Ontario’s regional transit agency is gearing up for an extra busy weekend, a test run of sorts for Toronto’s upcoming FIFA World Cup, as Argentinian soccer superstar Lionel Messi comes to town.
Upwards of 40,000 fans are expected to make their way to Exhibition Place on Saturday to watch Toronto FC take on Inter Miami CF. The match will kick off at 1 p.m.
‘The biggest readiness test’
Michael Lindsay, Metrolinx’s president and CEO, said this weekend’s high-attendance event will serve as “the biggest readiness test” ahead of the World Cup. Six matches will be played in Toronto from June 12 to July 2.
Lindsay added that the agency is working to ensure the “safe movement of crowds and helping customers get there, cheer loudly, and get home safely.”
“Learnings from the event will help inform and refine transit and operational plans to support safe and smooth travel during large-scale events,” the agency said in a release.
What measures will entail
Specifically, these preparations will entail applying enhanced service frequency, safety and crowd management along with clear, consistent, and multilingual customer communications, the agency said in a release.
Metrolinx says it will add and adjust service on Saturday along the Lakeshore lines to “support customer travel” as fans go to and from Exhibition GO before and after the match.
GO trains run every 15 minutes on the Lakeshore West and East lines between 3 and 11 p.m. on weekends.
On the Lakeshore West line, there will be six additional trips arriving at Exhibition GO before the match and eight additional or adjusted trips after the match, including new post-match departures from Exhibition GO.
On Lakeshore East, there will be one additional trip toward Union Station.
Metrolinx said it will also be testing enhanced safety and crowd management measures on Saturday to “help inform decision-making.”
This will entail increasing police presence at Union Station, with special constables working alongside additional Toronto Police Service officers.
“This enhanced presence supports stronger coordination, reduces response times and quicker interventions when required,” it said in a release.
These measures at Exhibition GO Station will see the usual Metrolinx staff presence nearly doubled “to support wayfinding and crowd movement,” more PRESTO tap-on and tap-off machines added “to reduce lineups and keep customers moving smoothly,” and passenger counting devices used “to monitor customer movement through stations and platforms.”
Safety ‘at the centre of every journey’
Customers, meanwhile, are being reminded that safety is “at the centre of every journey,” which is also a top priority heading into Toronto’s World Cup run. They are being urged to stay behind the yellow line on platforms and keep aisles, doors, and stairways clear.
Further, transit users are being advised to check schedules in advance on the GO Transit website or use Metrolinx trip-planning tools.
More details about travelling to Saturday’s Toronto FC match can be found online.
Metrolinx is also advising of an expected increase in pedestrian activity in Liberty Village and near Exhibition GO Station before and after Saturday afternoon’s match.
