The province has identified two more sites for development as transit-oriented communities along the Yonge North subway extension.

Sited for the communities are the Bridge and High Tech stations, with the goal of creating more housing, more jobs and space for recreation and leisure within walking distance of the TTC’s extended Line 1.

“By working with our municipal and regional partners, our government is unlocking a once-in-a-generation opportunity to integrate critical subway and community planning along the Yonge North Subway Extension that will transform the area for decades to come,” said Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation. “We are moving beyond the ‘park and ride’ model and creating communities built around transit: this will bring jobs and housing closer to stations, lower commutes for workers, increase ridership and build critical infrastructure at a lower cost to taxpayers.”

The provincial government is already involved in consultations with the City of Richmond Hill, the City of Markham, the City of Vaughan and York Region, while public consultations are targeted for later in the fall.

The transit-oriented communities at Bridge and High Tech Stations would include commercial, office and retail space to support approximately 14,000 new jobs in the region. The proposed communities would be served by the future Yonge North Subway Extension, GO regional service, VIVA Rapid Transit and the encompassing major highways.

Both are sites are within the Richmond Hill Langstaff Gateway Urban Growth Centre – an area identified and planned for strategic population and employment growth.

The Bridge Station site consists of one site for TOC use, while the High Tech Station site consists of two sites.

Featured image: Aerial view of the proposed transit-oriented community at the High Tech station site alone the Yonge North subway extension. (Infrastructure Ontario)