TTC to boost bus, streetcar, subway service on Sept. 1. Here is a closer look at the changes

The Toronto Transit Commission is increasing service on its bus, subway and streetcar networks starting Sept. 1 to encourage more people in the city to return to public transit following a significant ridership drop during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday alongside TTC CEO Rick Leary.

The TTC says that the changes will restore total service hours to 97 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Service levels were previously at only 91 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

“Congestion in Toronto is a real problem and I'm appealing to those that are considering if they have a choice to take public transit, I want you to choose TTC, the better way,” Chow told reporters at the news conference.

“As some of you have done before the pandemic, we want you back. That's why we are encouraging you by giving you more frequent bus and subway services.”

At one point during the COVID-19 pandemic TTC ridership fell to just 15 per cent of 2019 levels. It has gradually recovered in recent years but is still only at 80 to 85 per cent of where it was in 2019, according to the TTC.

Chow said the service changes will start as the new school year begins and more people return to in-office work. She said that customers on 16 bus routes will have more room on board and/or shorter wait times, while 23 routes will see improved service reliability.

The city is also adding six new and revised routes to “improve customer wayfinding, and better connect key employment, education, and retail areas in northeast Scarborough, east Scarborough, and south Etobicoke.”

The routes will include a new 154 Curran Hall, 185 Sheppard Central, and 904 Sheppard-Kennedy Express, as well as revisions to the 54 Lawrence East, 80 Queensway, and 85 Sheppard-West.

The TTC said it also plans to restore more than 100 extra scheduled bus trips and make route adjustments to facilitate students boarding at multiple locations surrounding schools. The public transit system will also launch a year-long pilot program for free transit for Grade 7-12 student field trips in partnership with the Toronto public, Catholic, and French school boards.

Chow told reporters on Tuesday that subway service on Line 1 Yonge-University will be increased as well starting Sept. 1 in order to address crowding and shorten waits at the busiest times.

Trains will arrive every two-to-three minutes during weekday morning and afternoon rush hours, and every four-to-five minutes in the early afternoons and evenings between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. The new schedules will shorten wait times by up to approximately one minute, the transit agency said in a news release.

The TTC stated it is also expanding overnight streetcar service with more frequent trips on the 312 St Clair and 306 Carlton routes, as well as introducing a new 303 Kingston Rd overnight service, providing more transit options for customers between 1:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. daily.

The TTC has released a full list of service adjustments on its website.

“I'm incredibly proud of the progress that we've made in rebuilding from the challenges that were posed by the pandemic, and I'm confident that ongoing service improvements and our strategic long term plans will further elevate public transit here in Toronto,” Leary told reporters on Tuesday.

“A safe, reliable and frequent transit is vitally important to the success of our vibrant city, and it's considered in every decision that we make and every discussion that we have.”