Yonge Express Subway: A Faster Line 1 Alternative

The Yonge North Subway Extension: Expanding Rapid Transit to Richmond Hill — A rendering of the Yonge-North subway extension service from the initial business case and supplementary analysis. (image source: metrolinx.com )

🚇 Could a second subway line under Yonge Street solve Toronto’s Line 1 congestion crisis?

That’s the question raised by longtime transportation/tunnel professional Gary Benner, President of Underground Consulting Incorporated (UCI), whose proposal for a Yonge Express Subway (YES) is gaining quiet momentum among engineers and transit officials alike.

In this special Next Stop editorial, GTA Weekly profiles Benner’s bold plan—and what it could mean for the future of Toronto transit.

The Congestion Crisis on Line 1

If you’ve ridden the TTC’s Line 1 in rush hour, you’ve likely seen it for yourself: long platform waits, packed cars, and missed trains. According to Benner, the situation will only worsen if the current Yonge North Subway Extension goes ahead without a new parallel relief line.

Metrolinx estimates that the extension will add at least 94,100 daily riders to Line 1. That figure doesn’t account for surging condo developments along the corridor.

Even with the Ontario Line offering limited relief, Benner argues that most riders bound for midtown or downtown won’t transfer twice just to end up back on a crowded subway at Queen or Union. His solution? Build an express subway line—entirely within the Yonge Street right-of-way—to bypass the local stops and relieve Line 1.

What is the YES Line?

The Yonge Express Subway (YES) would be a 25.5-kilometre high-speed underground line from Lakeshore Boulevard to Richmond Hill, with only a handful of stops—each roughly 5.5 km apart—to provide rapid travel from the outer GTA into Toronto’s core.

🟪 Key Features of the YES Line:

Travel time: 25 minutes from Richmond Hill to Downtown Toronto
No property acquisition required – tunnels run under public right-of-way
Minimal surface disruption – tunneling launched from four shafts (Lakeshore, Davisville, York Mills, Steeles)
Twin or single-bore tunnel options
Joint YES-Line 1 transfer stations at Davisville, York Mills, and Steeles
Steeles Station – should be designed as a dual platform hub for both YES and the termination of Line 1

The proposal avoids the complex interchanges that drive up the cost and duration of existing projects like the Ontario Line, Scarborough Subway, or Bloor-Yonge Station rebuild.

“YES would be the lowest cost subway per km. that Metrolinx has ever built because it is mostly tunnel and there are no expensive connections to the existing east-west subways.”

Support Growing Among Transit Insiders

Benner has presented the YES concept to senior engineers at the TTC, who agree Line 1 faces unsustainable pressure. Discussions have also occurred at the executive level with Metrolinx, including their Chief Operating Officer for Rapid Transit Systems.

The YES proposal isn’t just theory—it’s based on technical studies and preliminary designs dating back to 2020. UCI even analyzed vertical clearance along Yonge Street and found that, in most places, the existing Line 1 tunnel doesn’t block a second tunnel below.

“It’s doable. It’s cheaper. It’s faster,” Benner says. “And it fixes a real problem that no one else is solving.”

Why YES Needs to Be on the Table Now

Metrolinx is in the final stages of selecting the design consultant for the Yonge North Extension. Benner warns that if the current plan proceeds without accommodating YES, future integration could become impossible—or at least cost-prohibitive.

“Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill would much rather have a 25-minute high-speed train to downtown than a 90-minute grind,” he adds.

Benner also argues that YES could eliminate the need for a $1 billion rebuild of Bloor-Yonge Station, by removing the choke point altogether.

The Final Word: Is Toronto Ready to Say YES?

In a city choked by construction and congestion, a project like the YES Line feels like a rare thing: a second chance to do something smart before it’s too late.

We’ve already seen what happens when relief lines are deferred. This time, we might want to say “YES” while we still can.

🛤️ Next Stop is GTA Weekly’s weekly Sunday spotlight on the future of transit in the Greater Toronto Area. From subways to LRTs to GO expansions, we dig into the projects shaping how we move. Follow us @GTAWeeklyNews for more on Toronto’s transit transformation. #NextStop #GTAWeekly #GTAToday #YESLine

The YES Line – A Bold Proposal for a Yonge Street Express Subway

A proposed express subway from Downtown to Richmond Hill could dramatically reduce commute times and ease pressure on TTC Line 1—if the province is willing to think big.