Thousands of students from across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) attend York University every day. Every student has a unique commute, but there are some common tips and tricks that can help you out in the daily grind. In today’s #YUBlog post, we have spoken with various York U students who commute to campus in different ways. They’ve given us some tips on how to make your commute a little easier and we are happy to share them with you!
Subway/Buses/Shuttles
There are numerous ways to get to York U by public transit. York U Keele Campus is lucky enough to be serviced by two Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway stations, Pioneer Village Station and York University Station. York University Station is right in the centre of campus in the Harry Arthur Common outside Vari Hall, between Accolade East and York Lanes. Though no buses go to this station, students can access TTC buses, along with YRT/Viva buses [MM1] [ANK2] at Pioneer Village Station. Students can also access GO Transit by transferring to the subway at the Highway 407 Station, or by using York University’s Free GO Train Shuttle Service.
The Glendon Campus is accessible via two TTC buses. Depending on where they are commuting from, Glendon students can take the number 11 bus which travels on Bayview Avenue, or the 124 bus which travels on Lawrence Avenue. The closest subway stop to the Glendon Campus is Lawrence Station, which is only a short bus ride away via the 124 bus.
There are more shuttle services on campus including the Village Shuttle that takes you to the off-campus Village near Finch and The Pond Road, the Keele/Glendon Shuttle which can take you between our two great campuses and the VAN GO shuttle. The VAN GO Shuttle is a mobility service designed to assist students, Faculty and staff with disabilities. You can find more information on the VAN GO Shuttle on the Transportation Shuttle Services page.
Here are some tips we received from students taking transit to get to York U:
“Get a Presto Card & set up autoload so you never have to worry about having the right fare.” – Tatiana, third-year undergraduate student
Tatiana also told us how she creates her class schedule with her commute in mind by trying to schedule her classes to limit the amount of days she needs to make the long commute:
“I use the time I have in between classes to get things done. I try to compact my schedule to a few full days so I can have other full days off for work/homework/leisure. , It makes my long commute less frequent.” – Tatiana
Tatiana wasn’t the only TTC user we spoke with. Ana commutes on the bus to Glendon campus, which is closer to Lawrence Station on the Yonge-University Line. She says regardless of what the weather looks like outside, you should give yourself some extra time.
“Give yourself time for possible delays. You never know what could happen on the road (for example, unusually heavy traffic.) I like to leave earlier than I should because I don’t like to rush to class and be late. Also, make sure to bring a snack and/or have entertainment during your commute. A good playlist and/or a podcast will help the time pass much more quickly” – Ana, fifth-year undergraduate student
Success Tip: Purchase a Presto Card for easy access to transit systems operating across the GTHA. Your Presto card stores funds in a secure account and eliminates the need for tickets, transfers, passes or cash. Check out York University Transportation Services Presto page for more information.
Driving
If you are driving to York U, consider using a service such as Smart Commute to arrange a carpool with other commuters. You can also use a Carsharing program on the Keele campus to rent vehicles for the hour or day.
For information regarding parking rates and lots, make sure to check out the Parking Services page to learn more about parking permits and other tips. Parking Services on the Keele Campus can be found in Room 222 at the William Small Centre and reached by phone at 416-736-5335. You can find parking services on the Glendon campus in the Glendon College Greenhouse, and reach them over the phone at 416-487-6788.
With most York U classes ending at the same time (i.e. 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.), it can be hard to avoid the flood of students exiting large lecture halls. However, one important thing to note, especially for weekday classes, is trying to circumvent rush-hour times. If you know your class ends around 5 or 5:30 p.m. on a Friday evening, try spending an extra hour or two on campus to avoid rush hour traffic.
“Get a commute buddy for the drive and split the cost of parking. Take classes that are convenient for you and your schedule. I always try to take 11:30 to 2:30 classes because it avoids rush hour and isn’t too early or late.” – Dez, fourth-year undergraduate student
Success Tip: Check out the “Transportation” tab on York U Maps to see bus and subway stops, parking lots and various other transit points on campus.
Cycling
Cycling to campus is a great environmentally-friendly way to build exercise into your daily routine. York U has four DIY Bike Repair Stations, three at Keele Campus and one at Glendon Campus. All main buildings on campus are equipped with bicycle racks.
Find bike paths on the Keele and Glendon campuses along with cycling maps in the city on Transportation Service’s Cycling at York U webpage.
If you are cycling to campus, make sure to check the weather before your commute. Although this applies to all commuters (especially in the winter!), it can especially impact cyclists. Be sure to keep up with the weather to ensure a smooth commute to campus!
Success tip: if you are cycling after dark, make sure to install reflective lights onto the front and back of your bike to increase visibility.
We hope these tips and tricks will help you in your commute to York University. Now that you know the various ways students get to York U, you can build a commuting plan tailored just for you. Happy commuting!
Do you have any commuting tips? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at @YorkUStudents!
Ayse Koca
Ayse Koca is a fifth-year political science major at York U. She enjoys writing, travel and purchasing unnecessary amounts of stationary. She hopes that her posts will help inform current and incoming York U students!
