This article continues a series reviewing service quality on some of the TTC’s shorter routes.
Overview
The Pape bus operates two branches one of which has a peak period extension:
- The 72A operates from Pape Station to Eastern Avenue during all periods except the weekday peaks.
- During the peak periods, the 72A is extended south and west as 72C to the Don Roadway via Commissioners Street.
- The 72B operates during all periods except early Sunday morning to Union Station via Queens Quay and Yonge.
Except for peak periods, the A and B branches operate on a common headway and should in theory provide a blended service on the common portion of the route between Eastern Avenue and Pape Station. This does not occur, and the service is a mixture of wide gaps and very short headways at almost all times.
During the peaks, the 72C Commissioners headway is almost but not half of the headway of the 72B Union. This makes it impossible to schedule a one-bus-in-three blended service even assuming that the 72B could stay on time and merge gracefully into the 72C service. The result is scheduled gaps and bunching on the common portion of the route under even the best conditions during peak periods.
Here is the scheduled service southbound from Pape Station in the AM and PM peak periods in early November 2021. Note the scheduled headways of only one or two minutes between “B” Union Station and “C” Commissioners buses.
Steve Munro 