TTC increasing service as more customers return to transit

The TTC is increasing service as it prepares to welcome back more customers, with the new school year beginning next week and more people returning to in-office work after Labour Day.

From Tues., Sept. 5, the TTC will be restoring 126 school trips for elementary and secondary schools, and will be increasing frequency on nine routes that serve post secondary institutions.

Additionally, the TTC is increasing regular service hours in September to 93 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, and further increasing service to 95 per cent by November, with bus service at 99 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

“More TTC service means more room on board, shorter wait times, and better reliability for all transit users,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “By reinvesting some of the $60 million originally budgeted to operate Line 5, there will be 280,000 weekly customer trips with scheduled service improvements by November, with service almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Most of this investment will be in the bus network, where we know demand is greatest.”

“I want to thank TTC staff for seizing the opportunity by using underspent Line 5 funds in improving transit services,” said TTC Chair Jamaal Myers. “A large percentage of the improvements to bus services will benefit transit users in Scarborough, where better transit is desperately needed. By November, more Scarborough transit users will have a direct bus route to the subway, without needing to transfer to other buses.”

“I welcome the service increases that the TTC is implementing in September,” said Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 21, Scarborough Centre). “I am also pleased that the TTC has completed upgrades to the bus terminal at Scarborough Centre Station ahead of schedule, in time for the start of the new school year. The additional bus capacity means regular routes can return, making transit between Centennial College and Scarborough Centre Station faster and more reliable.”

Starting Sun., Sept. 3, and continuing into the fall, the TTC is:

• Making more room on board buses, by increasing service based on ridership demand, and adding capacity on specific trips to address overcrowding.
• Shortening wait times by improving the bus Ten Minute Network.
• 41 time periods across the day with reduced wait times, 27 of those time periods will either return to pre-pandemic levels or be better than they were before.
• Improving reliability with more unscheduled, demand-responsive service.

“We know how important it is that we make this return to school and work as smooth as possible for our customers, by providing safe, reliable and frequent transit service when, and where, it is needed most,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “With tremendous support from the TTC Board, we are working harder than ever to improve service levels across our bus, subway and streetcar network.”