned approximately north of Spadina station. The TTC studied it that spring and approved the station in May. In July 1974, the TTC admitted that Lowther station would possibly be the terminus of the line and require passengers to transfer to the Bloor–Danforth line to go downtown. However, the TTC was not planning this and would only do it if passenger volumes warranted it. Additionally, an underground pedestrian connection with Spadina station via a moving sidewalk would allow some riders to avoid transferring at St. George.