Tired of waiting for your bus to arrive during rush hour?
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is recommending the addition of more express bus routes to help improve transit service and speed up commuting times. This will be discussed and voted on in Thursday’s TTC board meeting.
“Given increasing wait times and crowding on many regular TTC bus routes, the implementation of new express routes along major arterial roads during the peak periods could provide an excellent option for riders at a fraction of the cost of building new transit infrastructure,” said chair Josh Colle in a statement.
The TTC already operates express busses on 24 routes during peak periods from Monday to Friday. Ten routes receive express busses during off-peak times. According to the statement, those bus services have proven popular with customers.
Therefore, staff is recommending a 10-year, three-phase approach to enhancing and increasing express bus service. The first two phases ivnvolve enhancing pre-existing routes, including implementing all-door boarding and making transit signals a priority. New routes may be active by 2021.
| New Express Routes | Enhanced Express Routes |
| Lawrence West Islington Weston Road Dufferin Markham Road |
Keele Steeles West Steeles East Sheppard West, west of Sheppard West Stn Sheppard East, east of Midland Avenue University of Toronto Scarborough Rocket Wilson York Mills |
Staff estimates that one in every six bus customers will uses these new express services.
The project would cost approximately $34.2 million for the enhancements and the purchase of 38 articulated buses. More details will be released at a later date.
Does your area need an express bus route? Let us know in the comments below!
