TTC to renumber 5 Avenue and 6 Bay bus routes to prepare for future rapid transit lines
As of this Sun., June 20, 2021, the TTC is renumbering two bus routes in advance of future rapid transit lines entering service. The 5 Avenue Rd route will become 13 Avenue Rd and the 6 Bay route will become 19 Bay. These changes are being made in anticipation of Line 5 Eglinton (Eglinton Crosstown LRT) beginning service in 2022 and Line 6 Finch West (Finch West LRT) in 2023.
“These routes are being renamed for a good reason – we are expanding transit in the city of Toronto and there will be new rapid transit lines starting to open next year,” said Mayor John Tory. “The TTC is going about this in a careful way to make sure riders have plenty of notice, but this change is needed so our new rapid transit lines are properly named from Day One.”
The 5 Avenue Rd bus operates north-south between Eglinton Station and the Queen’s Park area, and also serves Museum and Queen’s Park stations. The 6 Bay bus operates north-south between Dupont St. and Bedford Rd., and Queens Quay East and Lower Sherbourne St. It also serves Bay Station on Line 2 and Union Station on Line 1. Schedules and routes will not be affected by the name changes.
“With the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT as soon as 2022 and the Finch West LRT in 2023, we’re eagerly working to prepare our staff and our customers for the significant increase in service and changes to the system,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “We look forward to the upcoming transit expansion, and the additional convenience and accessibility these lines will bring for all GTA residents.”
Construction on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT started in 2011, and is being managed by Metrolinx. Once complete, it will include 25 stations going east-west across 19 kilometres of Eglinton Ave., from Mount Dennis to Kennedy Rd. It will be operated by the TTC as Line 5 Eglinton, and is expected to ease congestion on Line 2 and along Eglinton Ave. Customers may already notice test trains running on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT; something that is expected to continue until December.
Metrolinx is also managing construction of the upcoming Finch West LRT, which will operate as Line 6 Finch West. It will span 11 kilometres along Finch Ave. W., with 18 stations between the new Finch West Station and Humber College. Construction began in 2019, and when complete, the line will provide rapid transit for communities in Northwest Toronto.
The TTC is working to make this transition as straightforward as possible for its customers and is using a variety of communication tactics, including social media, the TTC website, community outreach, signage along affected routes and signage at Bay, Eglinton, Museum and Queen’s Park stations.