This is the second of our rear window timelapse videos of Toronto’s streetcar network, which provide a different perspective on our streetcar rides, without bothering the streetcar driver. Check out our first, as we rode the 510 SPADINA streetcar from end to end.

Since then, work by Hydro One crews to repair the pole has blocked part of the terminal, meaning that GO Transit and YRT buses have been dropping off or picking up passengers at different platforms than usually.

From 3 p.m. Good Friday, Friday, April 3 until 6 a.m. Saturday, April 4 and from 3 p.m. Saturday, until 6 a.m. Easter, Sunday, April 5, the work zone blocks all bus access to the terminal and GO and YRT are detouring their buses to stop on the street beside the terminal.

GO has not yet announced detours, but expect detours or service changes for buses along these routes:

• 19 Mississauga / North York;
• 27 Milton / North York;
• 96 Oshawa / Finch express.

YRT is detouring buses along these routes:

• Viva blue / Viva blue “B”;
• 2 Milliken;
• 5 Clark;
• 77 Highway 7;
• 88 Bathurst;
• 91 Bayview;
• 99 Yonge;
• 98 / 99 Yonge (late night); and
• 360 Vaughan Mills / Wonderland.

After this weekend’s closures, YRT and GO buses resume service through Finch GO Bus Terminal, but continue to serve passengers at different platforms than usually. Construction in the terminal and the resulting GO and YRT service changes continue until further notice.

TTC buses operate through a different bus terminal. Nevertheless, the Hydro construction does affect TTC passengers. The work zone blocks access to the Pick-Up and Drop-Off area on Yonge Street from 3 p.m. Good Friday, Friday, April 3 until 6 a.m. Saturday, April 4 and from 3 p.m. Saturday, until 6 a.m. Easter, Sunday, April 5. And, it blocks access to parts of the Finch Station commuter parking lots until April 9.

The TTC is closing Line 1 Yonge - University subway between St George and St Andrew stations after 11 p.m. Good Friday, Friday, April 3 and all day Saturday, April 4 and Easter, Sunday, April 5. Line 1 subway trains operate only between Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and St George stations and between Finch and St Andrew stations those day.

St George and St Andrew stations on this section of Line 1 remain open, so you can pay fares, load PRESTO fare cards, buy PRESTO tickets and connect to TTC buses, streetcars and Line 2 Bloor - Danforth subway trains. However, Museum, Queen’s Park, St Patrick and Osgoode stations are closed.

While this part of Line 1 is closed, TTC crews are upgrading stations. For example, they are likely continuing to upgrade station tiles at Queen’s Park and St Patrick stations.

Shuttle buses aren’t operating during this closure. Instead, the TTC encourages you to travel along the Yonge branch of Line 1 and connect to east- and westbound buses and streetcars to travel in downtown Toronto. Wheel-Trans buses are available for any passenger needing help.

According to a TTC news release, “While the TTC does most subway maintenance after service each night, it continues to require weekend and early weeknight closures to complete critical infrastructure and state-of-good-repair work.”

You may notice some changes on your commute this morning!

FART (Federated Agencies of Regional Toronto) the new regional transit agency that replaced Metrolinx, has renamed all stations in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area after their exact coordinates.

For example, Old Mill Station has a new name and is now called 43.65058’N 79.49522’W Station.

This was done to make wayfinding easier on transit and to make sure station names could not be confusing or similar to others in the GTHA. FART Spokesperson Avril Fowler said in an interview with Transit Toronto that “FART’s new reaming protocol is a breath of fresh air for riders”.

The system map has been adjusted accordingly, and people can view it at this link.

To learn more, please check out the regional transit authority’s announcement video below:

We hope you enjoyed our April Fools Joke for this year. I had a good time putting this together, with script contributions from Andre Truffi and Damian Baranowski, and I really enjoyed filming these segments with the pair of them. Thanks also to Kate Blair, Steve Munro and Colleen Hillerup for their voice work, and to Miles Taylor for his wonderful VO cameo. While you’re here, please enjoy our April Fools 2021 documentary on the Bessarion Subway Line:

The Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act proposes a number of changes that would affect transit passengers, including:

• simplifying fares;
• updating fare-evasion fines;
• standardizing GO Transit station designs; and
• streamlining municipal approval processes for new Metrolinx transit projects.

Simplifying fares
The province says that, since 2024, the OneFare Program has saved Ontario transit riders more than $230 million and enabled nearly 72 million transfers across participating transit agencies. The program allows passengers to travel on vehicles from more than one transit agency in the GTHA during a single trip without having to pay twice.

The new legislation would allow the provincial government to build on the success of OneFare by allowing it to integrate transit fares and service in the area. It will lay the groundwork for exploring regulations to advance the province’s vision for OneFare 2.0, which could enable Ontario to work with municipal and regional transit organizations to:

• require transit agencies across the GTHA to adopt a single unified fare structure with common fares, discounts and free transfers, providing more seamless and affordable trips across municipal borders;
• improve service on priority routes that cross municipal borders; and
• allow accessible transit services to use a unified trip-booking system and provide direct service across municipal borders for passengers with disabilities.

In an article for television news station CP24, Joshua Freeman writes:

“‘This would allow us to work with municipal and regional transit agencies towards a more unified fare structure, including common fares discounts and free transfers across the network in order to make transit faster, easier, more affordable for people across the GTHA,” Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said at a news conference.

“Officials say there have been early discussions about what that might look like, including the possibility of a zoned system where riders might pay according to how far they travel as opposed to a single flat fare.

“There have also been early preliminary discussions with the [City of] Toronto and other municipalities about what harmonizing fares might look like.

“At the moment, Toronto relies heavily on TTC fares to fund the transit system, with any changes to pricing having a noticeable impact on the city’s budget.

“Sarkaria said that the province will be consulting with municipalities ‘every step of the way’ on the changes.’

“‘The principle and the concept of it is to drive more ridership, is to drive more individuals onto our transit systems, and as well, at the same time, bring forth a seamless transit system that works together collaboratively with all of our regional transit agencies,’ he said.

“‘They will be a part of this every step of the way, and we will work with them on every one of the challenges that they outlined, from fares to timing to services to levels of service across the entire network, that would be our plan.’

“Officials have said there has been a promise to the city to have deepened and regular engagement on the matter as soon as the legislation is introduced.”

In a post on his blog, local transit commentator described the recent meeting of the Toronto Transit Commission’s Strategic Planning Committee.

“There was no discussion at all of Provincial legislation tabled on March 30 which could have significant effects on the TTC’s ability to set fare and service policy. The “One Fare” scheme does not simply mean that your PRESTO card will work anywhere, but that the Province will set an overall fare structure and some aspects of service.

“The… Act… provides that for “prescribed transit systems”

“The Minister may make regulations establishing a fare structure for prescribed transit systems, including,

“(a) setting fare prices; (b) defining fare categories, types and eligibility requirements; (c) establishing fare discount policies; (d) establishing transfer policies for travel between a prescribed transit system and any other passenger transportation systems.

[...]

“The Minister may prescribe geographic zones for the purposes of this section and may designate prescribed transit systems in relation to each zone.

“All fares collected by any prescribed transit system that is designated in relation to a geographic zone […] shall be apportioned among the systems designated in relation to that geographic zone in accordance with the regulations.

“Every prescribed transit system that is designated in relation to a geographic zone shall pay the amounts required to be provided by it in accordance with the apportionment rules set out in the regulations.

“This allows the Province to create zones within which revenue sharing will be required. It is not yet clear whether this is a move to pillage TTC fare revenue for the benefit of other agencies.

” The Act provides for service integration and standards on key cross-border routes.

The Minister may make regulations,

“(a) designating new and existing routes as priority routes, which may cross municipal boundaries; (b) prescribing service standards for priority routes, including,

“(i) establishing time periods during which the service standards must be met, (ii) establishing the frequency of services to be provided on the priority route, which may specify the frequency of service at different stops on the priority route;

“(c) prescribing requirements for service integration between different prescribed transit systems on priority routes, including requiring services be provided by a prescribed transit system outside of its primary service area.

“It is not clear whether service standards would be considered a maximum or minimum, nor is there any discussion about operating subsidies to fund increases beyond existing levels.

“The Act provides for integration of services for the disabled including “a unified trip booking system approved by the Minister” as well as avoidance of transfers between local systems within a yet-to-be-prescribed distance of municipal boundaries. This would, for example, extend the Wheel-Trans service territory beyond the Toronto boundary.”

Updating fare-evasion fines
The province says that, as of November 2025, fare evaders cost GO Transit $21 million in lost revenue annually — a fare-evasion rate of 5.1 per cent. Metrolinx currently deploys 47 Revenue Protection Officers who inspect about 2.4 per cent of all rail boardings,

Ontario proposes increasing the fine for first-time fare-evaders from $35 to $200. Second-time offenders would pay $300, instead of $50. The fine for a third offence would jump from $100 to $400. A fourth offence would cost you $500, instead of $200.

The government would work also work with Metrolinx to hire more Revenue Protection Officers, improve station infrastructure (for example: better fare readers, station design and gates) and target fare-enforcement at hotspots for fare evasion.

Standardizing GO-station designs
Ontario explains that costs to build GO stations continue to rise due to higher construction and material costs, while it extends construction timelines as projects become “increasingly complex and require extensive co-ordination to deliver.”

The Ministry of Transportation will continue to work with Metrolinx to standardize GO station design to reduce construction costs by implementing simpler, more efficient engineering practices to ensure value for money.

The province says that this work reduces station-infrastructure requirements to speed up timelines and keep costs low for new stations.

Streamlining municipal approval processes for new Metrolinx transit projects
The province plans to amend the Metrolinx Act, 2006, to streamline the process by which Metrolinx obtains technical and engineering support from municipalities to advance new transit projects, including light-rail transit projects and subway, LRT and GO Transit stations. It expects that this will give Metrolinx the flexibility to obtain a report confirming that a project meets technical and engineering requirements without going through the building permit process (which, it claims, requires compliance with as many as 47 separate processes).

This proposal could decrease project timelines by as much as 12 months and save bout $9 million per year for transit projects across the province.

• Warden Avenue [Regional Road 65] south of Major Mackenzie Drive East

in the City of Markham to accommodate crews who are repairing a sinkhole.

The TTC is detouring buses along this route, while the street is closed:

• 68 Warden.

Sinkhole repairs on Warden Avenue and the resulting TTC detour continue until April 5.

The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario have committed to a cost-sharing agreement with the City of Toronto to advance the Waterfront East Transit project.

In a news release, Waterfront Toronto calls the funding for the Waterfront East line “a landmark commitment to unlock housing, connect communities, and drive economic growth along Toronto’s eastern waterfront.”

The new transit line will serve more than 150,000 people with more than 50,000 daily trips. The governments expect the project to enable the construction of more than 75,000 housing units, create more than 100,000 jobs and generate more than $13.2 billion in economic value.

According to Waterfront Toronto, the new line is “More than a transit project… [it’s] a critical piece of infrastructure to help revitalize Toronto’s Eastern waterfront.” By extending higher-order transit across the eastern waterfront to the Port Lands and the new island of Ookwemin Minising, the project will “unlock new neighbourhoods, connect people to jobs and destinations, and provide the certainty needed to deliver thousands of new homes.”

The City says it has already invested $1 billion in the project.

The Province explains that, “Current cost estimates set the project at $3 billion, and the initiative would see each level of government contribute one-third of the funding… for planning and construction of the transit line.” Canada’s funding will flow from the portion of the Canada Public Transit Fund that it has designated for projects in Ontario. A provincial backgrounder adds that, “As a condition of the funding agreement, the federal and Ontario governments will not bear costs for any overruns on the transit line project.”

The announcement doesn’t detail design and construction timelines.

Sources:

• Province of Ontario - News release: “Ontario and Canada Sign Historic Partnership to Build Homes, Transit and Communities,” here.
• Province of Ontario - Backgrounder: “Details of the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build,” here.
• City of Toronto - News release: “Landmark multi-billion-dollar partnership: City of Toronto joins with Government of Canada and Province of Ontario in prioritizing housing and transit,” here.
• City of Toronto - “Waterfront East transit,” here.
• Toronto Transit Commission - “Waterfront Transit Network Expansion,” here.
• Waterfront Toronto - News release: “More than Transit: Governments Commit to Advance Transit to Unlock Housing, Jobs and a Connected Eastern Waterfront,” here.
• Waterfront Toronto - “Waterfront East transit,” here.

As a result, GO Transit is suspending its train service to and from St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

Toronto-bound passengers may board regular buses along the 12 Niagara Falls / Burlington from Niagara Falls Bus Terminal (across the street from the VIA Rail / GO station.) The buses stops at Fairview Mall in St. Catharines. At Fairview Mall you can board Niagara Region Transit buses to travel to and from Downtown St. Catharines or the area of the St. Catharines VIA / GO Station. The buses also serve passengers in the bus terminal at Burlington GO Station, where you may connect to eastbound GO trains.

Niagara-bound passengers may board regular route 12 buses in Burlington. The buses stop at Fairview Mall in St. Catharines before ending their trips in the Niagara Falls Bus Terminal.

Brampton Transit is relocating stops for buses along several routes.

• 1 / 1A Queen - Westbound buses drop off or pick up passengers on George Street North south of Nelson West (#3 on the map).
• 52 McMurchy - Southbound buses pick up passengers on George North north of Nelson (#1 on the map).
• 561 Züm Queen West - Westbound buses serve passengers on George south of Nelson (#2 on the map).

GO Transit is also relocating stops for buses along several routes.

• 31 Guelph / Georgetown / Toronto - Southbound buses drop off or pick up passengers on Main Street North south of Church Street West (#4 on the map). Northbound buses serve passengers on Main North south of Church East (#5 on the map).
• 33 Guelph / Georgetown / North York - Southbound buses serve passengers on Main Street North south of Church Street West (#4 on the map). Northbound buses serve passengers on Main North south of Church East (#5 on the map).
• 37 Orangeville / Brampton — Northbound buses pick up passengers on Main south of Church (#6 on the map).

Buses along other routes continue to serve passengers at the south platform in the terminal.

According to GO, “Work is expected to be completed in July 2026”, meaning this phase of construction at Downtown Brampton Terminal and the resulting Brampton Transit and GO detours continue as late as until July 31.

The TTC is closing Line 1 Yonge - University subway between Sheppard West and Lawrence West stations earlier than usually Monday, March 30 until Thursday, April 2. Line 1 subway trains operate only between Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and Sheppard West stations and between Finch and Lawrence West stations after 11:59 p.m. those evenings.

Shuttle buses partially replace subway service. The buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops near each station on that part of the line. TTC staff are available in each station to direct you to the shuttle-bus boarding and offloading locations.

(Or, consider a shuttle-bus alternative.)

All stations on this section of Line 1 remain open, so you can load PRESTO fare cards, buy PRESTO tickets and connect to TTC buses, streetcars or GO Transit and York Region Transit buses. Note, however, that the TTC is also closing the Ranee Avenue access to and from Yorkdale Station after 11:59 p.m.

While this part of Line 1 is closed, TTC crews are maintaining the tracks.

According to a TTC news release, ” While the TTC does most subway maintenance after service each night, it continues to require weekend and early weeknight closures to complete critical infrastructure and state-of-good-repair work.”

• Queen Street East between Broadview and Davies Avenue

— weeks ahead of schedule.

Since “late October”, the City of Toronto has closed

• parts of Queen Street East between Broadview and Davies avenues

to accommodate a project to replace two 112-year-old water mains. The City and the TTC are also renewed the aging streetcar tracks on the same part of Queen East.

The City explains that, “This work is required to bring the water-main and track infrastructure to a state of good repair and is part of the Council-approved 2025 Capital Works Program.”

The City completed work to replace the water-main by Monday, February 23. Now the City and TTC have finished replacing the streetcar infrastructure on this section of Queen East.

However, streetcars along these routes continue to follow their current detour paths:

• 301 Queen overnight;
• 304 King overnight;
• 301 Queen; and
• 504B King.

The TTC continues to detour the cars while it tests the new tracks over the next few weeks. It expects to resume regular streetcar service Sunday, May 3.

Starting March 28, the TTC revises the paths for buses that replace streetcar service:

• Shuttle buses along route 504D that replace route 504B “daytime” service between Broadview Station and Parliament Street;
• Shuttle buses along route 301C that replace route 301 overnight service between Broadview Avenue and Parliament Street and route 304 overnight service between Broadview Station and Parliament Street.
• Buses along route 503 Kingston Rd that continue to replace route 503 streetcars. These buses along route 503 partially replace route 501 streetcar service between Broadview Avenue and Parliament Street.

The City and TTC originally expected construction to continue until the end of April.

• the intersection of College Street with Bay Street

— weeks ahead of schedule.

The City of Toronto closed the intersection to all traffic starting Monday, March 2 to accommodate contractors who replaced sewer infrastructure and renewed streetcar tracks.

Buses along this route resume their regular path, starting March 28:

• 19 Bay.

Streetcars along these routes continue to detour:

• 306 Carlton overnight; and
• 506 Carlton.

The TTC continues to detour the cars while it tests the new tracks over the next few weeks. It expects to resume regular streetcar service Sunday, May 3.

In the meantime, shuttle buses replace the cars between McCaul and Parliament streets. The shuttle buses no longer divert around the work zone and operate through the intersection.

Contractors return to the area and the transit agency will further detour service after the FIFA World Cup 2026™, so the City and TTC can replace sewers on College Street between Bay and Yonge streets and renew the streetcar infrastructure on College and Carlton streets between Bay and Church streets. They expect to complete the projects in December.

The City and TTC originally expected this phase of construction to continue until mid-April.

The TTC is closing Line 2 Bloor - Danforth subway between Jane and Ossington stations Sunday, March 29. Line 2 trains operate between Kipling and Jane stations and between Kennedy and Ossington stations that day.

Shuttle buses partially replace subway trains. The trains drop off or pick up passengers in subway-station terminals or on the street near all stations on the closed section of Line 2.

(Or, consider a shuttle-bus alternative.)

Wheel-Trans service is available. TTC staff in each station can help direct you to Wheel-Trans stops.

Runnymede, High Park, Lansdowne and Dufferin stations are closed. All other subway stations remain open so you can pay fares, load PRESTO fare cards or buy PRESTO tickets and connect to TTC buses.

While this part of Line 2 is closed, TTC crews are maintaining the signals.

According to a TTC news release, “While the TTC does most subway maintenance after service each night, it continues to require weekend and early weeknight closures to complete critical infrastructure and state-of-good-repair work.”

Passengers travelling to the area of Dundas West Station and Bloor GO / UPX station should also note that GO Transit is cancelling service along the 31 Kitchener line this weekend. And, no UP Express trains are operating.