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Getting around Toronto is a struggle at the best of times — now try getting downtown during one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Whether you live here, or are trying to figure out the city for the first time in the middle of the World Cup, take a breath — we’re here to help.
First of all, the city expects congestion to be at its worst on match days between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Here’s when those matches take place, and commutes will likely be most hectic:
Friday, June 12, 3 p.m.Wednesday, June 17, 7 p.m.Saturday, June 20, 4 p.m.Tuesday, June 23, 7 p.m.Friday June 26, 3 p.m.Thursday July 2, 7 p.m.
The FIFA Fan Festival — which is mostly free admission — will also be held at Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway, near Toronto Stadium (a.k.a. BMO Field), for 22 non-consecutive days between June 11 and July 19.
The FIFA Fan Festival will be held at Fort York National Historic Site and The Bentway, a stone’s throw from Toronto Stadium. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
Things will kick off at the FIFA Fan Festival site Thursday night with a ticketed concert featuring The Beaches, Bryan Adams and more.
Now, here’s what you need to know.
Driving, road closures
If you plan to drive, the City of Toronto has a message for you: please don’t.
The city predicts the World Cup could add 10 to 15 per cent more vehicles to major downtown roads, where congestion is already a chronic headache, and Toronto Stadium won’t have parking for fans.
If that hasn’t deterred you from driving, there will be several match-day road closures around Toronto Stadium and the FIFA Fan Festival you should be aware of, including part of a major downtown thoroughfare along the waterfront — Lake Shore Boulevard, between British Columbia Road and Bathurst Street.
The city is discouraging people from driving to and from World Cup events, with several road closures in place on match days. (City of Toronto)
Roads in Liberty Village, a congestion-plagued neighbourhood just up from the stadium, will be limited to local traffic. Roads in the Fort York neighbourhood will also be for local traffic only on all FIFA Fan Festival days.
Drop-off and pick-up locations for taxis and ride-hailing services will be set up at four spots a few minutes’ walk from Toronto Stadium and the FIFA Fan Festival site.
Transit
Toronto Stadium is located near Exhibition Place on the city’s waterfront, about three kilometres west of Union Station and the CN Tower, and nowhere near a subway station. But there are streetcar and GO train stops right outside.
And as the city is encouraging soccer fans to leave their cars at home, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and Metrolinx are adding extra streetcar, bus and train services for the World Cup.
The TTC is adding service on certain routes on World Cup match days. (City of Toronto)
If you are heading downtown to Union Station via the subway or the UP train from the airport, you can transfer to a GO train to get directly to the FIFA Fan Festival or Toronto Stadium.
Exhibition GO Station is right outside the stadium and one stop away from Union Station. Metrolinx says trains on the line will run more frequently for the World Cup, with up to six trains per hour during peak match times. To limit crowds, pedestrians will not be able to cut through Exhibition GO Station on match days.
A temporary transit hub has been added to Fleet Street, between Strachan Avenue and Fort York Boulevard. The 511 and 509 streetcars will detour to the hub, connecting fans to the FIFA Fan Festival site and Toronto Stadium, as well as Union and Bathurst stations.
WATCH | The TTC’s FIFA World Cup plan:
Visiting Toronto for the FIFA World Cup? Here’s how the TTC will help you get around
The TTC is preparing for the influx of visitors for the FIFA World Cup, with plans to deploy at least 600 ambassadors to help fans get around Toronto. CBC’s Lane Harrison breaks down what we know about ‘Team TTC.’
The city is also adding overnight service to the 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront streetcars for any fans partying well into the night. (Ontario is extending last call to 4 a.m. during the tournament.)
Subway trains will also run more frequently on match days, operating until about 1:30 a.m., though last trains will sometimes run later.
Other additional World Cup service on the TTC will include:
The 929 Dufferin Express bus route will have extra service and express shuttles to and from Line 2 on match days.The 504 King streetcar will have extra match day service.The 63 Ossington bus route will have extra buses to ease congestion and service into Liberty Village unless Strachan Avenue is closed.Expanded service will be available on WheelsTrans in case of increased demand.If needed, there will be contingency express bus service on match days to ease any service disruptions.Walking, cycling
Unlike MetLife Stadium, the site of the final in New Jersey that Sports Illustrated called “a nightmare to get to” in its ranking of the tournament’s host cities, Toronto Stadium is easily accessible by foot or bicycle.
And the city is encouraging fans to come that way.
For fans who use Bike Share to get to the venues, valets will be set up at key stations downtown to keep Bike Share docks free and ensure bikes don’t run out. Here’s the locations:
Toronto Inukshuk Park (all event days).Ordnance Park (Toronto match days only).Hanna Green P (Toronto match days only).Fort York Blvd station is being temporarily relocated to Iannuzzi Street.
There will also be free valet service for personal bicycles at Toronto Inukshuk Park for the duration of the World Cup, the city says.
The city is adding public washrooms and water fountains along cycling and walking routes to World Cup venues downtown. (City of Toronto)
Water fountains and public washrooms are being added around downtown between Union Station and Toronto Stadium so people can access them while biking or walking to matches or the fan festival.
Toronto Stadium is expected to host more than 45,000 spectators per match on match days and up to 20,000 people could attend the FIFA Fan Festival. The city expects about 300,000 visitors for the tournament.