The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) recently announced an opening date of Dec. 17 for the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension. As part of its extensive testing procedures, on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 25, the TTC will be conducting an emergency preparedness exercise on the Keele Campus at the new York University Station.
The York University Station on the Keele campus
This emergency simulation exercise will impact transportation on and off campus. Emergency vehicles will gather in the Harry W. Arthurs Common bus loop and Founders Road Parking lot.
- Buses will be on diversion. TTC and GO Transit buses will let passengers off on York Blvd.
- WheelTrans and VanGo buses will pickup and drop off passengers outside Vari Hall at their regular stops.
- The York University Shuttlestop will be temporarily moved to the Fine Arts Road.
- The area immediately around the York University Station will be closed for the duration of the exercise.
All classes, tests and exams will proceed as per normal, as will other regular campus programming.
Above: A map of the area affected by the TTC simulation
The exercise is an emergency preparedness collaborative effort led by the TTC, involving partner agencies in Toronto and York Region, and the York University community. It is a large-scale simulation exercise involving approximately 700 participants. The exercise is designed to allow the TTC to test its own emergency processes and procedures at track level and the collaboration, coordination and communication of the response among emergency responders so that Fire, EMS and Police are prepared to handle any situation on the new section of Line 1.
Since the new subway line runs under York University property, York's Community Safety Department and other University departments are using this opportunity to test the University’s own emergency preparedness and response processes and are working closely with the TTC to test York’s operational and communications procedures.
The University is also using the emergency exercise as a unique experiential learning opportunity. Students from York’s Disaster and Emergency Management Program (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) will be involved in the simulation, along with Nursing and Kinesiology students (Faculty of Health) who will participate as passengers complete with make-up. Students from the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) will assist in videoing the event for future training and education purposes.
For more information or if you have questions regarding this initiative, contact Kathy Branton, manager, Emergency Preparedness Program, Community Safety Department, by email to brantonk@yorku.ca.