October 2010 — The Toronto York Spadina Subway Extension program is the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) flagship initiative, extending subway transit service from the City of Toronto into York Region, to the north. The primary goal of the program is to encourage transit ridership, create seamless travel between different transit modes and foster sustainable urban development. The $2.6 billion program includes six new subway stations. An AECOM team of over 350 professionals in nine Canadian and U.S. locations and representing AECOM's capabilities of Architecture, Building Engineering, Transportation and Environment, is providing integrated design and engineering services for two of these stations, Highway 407 and Sheppard West.

"We've been able to provide our client with expertise in project management, architecture, mechanical, structural, electrical and civil engineering, traffic planning, bridge design, landscape architecture, environmental permitting and utilities," said Leslie Martin, who led the project for AECOM. "TTC needed a team with international architecture and transit best practices and with the presence in Canada to deliver this project. Our fifty-year relationship with them also inspired confidence." AECOM's expertise in environmental permitting helped facilitate and expedite the approvals process with key agencies such as the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

Each station is intended to foster a sense of place and community by providing a high-quality, urban and pedestrian-oriented environment. Key goals of the architecture and landscape architecture include vegetated roofs, natural light at the platform level, column-free public spaces and the incorporation of artwork that reflects local values and identity. The new stations are designed as the catalyst for development of a compact, inherently more sustainable urban form.

Passenger flow analysis and design studies informed the appropriate configuration of the public areas and circulation routes. Intuitive, efficient intermodal connections to the bus terminal, passenger drop-off areas and commuter parking provide for direct, effortless movement, with barrier-free access (ADA) and clear wayfinding displays throughout the station buildings. A multi-modal interchange station serving pedestrians, cyclists, buses, subway, park and ride and highway access allows for seamless transition between transit modes and positions the station as a focal point for the community.

Use of sustainable materials helps position Sheppard West Station as the gateway to Parc Downsview Park, Canada's first urban national park. Cost-benefit analysis of sustainability concepts such as LED lighting, variable frequency drives, tunnel piston effect ventilation, geothermal heating and cooling and daylighting analysis informed the incorporation of optimal technologies. The increased use of efficient mass transit and associated reduction in vehicle miles traveled will achieve overall air quality improvement for the area, lowering the community's carbon footprint.