The Mezzanine will be widened to a great degree, via the accessibility improvements
It appears it will be widened to the east, but this area only leads to the elevators. It does nothing to improve space for people moving from the buses, or main entrance, to the trains.
If you look at the plan the TTC posted - (page 10 of
http://www.ttc.ca/postings/gso-comr...6/Pape_Stn_Approval_of_Finishes___Artwork.pdf - you can see the proposed extension in green and existing mezzanine in grey. There's no reason anyone would ever enter the green area, unless they were heading to the elevator.
If anything, things will get worse than they currently area, as it looks like they are going to add a small ramp in the upper concourse to lead to the elevators - which will only narrow an already too narrow passage.
In addition to no more usable space in the mezzanine, there's a huge expansion to the surface building. While it will improve movement on the surface a bit, the structure, and doors to the structure, aren't particularly close to the stops (unlike at Main, Kennedy, etc.). When it's busy most will still be outside, or they won't get on the first bus. If it's not busy the surface structure doesn't need to be so big. In addition the reduction in the number of bus bays to 3 seems very poorly thought out.
The whole things seems to be a huge cock-up, making the station less usable, and yet costing quite a lot of money.
Other than the new finishes, elevators, and the new entrance (which isn't connected to the main station or bus bays) which will at least benefit pedestrians walking to Eaton, I can't see much benefit in this. I'm really amazed that the public consultation process didn't bring this to light ... though perhaps a problem is the consultation process was with the local community, rather than those of us who don't live nearby, yet use the station daily to transfer from buses to the subway.