The TTC will implement many service changes with the first of new fall 2018 schedules, with more (as yet not announced) to follow.

The September schedules also include a return to winter service levels. I have not included these in the summary except where other changes happen at the same time.

Updated August 1, 2018: The Express Bus Network service comparisons have been updated to include April 2018 (winter) service levels as well as the current summer services where these differ. In many cases, although the new service design is an improvement over summer service levels, there is little or no change from the winter service. This was already noted  in the text describing each route, but it was not reflected in the detailed spreadsheet comparing before and after service levels.

Updated August 1, 2018 at 10:40 pm: The original version of this post and the linked spreadsheet showed 503 Kingston Road reverting to bus operation in September. This is not correct. It will remain a streetcar route, but will terminate at its “traditional” York & Wellington location.

2018.09.02_Service_Changes_V3  [pdf]

Express Buses

In a previous article, I gave an overview of the new Express Bus Network that will be rolled out in coming months. The details of service changes for the first batch of routes are included in the spreadsheet linked above. In a few cases, the change is simply a question of rebranding routes with the new 900-series numbers, but in many service improvements are included.

• 37/937 Islington will have additional peak service between Steeles and Islington Station.
• 54 Lawrence East will have additional midday weekday service on the local branches. The 954 schedule is based on the old winter schedule for the 54E Express service.
• 60/960 Steeles West changes are mostly the return to the winter service levels with minor adjustments for reliability.
• 84/984 Sheppard West changes mainly reallocate buses between various branches, and extend the express service from Sheppard West Station to Weston Road.
• 85/190/985 Sheppard East and STC Rocket changes create a new peak period express service to Meadowvale, and switch articulated bus operation to the express services leaving standard sized buses on the local services on weekdays. Weekend schedules are unchanged except for the rebranding of the 190 as 985A.
• 102/902 Markham Road services are reorganized by reducing service on the local 102A to Centennial College, but adding more replacement service as the 902 express.
• 134C/913 Progress service to Centennial College is changed to operate express in the peak direction (outbound in the AM, inbound in the PM peak) from STC to the college, and service will run more frequently.
• 185/925 Don Mills is only a rebranding. There is no change to service levels.
• 191/927 Highway 27 will see improved peak period express service, but this is mainly the restoration of winter schedules. Otherwise, this is a rebranding.
• 195/935 Jane will see improved PM peak express service, but otherwise this is a rebranding.
• 198/905 UTSC/Eglinton East has some service improvements, partly through restoration of winter schedules, but is otherwise a rebranding.
• 199/939 Finch will see better peak service to Morningside Heights, but otherwise this is a rebranding.

Subway

On the subway network, there will be one additional gap train (for a total of 3) on Line 1 YUS during the AM peak, and winter schedules will return on Line 2 BD. A new route number, 600, has been created for internal use for scheduled construction shuttle buses which will operate from Arrow Road, Birchmount, Mount Dennis and Queensway Garages, with a smaller contribution from Malvern Garage.

Streetcars

The streetcar network will go through another shuffle of bus replacements in response to construction projects, the streetcar shortage and shifting demand for fall 2018.

• 501 Queen loses its 5 AM peak trippers from Long Branch.
• [Corrected] 502 Downtowner reverts to bus operation, while 503 operates peak only with streetcars and runs to York and Wellington, not to Spadina (Charlotte Loop).
• 504 King and 514 Cherry revert to schedules from April and May 2018 respectively.
• 505 Dundas remains a bus operation due to track construction at Lansdowne, and water main work east of Bathurst.
• 506 Carlton returns to streetcar operation with a handful of AM peak period bus trippers.
• 511 Bathurst switches to bus operation. Construction at Bathurst Station will require the streetcar loop to be shared between the 511 and 7 Bathurst buses.
• 512 St. Clair becomes 100% low floor with some adjustments in the service levels.

Operations on 509 Harbourfront and 510 Spadina will be modified to improve service and eliminate bottlenecks at subway station loops. On the 509, all recovery time will be scheduled at Exhibition Loop so that streetcars do not wait on their scheduled departure time at Union. The recovery point for 510 will be shifted to Spadina and Bremner where layovers, if needed, will not block other streetcars at Spadina or Union Station Loops. A side-effect is that through riders may experience a delay at this location. This practice has been in place unofficially for some time during quieter periods on the route, but it does not deal with issues of washroom breaks and crew changeovers at the terminal stations.

Buses

Construction projects:

• Work at Main Station will be complete by September, and all routes will revert to their standard arrangement there.
• Construction at Bathurst Station will shift all bus operations to the streetcar loop.
• Construction at Dundas and Lansdowne will divert the 47 Lansdowne bus via College, Dufferin and Queen both ways.
• Construction continues at Lawrence West Station requiring extension of routes that normally terminate there to Lawrence Station.

Service on 29 Dufferin will be converted to articulated buses on Sundays. Further changes will occur in October with the Express Bus implementation on this route.

Service improvements include:

• Better service on the 36B Finch West bus between Yonge Street and Finch West Station.
• Better PM peak service to Steeles on 43A Kennedy.
• Better peak and midday service on 63 Ossington.
• Reallocation of buses between the two branches of 66 Prince Edward during peak periods to provide better service to Park Lawn Loop at the expense of service to Humber Loop.
• Better peak service on 79 Scarlett Road which, combined with the return of winter service levels, will provide considerably more frequent service.
• Better peak service on 88 South Leaside.
• Better peak and midday service on 100 Flemingdon Park.
• Route 123 Shorncliffe is renamed 123 Sherway, and a new branch via West Mall to Sherway is added during peak periods.
• Better AM peak service on 165 Weston Road North.

The 21 Brimley route will shift from Birchmount to Malvern Garage, and the 102/902 Markham Road service will shift from Malvern to Birchmount.