The October 2015 schedule changes continue the implementation of new Service Standards on many routes.
New or revised Blue Night Services will operate on:
- 300 Bloor-Danforth (extended to Kennedy Station)
- 335 Jane to Jane Station (revised south end destination)
- 302 Kingston Road – McCowan to Bingham Loop (Victoria Park & Kingston Road)
- 352 Lawrence West from Pearson Airport to Sunnybrook Hospital
- 312 St. Clair – Junction (extended to Dundas West Station)
- 353 Steeles (extended to Staines Road)
One major change is related to construction activity: Coxwell Station bus loop will close to allow construction of the new elevators making this site accessible. While the work is in progress, the 70 O’Connor and 22 Coxwell routes will be joined into one service.
Steve Munro 
If I read things right the Line 1 tunnel liner replacement is actually finishing on 19 December – Is it REALLY all done, at last? I also note that the split of the 72 into 72 and 172 is no longer listed as resulting from construction. I suspect they are making it permanent – without dealing with the non-existent coordination at Carlaw. (They also seem unable to decide that the current 172 route via King and St Andrew stations makes SO much more sense and should be formally adopted as THE route downtown.)
Steve: The last time I asked, they had formally changed the reason for the split (for accounting purposes), but have not yet decided whether to merge the two routes again.
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Coxwell has lots of branches!
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165 Weston Road North has to have a full 10 minute network because this route is super busy!
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As someone said before.. how firm is the date for the completion of the tunnel liner work? In the words of Sherry Lewis.. “this is the work that never ends.. it just goes on and on my friend… some people started doing it not knowing what they’ve done and they’ll continue doing it forever just because it just goes on and on my friend!”
Steve: The end date in December 2015 has been cited in many reports. That’s all I can say.
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Paul the 22 Coxwell route only has 2 branches
22A Coxwell Stn – Victoria Park (Bingham)
22B Coxwell Stn – Queen
70 O’ Connor has 3 branches
70A Coxwell Stn – Eglinton
70B Coxwell Stn – Eglinton Square (Which looks as though it’ll be suspended till the construction is done)
70C Coxwell Stn – Warden Stn (Early Sunday Morning it will be extended to Greenwood Stn till the construction is complete)
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The problem with the tunnel liner work is the limited working hours and mobilization/demobilization time. With the early closure, it’s a 4.5 hour work window, but it’s 1.75 hours mob/demob, so they only have a very limited window to do the actual work per night (0.75 hours without the early closure, 2.75 hours with).
In comparison, six months of complete weekend closures (with 24-hour shift works) would roughly equal two years of early closures.
Steve: This was discussed some time ago. The problem with complete closures is that it would require more crews to work around the clock whereas the current arrangement only requires one shift to cover. The point is moot in any event because the project is almost complete.
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Looks surprising as 22 COXWELL/70 O’CONNOR are interlining once more. I suspect New Eglinton is solely running the route. For the 300B BLOOR-DANFORTH, I guess Mount Dennis and Queensway now has buses venturing to Scarborough (as is Arrow Road for the 339 FINCH EAST) although its rare to see buses from any of the west end garages going to the east day and night.
As for the new #8400-series Novas, I guess 50 and the 108 buses could potentially head to Arrow Road or any other garage.
Steve: Yes, the combined route will operate from Eglinton.
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Steve, the construction timetable at the end of the service changes spreadsheet indicates tthe Yonge Subway tunnel liner replacement project is about 60-90 days from completion.
Is this really true? Is late night service finally going back to normal after all these years, or will the completion date be extended into 2016? I would imagine by now they must know if they will make that deadline.
Steve: There are various references to this project ending both in the detailed service memo (of which my chart is a summary), and in the current CEO’s report:
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Steve, do you know if there would be any garage changes with the new 312 route? Now that it terminates at Dundas West like the 40 Junction, Queensway division could take over the 312. It doesn’t make sense for Arrow to operate it anymore with 35 Jane buses.
Steve: The 312 St. Clair-Junction route will be operated by Mount Dennis.
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So Steve, are 96 and 165 going to have a full 10 minute network? Because those routes are super busy!
Steve: 96 Wilson will have 10 minute service as far as Kipling (i.e. before it branches). 165 will have 10 minute service as far as Steeles Avenue. The combined effect will be frequent service on Wilson between Yonge and Weston Road.
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I was looking over an article in the Toronto Star, and it mentioned that Yonge Street is having condos sprout up like mushrooms along its length. 20,000 condos with 30,000 people. That will add more possible passengers waiting and waiting for crowded trains.
Yet the 97 Yonge bus is still at 15 to 30 minute headways. The 97 Yonge bus should be having headways similar to the Line 1, at the very least every 10 minutes or hopefully very 5 minutes. Especially below Bloor Street. There is the alternative routes nearby downtown, the 6 Bay bus, but above Bloor there is practically nothing nearby. The 97 Yonge bus should at least get improved headways from Queens Quay to Steeles. It may help the current overcrowding on the Line 1 until the DRL opens.
There doesn’t seem a chance that a Church Street service would appear.
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Has the TTC had further thoughts about the numbering of ‘night routes;? Though I have absolutely no problem with a route that ONLY operates at night having a unique (3xx) number, I find it quite confusing and really question why a regular route (eg. 504) that follows exactly the same route 24/7 should operate under two numbers – in this case 304 and 504.
Steve: This also complicates use of NextBus because service only appears on one “route’s” map. Stops, however, should show either route if they have been programmed correctly.
I would argue that even if a route is slightly different (for example the St. Clair night bus), it should still just be a variant on the primary daytime route 512. That said, don’t hold your breath for this to change.
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The TTC CEO report for September says only 67 TRs are in service.
Steve: Considering that they only need 51 trainsets plus, say, 9 spares for a total of 60 to operate the YUS, I don’t see that this is a problem. The sets now being delivered are for the service expansion to Vaughan, and beyond that for improved service with the new ATC signal system in about 2019.
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That’s good Steve because along Wilson, that section is very busy, especially on weekends!
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As much as I can’t wait to see more service along my home route (96 Wilson), I wonder if this will do anything for the horribly inconsistent service along the route, and for the (seemingly nightly) issue of 96 buses leaving Wilson Station westbound packed, but the 165 leaving minutes earlier is half full.
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Have you checked the schedules. It is not uncommon for the TTC to schedule two routes that operate for a long distance on the same street on a 2 and 8 minute schedule instead of one every 5 minutes.
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Today around Noon I noticed two main routes I regularly use had the stop schedules changed to eliminate individual times and now read: FS which is supposed to be less than 10 minutes. Neither bus arrived in less than 10 minutes! Let’s see how it goes in the days ahead. I fully expect a repeat performance.
Steve: Which routes/stop?
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Grzegorz, I know. 96 Wilson and 165 Weston Road North are such terrible routes. They are always inconsistent and late.
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The 96/165 are scheduled to blend. I’m sure it’s in one of the previous service changes Steve had posted. The problem is both the 96 and 165 combined have about 10 branches. In rush hour we have 96A/B/C/E/G/165A/D/F all going to different place.
Here’s my fix: consolidate all service on Wilson with the 96. Extend the 89 to Steeles. Possibly create a new 73 branch to service the 96C Thistletown area. The TTC should stop running all buses to the subway and create loops like the 99. TTC should consider creating a new route that runs CW and CCW along where the 96G, 84C/D and 99 area on Arrow, Signet, Oakdale. Wilson should only have 4 branches, 96A/B, 96E express and a new 96F branch short turning at Islington as more people will need to transfer at Weston Rd. It will be nice to see a new Rocket route on Wilson.
TTC reorganized the 52 Lawrence West last year. Service have improve greatly on Lawrence (all branches combined service area). They still bunch due to congestion but the wait between buses never exceed 10 minutes for 80% of the riders. I wouldn’t say it’s prefect but a much better service than the 96/165.
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I think a lot of any 89/96/165 changes will come only after the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT come on board, after 2021 or so. Most of those branches could become new shorter routes that could terminate at a LRT stop or station. I find l-o-n-g routes tend to have bunching, unscheduled short-turns, and crowding.
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While on the Wilson/Weston reorganization subject, let’s see my take on the McCowan/Danforth reorganization.
Since Danforth Rd. and McCowan Rd. (Eglinton to Sheppard) have been earmarked for the Line 2 Extension/SRT Replacement, that could easily affect the 16 McCOWAN service. Otherwise, let’s consolidate all service on the 16 McCOWAN. 113 DANFORTH, and 129 McCOWAN NORTH to create the new 16 DANFORTH-McCOWAN route running from Broadview Stn. to Major Mackenzie or Main Street Stn. to Steeles via STC. Service on Kennedy Road will be given to the new 113 KENNEDY SOUTH route.
16A – Broadview Stn.-Steeles
16B – Broadview Stn.-STC (Peak)
16C – STC-Steeles (Peak)
16D – Broadview Stn.-Major Mackenzie
16E – Main Stn.-Steeles Express
16F – Main Stn.-STC (Peak or Late)
Any thoughts of this even you Steve? They did that with Bayview and Lawrence West.
Steve: I don’t understand your services to Broadview Station. None of the routes you list operate to Broadview today. You have mixed two separate south ends for the same route.
Also, Bayview and Lawrence West are not combined.
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Aahh Jelo, umm Lawrence West and Bayview are not combined and would never be? What’s with McCowan bus going to Broadview Stn? Where did that come from? What’s the point of some ending at Main and some at Broadview. Makes no sense. None of the routes go there now. 16 people land at Warden and then subway just fine now and you want them to stay on the bus and go all the way over to Broadview before you let them grab a subway?
BTW if you go to archives, and look at Service Standards, actually they are all in Baldwin Room now. Check out 1984 or 85 the did a huge study on consolidating East York routes etc and after 7 pages of notes and maps, came to the conclusion NO! You gotta research just a little sir.
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A. William, I meant to say they did that changes with 11/28 (June) and 52/58 (March) in 2014 separately. I apologize for this false info.
B. Steve, if that serves correctly, there a few divisional changes next board that I was thinking of. 22 COXWELL gets shifted to New Eglinton from Birchmount and 312 ST. CLAIR-JUNCTION also to Mt. Dennis from Arrow Rd. Are there anything else or that’s it?
Steve: Those appear to be the only divisional shifts in route allocation.
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Hey Steve ! Just wanted to ask if the 113 Danforth was still part of the Ten Minute Network.
Steve: The report with the complete list is here, and it includes 113 Danforth.
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Yeah I know but the recent presentation to the TTC budget committee on the proposed service improvements for 2016 operating budget omitted the 113 route from the Ten Minute Map. Not too sure if this was intentional or just an oversight on the part of the service planning department. Any info you had on this would be greatly appreciated.
Steve: I have sent a query to the TTC to find out about this.
Updated: The TTC advises that 113 Danforth was included in the June 2015 list “in error”.
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Umm Jelo, it seems more like your creating a fantasy route to be drawn on a map. Unlike the 89/165 situation which is really frustrating with a million branches and massive bunching, combining the 129/16/113 solves nothing. No one wants to take a bus from Major Mac to Main Stn. The 129 has a much higher demand than the 16. The 129 is on the 10 min network, the 16 is not. Also, majority on the 129 hops on the SRT, not the 16. If we’re going to talk about combing them, we might as well talk about combing 44/45 Kipling, 37/110 Islington South, etc. It’s going to create more bunch than solving any problems. The next thing you’ll see is 6 buses south of Eglinton and nothing at Finch. Majority of TTC’s crosstown bus routes are already too long and hard to manage.
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Having looked at the Ten Minute Network, it looks like 12 KINGSTON ROAD, 16 McCOWAN and 21 BRIMLEY have been shut out of it. I do realize however, the 16 runs every fifteen minutes on weekends while the 21A (Kennedy-STC) runs every twenty minutes midday. Steve, can you analyze the 12, 16, and 21’s service summary for peak, off peak and weekends from this board?
Steve: Yes, those routes are not on the list, and in the June 2015 report, the TTC made the point that the selection of routes to be included was based on two factors: potential ridership and an existing level of service close enough to ten minutes most of the time so that the cost of the upgrade would be fairly low. These routes don’t fit those criteria. The 12 illustrates another problem due to its branches created when service was added to Variety Village. It is unlikely, even if this route did go onto the list, that each branch would see better than 20′ service giving a 10′ combined headway on the rest of the route.
The irony that Brimley and McCowan are both considered as potential routes for a new subway line illustrates the difference between planning based on end-to-end express travel and planning for ridership along a route.
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Today around Noon I noticed two main routes I regularly use had the stop schedules changed to eliminate individual times and now read: FS which is supposed to be less than 10 minutes. Neither bus arrived in less than 10 minutes! Let’s see how it goes in the days ahead. I fully expect a repeat performance.
32 Eg West west of Weston Road and 89 Weston south of Eglinton.
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It’s fantastic that the TTC is expanding this night service, and I like the majority of the changes, but the TTC has managed to screw it up once again. Yes, most of the new night routes that were put into service in September STILL do not have properly marked Blue Night stops along the night routes, and many of the stops still haven’t even had schedules and route maps updated. I live right off of Dufferin where the new 329 goes, and when I went to take it the other day I found that indeed, at my stop on Dufferin at Steeprock – which has schedules for the 3 routes serving it – nothing had changed. Literally no mention of a night bus serving this stop. No blue stickers, no schedule and map updates. In fact, the “No service after 10 PM on Sundays” stickers are still on many of the stops on Dufferin north of Wilson! The two stops on the Allen at Sheppard still say “Early Morning Service only”. Same thing on Sheppard West, no mention of the 384, nothing to say the 304 now runs on King Street, and again same thing on Spadina. Though at least on the 510 the schedules have been updated, but still missing the blue night stickers. I have tried to contact the TTC to get them to put up new bus stops and/or blue night stickers but to no avail. Steve, I’m sure you know this is probably typical lack of awareness from this transit system, but seriously: what the hell is the point of updating your night system and making a big show of it if you won’t even put up new bus stops? How are the non-transit-philes supposed to know a new overnight route is running there? What’s next, announcing an all-new bus route in some neighbourhood and forgetting to put up the daytime stops? I’m running out of patience trying to call the TTC myself because they just ignore my complaints, Steve perhaps you could help?
End o’ rant.
Steve: I asked the TTC’s Brad Ross about this on September 10. Here is the exchange.
That’s how things stood a month ago. From what I’ve seen, in line with your own observations, little has been done to date.
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@Jelo Cantos:
Really 16D McCowan going between Broadview Station to Major Mackenzie & McCowan? You know how long of a route that is ONE WAY?? You have to be realistic when it comes to doing route planning! Personally I’d say keep 113, 16 and 129 as is. It’s fine the way it is. There is no damn way anyone will sit in a bus as far as Major Mackenzie to Broadview Station! They’re better off using the Stouffville GO Train to Danforth GO Station then Subway to Broadview Station. That would be waaaaaayyyyy faster than your proposals.
Steve: This comment has been edited to preserve the essence of the criticism.
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The 16D from Broadview to Major Mac would be too long! They should have 16 McCowan buses extended north to Steeles (replacing the 129B branch) and south to Coxwell station (replacing the 70C branch), plus having the route to operate 10 minutes or better all day every day. How come 165 and 96 doesn’t get full 10 minute networks?
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Steve, with the 302 rerouted, I guess the daytime buses will continue to be sourced from the 24 VICTORIA PARK and 57 MIDLAND. It would appear that I noticed a 57 bus (#7878) went to the 302 one night. In general, could daytime buses go get assigned to night routes?
Steve: It is standard for night services to be buses and streetcars that were out in the daytime service, and they come from many routes.
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The thing in making 129B, 16 and 70C into one route would still be long and on top of that it won’t generate any ridership in being on a bus from say McCowan and Finch to Coxwell Station when they can easily would just get off at Scarborough Cenre and use the RT / Subway which is way more faster. OK look at it this way PM rush one way on the 129B is around 25 minutes. Oh the 16 it’s 33 minutes and on the 70C it’s 26 minutes. 25+33+26= 84 Minutes one way from Steeles and McCowan to Coxwell station. That’s 1 hour and 24 minutes where the rider can simply use the 129B to Scarborough Town Centre and use the RT / Subway which will get them there less than that. Another thing is the frequency of each route. All 3 of these routes have way different frequencies and running say 70C every 5 or so minutes like the 129B is really not needed cause the ridership levels are different on all 3 of these routes. It’s best off to just leave it as is 129, 16 and 70 as their own routes.
Steve: OK I think we have beaten this idea to death. No more on the subject, please.
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But Steve, Jarrett Walker would love the idea of more through routing to eliminate unnecessary transfers. The Lawrence bus from Port Union GO to Westwood Mall in Malton would be a great scenic tour of Toronto, just kidding.
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