Transit Toronto

The TTC is revising its services, starting this Sunday, October 13. Since Transit Toronto will be [mostly] off-line until after the Thanksgiving holiday, this post only describes highlights of the changes. We will detail these changes — populate this post with more information — in the near future.

The TTC is:

• revising routes and introducing a new route due to the Junction Area Study;
• improving the reliability of service along routes;
• increasing service along routes;
• adding new express stops;
• making seasonal changes to routes and services;
• revising services due to construction activities.

Junction Area Study

• 30 Lambton becomes 30 High Park

The TTC is shortening and renaming the route. Buses connect between High Park Station and Runnymede Loop at Runnymede Road and Dundas Street West. Route 30 buses continue to operate along High Park Avenue. Buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops every 20 minutes at all times except the late evening, when service operates every 15 minutes.

• 40 Junction becomes 40 Junction - Dundas West

The TTC is extending and renaming the route. Buses operate between Dundas West Station and Kipling Station along Dundas Street West. The extended route replaces part of the former 30 Lambton route. Some of the buses from Dundas West Station turn back at Jane and St Clair during all periods of the week to provide higher frequency service in the Junction Area.

Buses between Dundas West Station and Jane Street operate every 8 to 9 minutes during peak periods and every 10 to 15 minutes in off-peak periods. Buses west of Jane Street along Dundas Street West operate every 16 to 18 minutes during the peak periods and every 20 to 30 minutes in the off-peak periods.

Image: TTC via Steve Munro.

• 71 Runnymede

All buses along this route operate between Runnymede Station and Industry Street. Buses north of St Clair serve passengers at stops about every 10 to 15 minutes in all periods except late evening, when buses operate about every 20 minutes.

Buses along the new 189 Stockyards route replace service along St Clair Avenue West previously that buses along the the 71A (Runnymede Station - Gunns Loop) branch previously provided.

The TTC is also revising the Monday-to-Friday schedules to improve service reliability. Service levels and trip times change throughout the day.

• 189 Stockyards

Buses along this new route provide continuous service along St. Clair Avenue West west of Gunns Loop to provide passengers with better connections. They operate between High Park Station and Scarlett Road along Keele Street and St Clair Avenue West. Buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops during all periods of the week, and operate every 20 to 30 minutes at all times.

Service reliability improvements

With its Service Reliability Program, the TTC says it continuously monitors and improves schedules to better match observed operating conditions. The program results in new schedules for these routes:

• 12 Kingston Rd;
• 16 McCowan;
• 17 Birchmount;
• 34 Eglinton East;
• 47 Lansdowne;
• 51 Leslie;
• 66 Prince Edward;
• 71 Runnymede;
• 75 Sherbourne;
• 77 Swansea;
• 79 Scarlett Rd;
• 83 Jones;
• 87 Cosburn;
• 96 Wilson;
• 98 Willowdale - Senlac;
• 100 Flemingdon Park;
• 102 Markham Rd;
• 108 Driftwood;
• 165 Weston Rd North;
• 306 Carlton overnight;
• 506 Carlton;
• 509 Harbourfront; and
• 510 Spadina.

Increasing service along routes

• 506 Carlton / 306 Carlton overnight

The TTC is introducing low-floor Toronto Flexity cars along the route. The good news is that the new cars carry more passengers. The bad news? The TTC is also adjusting the schedules to generally decrease the frequency of service along the route.

The TTC continues to serve the route with a mix of low-floor and Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV_ cars along the route until November. Buses continue to operate during the busiest times during the rush hours, the TTC says, “to reduce wait times and supplement capacity.”

• 306 Carlton overnight

The TTC is increasing service along the route to reduce its requirements for storing the low-floor streetcars overnight. Streetcars drop off or pick up passengers at stops along the route every 20 minutes, instead of every 30 minutes.

• 310 Spadina overnight

The TTC is increasing service along the route to reduce its requirements for storing the low-floor streetcars overnight. Streetcars drop off or pick up passengers at stops along the route every 15 minutes, instead of every 30 minutes.

Adding new express stops

• 941 Keele express (starting October 15)

The TTC is introducing two new express stops to “standardize express-stop spacing on the corridor”. The new stops are for passengers travelling in both directions on Keele Street at St. Regis Crescent (stop ID 13924 and 4036), and at Whitburn Crescent / Downsview Park Boulevard (stop ID 4048 and 4047).

Making seasonal changes to service

• 85 Sheppard East

Service to Toronto Zoo ends at about 6 p.m. every day to reflect the Zoo’s fall operating hours.

Sunday, October 13 and Thanksgiving Monday, October 14, service to the Zoo ends at about 8 p.m.

• 86 Scarborough

Service to Toronto Zoo ends at about 6 p.m. every day to reflect the Zoo’s fall operating hours. Service to the Zoo continues weekends. Saturday, Sunday and holiday service ends at about 6 p.m.

Sunday, October 13 and Thanksgiving Monday, October 14, service to the Zoo ends at about 8 p.m.

• 121 Fort York - Esplanade

Seasonal service extensions to Ontario Place and Cherry Beach end and all service operates along the 121A (Princes’ Gate-Distillery) branch. Buses will operate again along Navy Wharf Court and Blue Jays Way to restore service to the eastbound stop on Bremner Boulevard, farside at Lower Spadina Avenue.

• 175 Bluffer’s Park

Seasonal service to the park ends. Service resumes spring 2020.

• 509 Harbourfront

Summer service increases Monday to Friday evenings and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays end.

Construction-related changes

• Keele Station (until early 2020)

Construction will soon start for the “Easier Access” project. The work zone occupies part of the bus terminal and the TTC will re-arrange the bay assignments for bus routes at the station to accommodate the construction.

• Runnymede Station (until end of 2020)

Construction of a new elevator between street level and the subway concourse will start at Runnymede Station for the “Easier Access” project. The TTC is closing the entire bus terminal temporarily for construction and bus routes will divert.

• 71 Runnymede and 77 Swansea

Buses are interlined and operate continuously across Bloor Street in both directions. Passengers exit from or board buses at on-street stops on Runnymede Road in front of and across from the station.

• 79 Scarlett Rd

Buses divert southbound along Annette Street, High Park Avenue and Bloor Street West to Runnymede Station. Southbound buses serve passengers at a drop-off only stop in front of High Park Station. Northbound passengers board buses in front of Runnymede Station.

• 34 Eglinton East (starting October 15)

The TTC is adjusting the Monday-to-Friday schedules “to improve service reliability” during ongoing Metrolinx construction of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line (the future TTC Line 5) on Eglinton Avenue East. Service levels and trip times change throughout the day. The TTC is also reducing service “to reallocate resources to other routes”.

• 36 Finch West (starting October 15)

The TTC is adjusting the schedules every day to accommodate upcoming Metrolinx construction of the Finch West light rail transit line (the future TTC Line 6). It’s adding time and buses to reduce the effect of construction-related delays. However, it’s maintaining service levels throughout the day.

• 72 Pape

Starting October 30 until mid-2020, Waterfront Toronto is closing Commissioners Street between Cherry and Saulter Streets as part of the Port Lands Flood Protection Project. As a result, the TTC is diverting service along the route. (Service levels remain the same).

• 72B (Pape Station - Union Station) buses detour along Villiers and Saulter Streets in both directions;
• 72C (Pape Station - Commissioners) buses turn back along Saulter, Villiers, Don Roadway, and Saulter to Commissioners.

With this project, Waterfront Toronto is protecting future development in the the Port Lands from flooding and renaturalizing the mouth of the Don River.

• 505 Dundas

City of Toronto water-main construction on Dundas Street has ended and regular TTC service has resumed. Bus service continues as the TTC upgrades streetcar overhead [wiring] to prepare for full low-floor Toronto Flexity streetcar service along the route in spring 2020.

The TTC, GO Transit and other transit agencies in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area are adjusting their schedules this Monday, October 14 — Thanksgiving.

From 5 a.m. Saturday, October 12 until 5 a.m. Thanksgiving, Monday, October 14, TTC track crews are repairing the streetcar tracks at two sites on Bathurst Street

• at the intersection with Fort York Boulevard and
• at the intersection with Fleet Street.

Crews work only in the track area to:

• break and remove concrete to expose the rail;
• install joint plates; and
• place new concrete.

(Unofficial: Construction also blocks streetcar and bus access to Exhibition Loop this weekend.)

The TTC is also revising services along these routes, while the crews are repairing the tracks:

• 307 Bathurst overnight;
• 363 Ossington overnight;
• 509 Harbourfront;
• 511 Bathurst.

Shuttle buses also replace streetcars along part of the 509 Harbourfront route.

Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13, the TTC is closing Line 2 Bloor - Danforth subway between Woodbine and St George Stations. Line 2 trains operate only between Kennedy and Woodbine stations and between Kipling and St George Stations after 11 p.m. those evenings. Crews are maintaining the tracks, while the subway is closed.

Shuttle buses operate along Danforth Avenue, the Prince Edward Viaduct and Bloor Streets East and West to partially replace Line 2 subway service. The buses stop on the street near each station along the closed section of the subway. TTC staff are available to direct passengers to the shuttle-bus stops. Most stations on the closed section of Line 2 remain open so that passengers can buy fares or connect to buses, streetcars and the Line 1 Yonge - University subway. However, Chester, Sherbourne and Bay stations are closed.

Wheel-Trans service is available for passengers requiring accessible service. Since Greenwood is not an accessible station, westbound Line 2 passengers needing an elevator should exit the trains at Coxwell Station and ask any TTC employee for Wheel-Trans service from any TTC employee.

According to a TTC news release, “While the TTC does most subway maintenance at the conclusion of service each night, it continues to require weekend and early weeknight closures to complete critical infrastructure and [signal] upgrades.”

The City of Toronto is revising parking regulations on and near Danforth Avenue to improve the flow of shuttle buses.

The TTC is planning to close this section of Line 2 at least twice more times this month:

• Tuesday, October 15 until Thursday, October 17 — Woodbine to St George — close early — track work.
• Monday, October 21 until Thursday, October 24 — Woodbine to St George — close early — track work.

Since 2016, under the MiWay Five Transit Service Plan (2016-2020), MiWay has been shifting Mississauga’s transit system to a grid network. The plan allows for more frequent buses along main corridors and delivers more direct services.

MiWay is completing the final year of the MiWay Five plan in 2020. It’s hosting public information sessions to learn more about what you think about its plans for next year. It says that it will consider the feedback it receives from the information sessions and online survey before finalizing the 2020 service changes.

In 2020, MiWay intends to further enhance the grid network by connecting to new transit hubs at Kipling Station and Churchill Meadows Community Centre. MiWay will restructure its routes to integrate with these new transit hubs and meet the City’s strategic goal of developing a transit-oriented city.

Public Information Session Dates

• Tuesday, October 15;
• Wednesday, October 16;
• Thursday, October 17;
• Friday, October 18; and
• Saturday, October 19.

Can’t make it to an information session but still want to provide feedback? Complete the MiWay survey here. Remember that you need to be registered for MiVoice to participate. Click here to register.

From 11:59 p.m. Friday, October 11 until 5 a.m. Monday, October 14, the City of Toronto is closing:

• the Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway between Highway 427 and Carlaw Avenue

for the annual fall maintenance program.

This weekend, crews are also setting up new work zones for a longer-term construction project that starts Monday.

GO Transit is detouring buses along these routes, while the expressway is closed:

• 16 Hamilton / Toronto express;
• 18B / 18C / 18D / 18G / 18H Lakeshore West;
• 21A / 21B / 21H / 21N / 21P Milton / Toronto;
• 31 / 31A / 31E / 31F / 31H / 31L / 31N Guelph / Georgetown / Toronto;
• 61 Richmond Hill / Toronto;
• 63 King City / Toronto;
• 65 / 65C East Gwillimbury / Newmarket / Toronto;
• 71 / 71C / 71G Stouffville / Toronto; and
• 90B / 90C Lakeshore East.

Although the maintenance project does not directly affect TTC services, closing the expressway likely results in major congestion along nearby and parallel streets, as motorists seek alternate routes. Passengers aboard buses and streetcars along these streets can expect delays:

• 6 Bay;
• 15 Evans;
• 29A / 29C Dufferin;
• 44 Kipling South;
• 63A Ossington;
• 66A / 66B Prince Edward;
• 75 Sherbourne;
• 72B Pape via Commissioners and Queens Quay;
• 76A Royal York South;
• 80 Queensway;
• 110A / 110C Islington South;
• 121A / 121D Fort York - Esplanade;
• 123B / 123C Sherway;
• 301 Queen overnight;
• 304 King overnight;
• 307 Bathurst overnight;
• 310 Spadina overnight;
• 315 Evans - Browns Line overnight;
• 320 Yonge overnight;
• 329 Dufferin overnight;
• 337 Islington overnight;
• 363 Ossington overnight;
• 501 Queen;
• 504A / 504B King;
• 509 Harbourfront;
• 510 Spadina; and
• 511 Bathurst.

While the expressway is closed, City crews are:

• marking lines;
• inspecting overhead and ground signs;
• repairing potholes;
• sealing cracks;
• sweeping and removing debris;
• removing graffiti;
• flushing catch basins;
• inspecting and chipping bridges;
• flushing bridge joints;
• inspecting, repairing and replacing crash-attenuation systems that help cushion and redirect vehicles from barricades and barriers;
• repairing and relamping of street lights;
• replacing and repairing hydro poles;
• inspecting and repairing traffic camera; and
• repairing and replacing guardrails.

Starting Tuesday, October 15, the management of the South Common Centre are rehabilitating the roadway at the South Common Centre Terminal.

MiWay is detouring buses along these routes, while the terminal is closed:

• 1C Dundas - Collegeway;
• 13 Glen Erin;
• 26 Burnhamthorpe;
• 29 Park Royal - Homelands;
• 36 Colonial - Ridgeway;
• 48 Erin Mills;
• 101 Dundas express;
• 110 University express;
• 310 Clarkson Secondary - Winston Churchill high-school special; and
• 347 Loyola - South Common high-school special.

Oakville Transit is detouring buses along this route, while the terminal is closed:

• 24 South Common.

Construction in South Common Centre Terminal and the MiWay and OT detours continue “for 2 weeks” or until about October 31.

^ Regular platform layout at South Common Centre Terminal.

Starting Tuesday, October 15, maintenance at Mohawk College Terminal, requires the Hamilton Street Railway to detour buses that usually loop through the terminal.

The closure affects service along these routes:

• 20 A-Line express;
• 21 Upper Kenilworth;
• 33 Sanatorium; and
• 35 College.

Construction at Mohawk College Terminal and the HSR detours continue until 7 a.m. October 21.

From 9 p.m. Thursday, October 10 until 6 a.m. Friday, October 11, the City of Toronto is closing:

• St. Clair Avenue West, eastbound lanes, between Keele Street and Old Weston Road,

as crews maintain the sewers.

The TTC is detouring buses along these routes, while the lanes are closed:

• 41 Keele;
• 312 St Clair - Junction; and
• 341 Keele overnight.

Buses along route 341 follow the same detour routing as buses along route 41.

From 9 p.m. Friday, October 11 until 7 p.m. Sunday, October 13, the City of Toronto is closing

• Yonge Street south of Berwick Avenue / Soudan Avenue,

as contractors lift a crane at a construction site.

The TTC is detouring buses along these routes, while the street is closed:

• 97A / 97F Yonge; and
• 320 Yonge.