TTC increasing service to meet back-to-school demand

As students return to school next week, the TTC is anticipating an increase in ridership after the summer break and taking steps to boost service on streetcars, buses and LRTs, starting Sept. 6.

There will be more frequent service on Line 6 Finch West with “improved travel times” and “enhanced reliability” across the Finch West corridor, the TTC said in a press release.

Service on 30 bus and streetcar routes will be adjusted and improved to keep up with ridership demand and improve connections to secondary and post-secondary institutions.

The routes that will be revamped include:

• 38B Highland Creek and 938 Highland Creek Express
• 102A Markham Rd
• 830 Henry Kelsey-Middlefield
• 903A Kennedy Stn-Scarborough Express
• 906 Airport-Humber College Express
• 927A Highway 27 Express school trips between Kipling and Humber College will be restored on weekdays
• 944 Kipling South Express service will be restored for all time periods on weekdays

In addition, three new bus routes are being added in Etobicoke:

• The 145 Belfield bus will replace the 45B Kipling and will operate between Kipling Station and Viscount Station on the Pearson Airport Terminal Link train
• 345 Kipling Blue Night buses will provide service between Long Branch Loop and Steeles Avenue West and Kipling Avenue
• 373 Royal York buses will operate between Royal York Station and Steeles Avenue West and Kipling Avenue

Both 345 Kipling and 373 Royal York Blue Night buses will provide overnight service on weekdays and weekends as well as during the early mornings on Sundays, arriving every 30 minutes.

But along with service improvements, changes are coming to some routes like the 512/312 St. Clair Avenue streetcar route to support construction of a railway underpass ahead of the completion of the new St. Clair-Old Weston transit station.

Streetcar service will end at Lansdowne Avenue and replacement buses will run between Lansdowne Station and Gunns Loop. During the overnight hours, the 340 Junction bus will extend its route to Oakwood Avenue to provide service east of Lansdowne Avenue.

More service changes are coming to bus services in the east end of the city as well, including service adjustments at Pape station due to Ontario Line construction.

Click here for a full list of the changes going into effect on Sep. 6.