City
What's the worst TTC surface route in Toronto?
Everyone knows the Dufferin bus has a reputation as one of the worst transit routes in Toronto. In terms of reliability and overcrowding, long periods of drought are often followed by deluges of jam-packed vehicles filled with pure misery and disappointment. There's surely no more spirit crushing activity in the city than waiting in the cold for a packed bus only to be repeatedly left on the sidewalk.
In a recent Grid article, the TTC's Brad Ross blamed the size of the route, the changing nature of Dufferin Street along its length, construction, bad weather, and the road surface for the generally dismal riding conditions.
Dufferin isn't even the busiest bus route - that prize goes to the 32 Eglinton West route, followed by the 35 Jane, and 36 and 39 Finch buses, according to the 2012 ridership figures. It's not buses that see large amounts or riders (which should be a good thing). The King streetcar is the daddy of all surface transit routes with a whopping 57,300 passengers on an average weekday, which is 440 times as much as the 99 Arrrow Rd, the quietest route of all.
Back in 2011, we took a look at the Finch West route and discussed several proposed options to improve service (bendy buses and dedicated lanes). Back then, the Dufferin bus was the busiest bus route, possibly indicating the ridership has suffered due to the poor conditions. The Finch bus on the other hand has continued to add new riders.
Local transit guru Steve Munro has a great in-depth look at the Dufferin bus' woes for those interested in examining the nitty-gritty of observed headways on the route. For the rest of us, we asked after what you felt was the worst surface route on the TTC. The responses were as follows. Add your two-cents (or tokens) below and maybe suggest a solution. Are dedicated lanes the only way to go?
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Image: djp3000/blogTO Flickr pool.
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Hello at the TTC it's 2013, evening rush "hour" doesn't end at 6 anymore and with your help it is getting pushed back later and later!
From personal experience it takes an hour to go 6km from Dufferin to River Street in the early evening, post-rush hour. Google says you can walk that in 1hr 15 minutes.
However being short-turned every morning by a bus that is supposed to go to steeles is the worst thing in the world. The leslie 51 bus is one of the most unreliable busses I have ever traversed. The thing says it goes to steeles, but only 1 in 15 busses actually does. The TTC pit bosses just arbitrarily turn the fucker around whenever they feel like.
The TTC is horrible.
Why doesn't the TTC run more streetcars during the morning rush? Why, Byford, why?
you most be one of the hipsters that really likes to use the word "Troll" because everyone else does ...not very original, but you are very very hip
The Dufferin route is by far the worst.
Why won't they use an elongated streetcar during rush hour?!?
It is one of the worst rush hour commutes and an everyday reality for me...
Outside of rush hour, the wait times are 30+ minutes.
The 504 is the worst.
Even when the construction was not here, the line up at Union Station platform for the 509 and Spadina Car is just ludicrous! Again, to keep my sanity I again would just walk. The shoving and pushing, people budding in...a real slice of life experience I choose not to encounter.
Let's face it, TTC just gets you close to where you need to go, you need to leave and/or give yourself two hours to get anywhere. Short turns, full buses, full streetcars are the norm on any route, be it rush hour or not.
I still have hope for TTC, but I would rather invest in a good pair of walking shoes than invest in a TTC pass.
The road conditions are also part of the problem, lot's of bumps due to potholes and broken pavement. It makes the ride pretty horrid at the best of times :/
I do wonder how much quicker transit would be if: passengers considered moving to the back straight away instead of shuffling down at snails pace at each stop? If passengers didn't stop at the first pole and block the way of the rest of the passengers boarding? If passengers didn't stand in front of the doors when others are trying to exit?
Not saying that passengers are the whole problem, but we are part of it and we are part of the solution too.
95 York Mills/122 Graydon Hall. Trying to get home from the subway means passing three major junior high/high schools before hitting Leslie. Good luck getting off after that.
Not so with the buses. At their end run, they go "out of service" and have no passengers on their way to the garage.
THE BEST= 510 Spadina :)