New express buses to bring 'significant' TTC service improvements

The Toronto Transit Commission is rolling out its new fleet of express buses starting this weekend, and they can't come fast enough for some riders.

There will be six new express bus routes in mainly suburban areas under-served by subways or streetcars and 20 other routes will be enhanced and re-numbered.

"This weekend we're rolling out the first of two phases of pretty significant service improvements for the TTC," said Stuart Green, senior communications specialist.

"Surface routes will be getting extra service andextra capacity in rush hour and that's really to alleviate some of that congestion people feel in the morning and in the afternoon."

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If youare wondering which routes the new express buses will be on just look for the number 9 in front of the old route number.

"There will be six new express bus routes and they'll all be a 900 service. On the existing express routes like a 24 or a 67 those are all going to be re-numbered," said Green.

For example, the 84E, Sheppard West Express bus will now be the 984.

The express routes will be shown as green lines on route maps, and on poles you'll see a green route number identifying an express bus stop.

So how much will it speed up your trip?

"It depends on the length of your trip," said Green. "It could save you anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes or if it's a shorter trip maybe it's only five minutes. But by stopping only at major intersections on those routes it will make a difference."

TTC rider Patrick Gooden estimates his commute time is anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half, so that time saved will be noticeable for him.

"My office is out in Richmond Hill, so sometimes I travel in rush hour,so that's definitely going tohelp me," said Gooden.

"Look, any improvements that's going to improve the efficiency of people getting to where they need to get to ... yeah, I'm all for that."

But the express bus changes aren't happening fast enough for some.

Lee Douglas rides the Dufferin 29 a routethatroughly 43,000 people ride every weekday.

He says it's almost always jam-packed even on off hours.

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"Depending on the time of day. But at this time of day,if one bus comes there's usually another one right behind it. Sometimes there's two," said Douglas.

But the new 929 Dufferin Express bus won't be up and running until October 7.

Still Douglas is optimistic it will make a difference.

"Now all they got todo is get the subway to run better," he said.

The new express routes are part of a 10-point plan announced back in February and funded through the additional $3 million earmarkedby city council to help address overcrowding.

The transit agency says the improvements are necessary as record numbers of people are taking Line 1 on the subway, with up to30,000 passengers per hour going south from Bloor-Yonge, and a number of bus routes are exceeding the TTC's crowding standard by30 per cent.

The improvements will require $5 million in operating costs in 2018, the TTC says, and $15.5 million in 2019.