Current map of the 74 Mount Pleasant bus route

Compiled by Jeffrey Kay; Text by James Bow

The history of Mount Pleasant’s trolley buses begins on June 19, 1922, when wires were strung along Merton Street west from Yonge and north on Mount Pleasant to Eglinton Avenue and Toronto’s first trolley buses replaced Toronto’s second bus route. At that time, wires were also strung along Eglinton Avenue between Yonge and Mount Pleasant for non-revenue trips to Eglinton carhouse, where the vehicles were stored. No loops were provided, and buses had to wye at both ends of the line. Given that the line was barely a mile and a quarter long, this must have been a tedious job for the drivers.

By all accounts, the route (assigned #2) was well travelled. Indeed, traffic increased so much that the TTC decided to extend the St. Clair streetcar east on St. Clair and north on Mount Pleasant to Eglinton. The experimental trolley bus line fell on August 31, 1925. It seems only fitting that the 1970’s 74 Mount Pleasant trolley bus ended up replacing that same streetcar extension.

It wasn’t what the TTC intended, though. In 1975, the TTC broke off the portion of the St Clair streetcar east of St Clair station and operated it as a separate streetcar route. It was committed to maintaining streetcar service on Mount Pleasant Road, but its decision was effectively vetoed by the Metro Roads Department when the time came to replace bridges along Mount Pleasant Road. Residents wanting quiet transit service got that in the form of trolley buses.

There were no short turn loops on this route and no official branches. Streetcars used to be able to turn back at St. Clair and Mount Pleasant (Moore Park Loop) but this loop was abandoned and converted into a parkette. The route itself was converted to diesel bus operation on December 28, 1991 when the Eglinton Garage closed its trolley coach operations, shutting down 74 MOUNT PLEASANT, 61 NORTOWN WEST and 103 NORTOWN EAST. Service on route 74 was provided by 2 vehicles to maintain 15 minute headways, and this service has dropped in recent years.

The TTC considered amalgamating the 74 MOUNT PLEASANT and the 103 MOUNT PLEASANT NORTH bus services into a single route operating from Davisville station via Yonge and Merton Street, but decided against the move when residents south of Merton complained about the loss of service. The Merton Street bus would have been an interesting echo of the original trolley bus service.

A Chronological History of 74 Mount Pleasant

July 25, 1976

The section of the ST. CLAIR streetcar route east of the Yonge Subway is replaced temporary by two shuttle bus routes servicing out of Eglinton Garage during the reconstruction of the bridge on Mt. Pleasant just south of Merton over the Belt Line railway.

The north route runs from Davisville station east on Davisville and north on Mt. Pleasant to the loop just north of Eglinton, and return over the reverse routing. The south route runs from St. Clair Station upper loop east on St.Clair, north on Mt. Pleasant, east on Moore, south on Welland and west on St. Clair back to St. Clair Station. The reverse looping is followed by the south route during the AM peak period.

October 2, 1976

Through service on Mt. Pleasant is restored using diesel buses between St. Clair Station (upper loop) and the Mt. Pleasant Loop just north of Eglinton on east side of Mt. Pleasant. This may have been the date that route number 74 was first applied to this bus service. Confirmation requested.

November 20, 1977

Trolley Coaches replace diesel buses over the same route.

December 28, 1991

Last day of Trolley Coach operation on the MT. PLEASANT route. Service continues to be operated by diesel buses. Within a few days buses are rerouted at the south end via Avoca and Pleasant Blvd. into the lower loop at St.Clair Station. The exact date of this routing change is not known.

February 18, 1996

Due to reduced government subsidies, services are reduced system wide including the elimination of evening service (after 7 p.m.) Monday through Saturday and all Sunday service.

February 14, 1999

Routes 103 MOUNT PLEASANT NORTH and 74 MOUNT PLEASANT were to be combined on this date, into a single route running from Davisville station via Yonge, Merton, and Mt. Pleasant to Doncliffe Loop. This was not implemented due to the concerns of local residents.

March 31, 2002

New Eglinton Garage opens and all 74 MOUNT PLEASANT buses were transferred from the Old Eglinton Garage.

November 23, 2008

As part of the TTC’s Ridership Growth Strategy, service is increased so that buses on this route operate seven days a week, at intervals of 30 minutes or better, whenever the subway is open. On that same day, buses were transferred from Eglinton (Comstock) Garage to Wilson Garage.

May 8, 2011

As part of a system-wide series of service reductions due to municipal budget cuts, all service after 7 p.m. every day is eliminated.

September 4, 2015

Seven day a week evening service is restored. Buses now operate at intervals of 30 minutes or better whenever the subway is open.

September 4, 2016

As a result of traffic delays resulting from EGLINTON-CROSSTOWN LRT construction, service is temporarily suspended on the 103 MOUNT PLEASANT NORTH route. Service on the 74 MOUNT PLEASANT route is temporarily extended north from Eglinton via Mount Pleasant to Doncliffe Loop.

March 28, 2021

Operations switched from Wilson Garage to Eglinton (Comstock) Garage.

74 Mount Pleasant Image Archive

	A view of Toronto trolley coach #23, posing outside of the Preston Car Company circa 1922. The image is courtesy the Toronto Archives.
	Toronto's first trolley bus was #20, operating on the 'Mount Pleasant' route from 1922-1925. Only four such vehicles existed (20-23) and of these, only one (#23) exists today. It was found on a farm almost 50 years later, and is currently at the Halton County Railroad Museum, awaiting restoration. This photograph is from the Halton County web site and is reprinted with permission.
	Another view of TTC Tillings-Stevens bus #8 on Merton Street near the end of gasoline bus service on MOUNT PLEASANT in June 1922. Photo courtesy the Toronto Archives.
	This map, by C.H. Prentice (69) and Ray Corley, illustrates the route and the full history of Toronto's first trolley bus route.
	TTC trolley coach #21 operates in service on MOUNT PLEASANT on June 20, 1922. Image courtesy the Toronto Archives.
	TTC trolley coach #21 operates in service on the MOUNT PLEASANT route in this 1922 shot courtesy the Toronto Public Library.
	TTC GM New Look bus #3958 heads southbound on Mt. Pleasant Road, passing the entrance to Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Richard Glaze took this photo on October 5, 1976. The diesel bus is in operation until trolley buses arrive.
	TTC GM New Look heads southbound on Mt. Pleasant crossing Heath Street East during temporary diesel bus service on 74 MOUNT PLEASANT service before trolley buses arrived. Richard Glaze took this photo on October 5, 1976.
	A sign on Mount Pleasant, near St. Clair, advertises the end of temporary split service around the road and bridge reconstruction of October 1976, as well as the formal end of night service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze on October 5, 1976.
	TTC GM "New Look" bus #7738 heads northbound on Mount Pleasant, having passed Moore Park loop in MOUNT PLEASANT's temporary service while road reconstruction continues ahead of the line's eventual replacement by trolley buses. Richard Glaze caught this photo on October 5, 1976.
	A view of construction wrapping up on Mount Pleasant Road, looking north from St. Clair Avenue. Note that the tracks out of Moore Park Loop remain. This photo was taken on October 5, 1976 by Richard Glaze.
	TTC Western Flyer rebuilt trolley coach #9343 unloads at St. Clair station on what might have been the first day of 74 MOUNT PLEASANT trolley coach service, November 20, 1977. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze.
	TTC GM New Look bus #2837 in service on route 74 MOUNT PLEASANT on March 7, 2003, at Eglinton loop. Photo by Jeff Bentley.
	TTC rebuilt GMC bus 2046 poses inside Mount Pleasant Loop on Mount Pleasant Road north of Eglinton. Photo by Richard Hooles.
	An official TTC map of 74 MOUNT PLEASANT operations, effective September 4, 2016, showing its temporary extension to Doncliffe Loop.
	TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" bus #8195 lays over at Doncliffe Loop, preparing for a run to St. Clair station. This Google Streetview image was caught circa August 2018.
	Here, Jelo Gutierrez Cantos has photographed TTC Orion VII bus #8347 laying over at St. Clair station on route 74A MOUNT PLEASANT preparing to head northbound to its temporary terminus, Doncliffe Loop, on November 27, 2018.
	TTC Novabus LFS #8728 pauses at Doncliffe Loop at the temporary northern end of 74 MOUNT PLEASANT service. This photo was taken by James Bow on July 3, 2021.