What about the utilization of Downsview Park Station, or when HWY 407 station will likely be converted to the full GO bus terminal?
I rode the southbound 10:41 Aurora GO - 11:33 Union Station train today, stopping at Downsview Park at 11:13 AM. I would estimate about 15 people got off. 10 of them looked like they were very likely students (<30 years old, backpacks or laptop bags, likely habitual commuters as they were in the accessible coach that stops right by the subway building and seemed to have Presto defaults set as they were not tapping off, could have bought paper tickets but the overall picture looks like regular commuter students), a couple of others had large suitcases, likely heading to Pearson via Yorkdale. I've taken the 2:58 PM train north from there to Aurora a number of times, there are usually more like 30 people boarding that one, similarly a majority (20-25) seem to be students. And it's only been open for 2 months, plus York U GO remains open at rush hour...once it closes I think it'll be very well used.
I personally use it when going to Yorkdale, which I do somewhat often, and when I have business anywhere along that northwestern stretch of Line 1 anywhere between roughly York U and St Clair West (or St Clair via the 512, for that matter, still seems potentially advantageous vs. the Union backtrack). Gone to North York via the 199 and 94E buses out of Finch West and Sheppard West respectively by transferring there. Very good experience, can't remember how I lived without it.
407 will almost definitely be converted in June or September, after the current York U academic year ends and before the next one begins. I think that by September, York U GO station will close and trains will only service Downsview Park, all of the GO buses on both east and west routes will be cut back to 407 only, and YRT/Viva/Zum will
probably cut service into the campus. There has been some debate on that with the revised agreement wording of north-south routes, but depending how technical they want to get some of those routes enter the campus from the north side; maybe the 407-based Zum route and one local YRT bus and a rush-hour-only Viva branch might continue but I think most of them, at least, will disappear. GO disappearing seems more certain, it makes a lot of sense for GO since 407 was basically purpose built for them and it saves them the long drive down and back up in heavy traffic. And the university, from what I understand, really wants buses gone so they can make that whole area a pedestrian commons.
