Updated: Fri Nov. 20 2009 12:40:02 PM

ctvtoronto.ca

Getting to York University just became easier as transit officials held a ceremony on Thursday to mark the end of construction on a busway to the school.

The $38-million bus-only lane gives commuters a rapid route to York from the Downsview subway station. It's designed to save commuters seven minutes off the 20-minute ride to school.

Officials estimate about 30,000 people take the TTC to the school each day.

Toronto Mayor David Miller along with representatives from both the Ontario and federal governments were on hand to unveil the six-kilometre route at a special celebration on the university's property.

"Public transit is what makes Toronto work," he said. "We've outgrown our streetcar and subway network which is at our core."

Miller said the goal is to get more Torontonians to hop on public transit. He said Toronto's transit system needs to keep expanding if people are going to use the TTC the way it's used downtown.

The provincial and federal government paid $9.7 million each towards the cost while the city paid more than $18 million.

The bus lane is just the first step of a larger plan to improve transit to the suburban school. A second phase includes a subway extension into Vaughan with a station at York. That is expected to be completed by 2015.

York University currently has around 52,000 students attending the school.

With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss