TTC begins posting signs to warn riders about Scarborough RT closure this fall

The TTC is putting up posters to inform riders about the closure of the SRT on Nov. 19, 2023. (TTC/ Twitter)

The end is near for the Scarborough RT.

This week, TTC staff were busy plastering SRT station walls with giant posters to inform customers that the rapid transit line would cease operations on November 19.

At that time, on-street replacement buses will run southbound via Midland Avenue and northbound via Kennedy Road between Scarborough Centre and Kennedy stations.

The TTC says the bus replacement plan is expected to deliver “frequent express bus service, with up to 70 buses per hour.”

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said signs informing customers of the change are now up at all stations and further steps will be taken to get the word out, including paid ads, social media posts, train wraps, and multilingual advertising.

“We have a comprehensive campaign rolling out in July,” he said in an email to CP24 on Thursday.

The 6.4 kilometre, six-station SRT opened in 1985 and the TTC says the trains in service are 10 years past their design life. Four of the SRT stations are not accessible and the SRT is frequently impacted by inclement weather, including overheating in the summer and service interruptions in the winter due to snowy and icy conditions.

“To ensure the bus replacement service is safe, reliable, and effective, the TTC alongside the City of Toronto will construct on-street transit priority measures to support the frequent bus replacement service,” information posted on the TTC’s website reads.

“The transit priority measures that have been approved by City Council include: dedicated red-painted bus lanes; transit signal priority; and adjustments to curbs, pavement markings, and turn restrictions at key locations. Construction will begin this summer, and we anticipate it will be completed before the closure of Line 3 this November.”

The TTC is expected to continue design work on a dedicated busway that would operate on the existing SRT Line, a project that could improve travel times for commuters by an estimated 10 minutes. The city is facing a funding shortfall for the $59-million project and some mayoral candidates have said they will not proceed with the busway without financial support from the province. If the project goes ahead, the TTC said operations on the busway could begin “as early as Winter 2025.”

Buses will replace the SRT for at least seven years until service begins on the Scarborough Subway Extension, which is expected to begin operations in 2030 at the earliest.