Toronto's busiest roads could see more bus lanes

Four busy road sections will be added to the plan to help keep Toronto's busiest bus routes running smoothly.

The City Council voted Tuesday to approve the existing surface transit line plan, as well as explore the possibility of adding four more busy sections: East Finch Avenue between Victoria Park Avenue and McCowan Road; Dufferin Street between Wilson Station and Dufferin Gate; Lawrence Avenue East between Victoria Park Avenue and Morningside Avenue; and Steeles Avenue West between Pioneer Village Station and Bathurst Street.

Staff said it would take two to three years of planning and consultation to speed up any route with bus lanes and/or signals.

Mayor Olivia Chow on Tuesday proposed speeding up the design and implementation of a plan for a surface transit network.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, he said the move would be an attractive transit option.

“Nobody wants to be stuck in a traffic jam, whether it's a bus or a car. Rapid TO will help reduce congestion by simplifying transit choices and provide better service and reliability to riders,” Chow said.

According to the city, 70 percent of all TTC trips involve a surface transit trip.

“It (RapidTO) was introduced in 2019. It is now 2024 and nothing has moved,” Chow said. “That's why it's so important that we get riders moving again.”

When the issue was raised in the Executive Committee last week, many MPs came forward to describe their frustration at being stuck on the city's slow buses.

Shelagh Pizey-Allen, executive director of transit advocacy group TTC Riders, said commuters were excited to hear about the plan four years ago, but frustrated by the lengthy consultation. He recalled how volunteers used children's paint to add a bus lane to one busy route to show how easy it would be to make the changes that would change in 2022.

“People have consulted a lot and not seen any action. They have been consulting with them for three years,” Pizey-Allen said.

So far, 20 priority routes have been identified for inclusion in the plan. Surveys have been completed or are underway for Eglinton Avenue East, Jane Street, Steeles Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue.