The TTC has announced a public meeting that will bring to light new information—and invite public input—regarding the planned second exit at Donlands Station in Toronto's east end. With ridership high across the network, the second exit program is primarily a safety measure (particularly in the event of fire) while also providing a way to improve customer convenience by reducing congestion and walk times.
The exterior of Donlands Station, image by Craig White
The new Donlands exit is one of several planned throughout the system, with College, Dundas, Museum, Dundas West, Greenwood, and Summerhill stations also set to be upgraded with secondary exits. In addition, some stations—such as Wellesley—are in the process of being upgraded with automatic entrances alongside secondary exits. Although more costly than exits alone, the automatic entrances further serve customer convenience by shortening commutes and potentially reducing blockages at primary entrances.
While rider convenience is a definite benefit of the secondary exit/entrance program, the primary goal of the initiative is to increase safety across the TTC. Like any buildings, stations are safest when equipped with more than one exit, allowing a secondary—and potentially quicker—escape route in case of emergency.
Recently implemented at Chester Station, the TTC's new consultation program for a secondary exit draws on input from a panel of third party experts, as well as from community members. For Donlands Station, a working group to determine the exit's exact location is expected to be convened in early 2016.
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The meeting will take place from 7-9 PM on Wednesday, December 2 at St. David's Anglican Church, 49 Donlands Avenue. More information—as well as an online version of the presentation—is available on the TTC's official projects website here.