EXCLUSIVE: SmartCentres to provide parking at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre

Citynews.ca
Nitish Bissonauth
Nov. 29, 2017

Commuters who plan on driving to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station, which is set to open in less than a month, should not have any problems finding parking, despite not having access to a TTC commuter lot.

CityNews has learned in an exclusive interview that SmartCentres will be providing a total of 900 parking spots, in two different lots close to the station.

“We decided that since TTC didn’t have commuter parking here that we would provide it,” Sandra Kaiser, vice president of corporate affairs for SmartCentres, explained.

“We want people to get used to coming to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, using the parking here and enjoy the amenities here.”

The amenities include a space called Transit Square, which is just as big as Yonge-Dundas Square and is designed to host events, as well as a YMCA, a daycare, restaurants and retailers.

According to SmartCentres, commuters will have to pay the following to use the parking lots:

$5 before 8 a.m.
$12 between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
$5 after 4:30 p.m.
$5 on weekends

As for the TTC, most of their stations with commuter lots charge an average daily rate of $5 to $7 and an average evening rate which can be anywhere from $2 to $4.

“We think it’s reasonably priced and we expect our lots to be filled by o’clock in the morning,” said Kaiser.

This is the first subway extension the city has seen in 15 years the last time was in 2002 for the Shepard line.

The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and the Toronto-York Spadina TTC subway extension is set to open to the public on Dec. 17. SmartCentres plans to have more parking as they continue to develop in the area.