^ Image, Brampton Transit

The Canadian Urban Transit Association named Brampton Transit as Canada’s fastest-growing system back in 2007. Disappointingly, now, almost twenty years later, BT’s cancelling service along four of its routes “due to low ridership demand”. Those routes are:

• 33 Peter Robinson;
• 36 Gardenbrooke;
• 55 Elbern Markell; and
• 56 Kingknoll.

During this service change, Brampton Transit is also revising other routes and services, starting Monday, April 27.

^ 2025 image of RapidTO lanes on Bathurst Street at Carr Street, looking south. Image: City of Toronto / TTC

The City of Toronto’s RapidTO: Surface Transit Network Plan is guiding bus and streetcar improvement projects in Toronto. Through this program, the City of Toronto and TTC are enhancing bus and streetcar service across Toronto by studying and implementing transit-priority solutions that improve service reliability.

From 10 p.m. Sunday, April 26 until 4 a.m. Monday, April 27 and continuing overnight nightly, the City continues installing the priority lanes

• on Bathurst Street between Bathurst Station and Nassau Street.

The TTC is detouring streetcars along this route during the next phase of this construction:

• 511 Bathurst.

Shuttle buses replace the cars between Bathurst Station and College Street.

This phase of RapidTO construction on Bathurst Street and the resulting TTC detour continue until May 3 (4 a.m.)

The City and TTC finished installing priority streetcar lanes between Dundas Street West and Lake Shore Boulevard West and turn restrictions at Bloor Street West in December. Due to construction at Toronto Western Hospital the two agencies are not changing Bathurst between Nassau Street and Dundas West.

The project includes:

• Installing one priority streetcar lane and one vehicle lane in each direction;
• Converting centre lanes to priority streetcar lanes by adding new signage, red paint and pavement markings;
• Removing all one-hour, unsigned and Toronto Parking Authority (“Green P”) parking spaces;
• Maintaining all accessible parking and loading zones; and
• Re-timing traffic signals to optimize traffic flow through the entire project area.

As part of a separate initiative to improve the speed and reliability of TTC buses along the 7 Bathurst route, the City and TTC introduced left-turn restrictions and updated parking and loading regulations between Eglinton Avenue West and Bathurst Station last December.

Since “late October”, the City of Toronto 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 renewing the aging streetcar tracks on the same part of Queen East.

The City explained 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 its work to replace the water-main by Monday, February 23, when the City and TTC started to replace the streetcar infrastructure on this section of Queen East. The City then closed the westbound lanes to all traffic to accommodate that phase of the project.

The transit agency resumed bus service through the area Saturday, March 28, weeks ahead of schedule.

The TTC continues to shorten the paths for cars along the 304 King overnight and 504B King routes. Those cars continue to operate to and from Distillery Loop until Sunday, May 3. Buses replace 304 / 504 cars between Broadview Station and Parliament Street until then.

Metrolinx continues upgrading Union Station and the Union Station rail corridor as part of the GO Expansion Program.

Metrolinx contractors have been removing and relocating infrastructure on the south side of the Union Station rail corridor east of Union Station and reinforcing the corridor to support widening of rail bridges that pass over Lower Jarvis and Lower Sherbourne streets. This will allow the transit agency to install two more sections of track, increase transit capacity, offer a more efficient and reliable service with faster trains and allow it to electrify the tracks in future, as part of the larger GO Expansion Program.

From 9 p.m. Monday, April 27until 5 a.m. Tuesday, April 28, the City of Toronto is closing:

• Lower Jarvis Street between The Esplanade and Lake Shore Boulevard West

to accommodate Metrolinx contractors who are operating a crane at the bridge.

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

• 75 Sherbourne.

Metrolinx and GO plan to accommodate more passengers and increase service along the Union Station rail corridor** (formerly “regional express rail”).

The TTC is closing Line 2 Bloor - Danforth subway between Kipling and Jane stations all day Saturday, April 25. Line 2 subway trains operate only between Jane and Kennedy stations that day.

Shuttle buses partially replace subway service. The buses drop off or pick up passengers in or near the bus terminals at each station. TTC staff are available in each station to direct you to the shuttle-bus boarding and offloading locations. Passengers with accessibility needs can also board buses along the 149 Etobicoke - Bloor accessibility shuttle route. Buses along route 149 operate between Kipling and Jane stations.

(Or, consider a shuttle-bus alternative.)

Royal York Station is open; however, the entrance / exit on Grenview Boulevard is closed. All other stations remain open, so you can load PRESTO fare cards, buy PRESTO tickets and connect to TTC, GO Transit and MiWay 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.”

The City of Toronto is fully closing the Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway between the Humber River and Lower Spadina Avenue from 11 p.m. Friday, April 24 until 5 a.m. Monday, April 27.

The City says that this planned work “supports the City’s long-term strategy to maintain expressway infrastructure, reduce future disruptions and prepare Toronto for major events, including the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

It further explains that the closure “[allows] multiple City divisions and partners to work safely and at the same time, to [make sure] the expressways remain safe, clean, and in good working condition.” During this closure, crews will complete work equivalent to more than 30 overnight lane closures, saving drivers as much as 150 hours of disruption. The City claims that this approach results in:

• Less disruption for motorists;
• Cost savings of as much as 25 per cent, when compared with multiple overnight closures; and
• Safe, fast and efficient completion of critical maintenance.

The City says that “Working around the clock,” road crews, engineers and contractors are:

• Repairing cracks and potholes;
• Maintaining and replacing guard rails;
• Inspecting bridges and removing loose concrete
• Repainting lane markings;
• Inspecting and repairing lighting inspections;
• Clearing catch basins to prevent flooding; and
• Removing debris, weeds, litter and graffiti.

The closure will allow crews to complete final paving of the eastbound lanes between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue as part of the City’s long=term Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation Plan. Other work includes paving the Jameson Avenue off=ramp. Major rehabilitation work in this area was completed last year, 18 months ahead of the schedule. The City couldn’t complete final paving due to scheduling conflicts during the Toronto Blue Jays’ attempt to win Major League Baseball’s World Series last fall.

GO Transit passngers aboard buses along these routes can expect detours or delays while the expressway is closed:

• 16 Hamilton / Toronto express;
• 18 Lakeshore West;
• 21 Milton / Toronto;
• 31 Guelph / Georgetown / Toronto; and
• 90 Lakeshore East.

(Updated — Saturday, April 25, 7:14 a.m.) However GO hasn’t [yet] announced service changes.

Although the project does not directly affect TTC services, closing the expressway likely results in major congestion along nearby and parallel streets, as motorists seek alternate routes. Passengers aboard buses and streetcars along these streets can expect delays:

• 29A Dufferin;
• 63A Ossington;
• 114 Queens Quay East;
• 301 Queen overnight;
• 304 King overnight;
• 307 Bathurst overnight;
• 310 Spadina overnight;
• 320 Yonge overnight;
• 329 Dufferin overnight;
• 363 Ossington overnight;
• 501 / 501C Queen;
• 504A / 504B King;
• 509 Harbourfront;
• 510 Spadina;
• 511 Bathurst; and
• 929 Dufferin express.

The City says it’s “implementing a comprehensive traffic management plan” to help minimize congestion as much as possible during the closure. Measures include:

• Deploying traffic agents;
• Monitoring traffic and adjusting signals in real time on alternate routes;
• Using electronic variable messaging boards;
• Restricting short?term utility construction on key detour routes to keep them open to traffic.
• Co-ordinating with major event venues to share travel information with ticket holders in advance.
• Co-ordinating with mapping apps to ensure they share up?to?date information on closures and alternate routes with motorists.

According to the City, “Closure dates for this critical and time-sensitive work were selected to avoid closing both expressways at the same time, minimize conflicts with major events and provide suitable weather conditions to complete the work safely and efficiently.”

• on Gerrard Street East at Leslie Street.

The transit agency says that these essential rail repairs are “part of preventative maintenance to ensure safe and reliable streetcar operations.”

The TTC is detouring streetcars along these routes, while crews are working in the track area:

• 306 Carlton overnight; and
• 506 Carlton.

Shuttle buses replace the cars between Coxwell Avenue and McCaul Street.

Track repairs on Gerrard at Leslie and the resulting TTC detours continue until April 27 (4 a.m.)

TTC crews work only in the centre-lane track area to:

• saw-cut the old concrete;
• break and remove the old concrete;
• replace the old rail with new rail; and
• place new concrete.

The TTC says, “Some activities will be conducted around-the-clock to ensure the quality installation of new rail and concrete.”

Crews plan to conduct noisy activities, such as breaking and removing concrete, during the daytime; however, they may work overnight work due to unforeseen conditions or inclement weather.

Expect to hear noise and and see lights from construction vehicles and machinery.

One lane of traffic in each direction continues to flow in the curb lanes. The City of Toronto may temporarily prohibit on-street parking near the work zone. The work zone may also prevent motorists from turning onto or off of Gerrard East. “Paid-duty” Toronto Police Service officers or traffic-control personnel will be on-site to direct motorists, cyclists and pedestrians through the area.

From 2 until 7 a.m. Sunday, April 26, TTC crews also upgrade streetcar infrastructure on College and Carlton streets between McCaul and Parliament streets. The same streetcar detours and shuttle-bus service continue.

• Sloane Avenue, southbound lane, north of Eglinton Avenue West

to accommodate contractors who are lifting a crane at a construction site,

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

• 91 Woodbine.

• Church Street between Front Street East / Wellington Street East and The Esplanade and
• The Esplanade between Lower Jarvis and Yonge streets

to accommodate a film shoot.

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

• 121 Esplanade - River.

• New Westminster Drive between Joseph Aaron Boulevard / Mullen Drive and Conley Stret

to accommodate Canadian National Railway crews who are maintaining an overpass. The overpass carries CN’s York subdivision tracks over New Westminster.

York Region Transit is detouring buses along this route, while the street is closed:

• 3 Thornhill.

But those first reels scanned in HD remained, and rediscovering them, we decided to rescan them in glorious 4K. You can see the first such rescan and remastering with our PCCs on Kingston Road video here:

Our sale of Patreon memberships continues. Free members can sign up for the Adblock Absolution tier (around $5 Cdn per month) and be treated as Named Supporters, with their names in the credits of future Transit Toronto videos. People who upgrade to the Named Supporter tiers (around $10 Cdn per month) get a free Transit Toronto mug sent to them.

There’s also a top tier: if you subscribe for $65/month CDN, your funds will go directly into scanning more of Richard Glaze’s 100 foot reels — it costs roughly $180 Canadian, including taxes to scan each reel in 4K, so every three months, you will have helped us scan a new reel, and we’ll acknowledge your contribution with an Associate Producer credit on the video that uses the footage from the scanned reel.

And, remember, Patreon memberships are flexible. You can upgrade and downgrade as your needs change, so if you want to get one reel scanned, upgrade to the Richard Glaze Associate Producer tier for three months, and then return to your regular tier.

Whatever you choose to do, whether as a subscribing member or a free member, please know that we greatly appreciate your support for Transit Toronto, and look forward to providing more transit-related content.

• 125 Drewry.

Metrolinx continues building the Ontario Line subway between Exhibition Place / Ontario Place and the area near the former Ontario Science Centre, through downtown Toronto.

In a news release, Metrolinx has announced that, “For the first time in more than 60 years, a new subway will be tunnelled under downtown Toronto.”

Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will work 40 metres under downtown streets for about six kilometres, carving out twin tunnels and connecting six new underground subway stations.

Metrolinx has named the TBMs “Libby” and “Corkie” after Liberty Village and Corktown, the neighbourhoods where the machines start and end their journeys under downtown.

Libby will start tunnelling first, then Corkie, extending from the launch shaft just east of Exhibition Station to west of the Don River.

Libby and Corkie will break through underground station caverns for the future King West, Chinatown, Osgoode, Queen, Moss Park and Distillery District stations.

^ Image, Metrolinx

After it has launched the machines, Metrolinx will convert the launch shaft east of Exhibition Station to a tunnel portal, where Ontario-Line trains will move between above- and below-ground tracks. A similar portal is taking shape in the Don Yard, where Libby and Corkie will finish their journeys.

The downtown area is the first of two tunnelled Ontario Line sections. The second set of tunnels will extend largely under Pape Avenue, from just north of Gerrard Station and ending at the Don Valley at Minton Place (north of Pape and O’Connor Drive). Crews started working last summer on the second tunnel launch shaft for the line near Gerrard Street East and Carlaw Avenue.

Metrolinx says its teams are also making progress with excavating the new downtown subway stations. It has now fully excavated the future King West, Moss Park and Distillery District stations and will complete excavation at the future Chinatown Station “in the near future.”