The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has officially opened its new state-of-the-art bus facility, McNicoll Garage, located at Kennedy Road and McNicoll Avenue in north Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario.
“The opening of the McNicoll Garage is good news for our whole city and, in particular, the residents of Scarborough. By having a new garage in the Scarborough area, we can ensure that bus service is more efficient and that we are getting buses out on the road quicker. This is just one of many investments we are making in transit in Scarborough. Today’s announcement is another example of the continued work we are doing to build up our transit system and ensure that it serves all our residents,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory.
McNicoll Garage, the TTC’s ninth bus facility, will begin service March 28, and will provide the TTC with vital storage, as well as maintenance space to help accommodate its expanding bus fleet. The garage has the capacity to store and maintain up to 250 vehicles at a time. The development was funded through the TTC’s 10-year capital budget, as approved by the TTC Board and Toronto City Council.
“The TTC’s buses have been the workhorses of our transit system throughout the pandemic – providing flexible and dynamic service in priority areas across the city as needed. The opening of McNicoll Garage will allow us to further expand our bus fleet and enhance our ability to provide demand-responsive service to our riders,” said TTC Chair Jaye Robinson.
“This is a very exciting milestone for the TTC and a great step towards an even better, more efficient and more reliable bus fleet,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “The TTC has more than 2,000 accessible buses and Wheel-Trans vehicles, and it’s important we have the space, expertise and technology in place to care for and dispatch those vehicles effectively for our customers.”
Built to the Toronto Green Standard, the design boasts the largest green roof in Toronto and one of the largest in Canada. It also features solar panels and a metal transpired solar wall that harnesses energy to help heat the building in the winter and keep it cool in the summer.
Other environmentally friendly features include:
-Storm water retention with a reservoir capacity greater than an Olympic-sized pool to limit the rate of water entering the sewer system.
Rooftop solar panels to power HVAC and lighting in the administrative area.
Plenty of glass to allow natural light and reduce energy consumption.
Bird-friendly glass.
More than 350 new trees on site.
A thermal wall that offsets five percent of the facility’s energy consumption.
The 29,000-square-meter (312,153-square-foot) facility also has:
Two service lines with an exterior wash system.
A bus cleaning area.
Transportation and maintenance offices.
Repair bays, including 14 hoists and two inspection pits.
Paint and body shops with two bays and one hoist.
One degrease room with a hoist.
It will also be home to 100 maintenance employees and 600 operators and transportation staff.
The TTC’s last new bus garage, Mount Dennis, was opened in 2008, and is located in the north west part of the city. Each of the TTC’s bus, streetcar and subway facilities are strategically located to maximize operational efficiency of service.
