Huge TTC service outage throws Toronto morning rush hour into chaos

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It's just another weekday morning in Toronto, as a major outage has temporarily halted service on the TTC's Line 2 Bloor-Danforth, making for a chaotic morning commute for passengers between Victoria Park and St George stations.

Line 2 Bloor-Danforth: No service between Victoria Park and St George while we fix a signal problem. Shuttle buses are on the way.
— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) December 16, 2021

The TTC reported the outage at 7:19 a.m., citing signal problems and assuring commuters that dreaded shuttle bus replacements were on the way.

to Line 2/ Bloor-Danforth, are advised to exit train at St George instead of Yonge. (2/2) https://t.co/6OpRLvqzKs
— TTC Service Alerts (@TTCnotices) December 16, 2021

These shuttle buses, known for their inadequacy in replacing high-capacity subway lines and notoriously cramped conditions, are especially concerning for commuters given the recent spike in COVID cases.

So. Omicron is spiking. What’s the plan on shuttle buses? More buses? Or crowding people together? Crowds are getting longer. No bus in sight.
— The Connectivist (@_Connectivist_) December 16, 2021

And it seems like the TTC was struggling to get enough of these buses on the road fast enough to meet rush-hour demand.

How such a large transit commission takes 40mins to send out a couple of shuttle busses is beyond me. There should literally be 10 in a row 5mins after the service stoppage. No wonder no one pays for this shit service anymore
— Blake (@uhhhsure212) December 16, 2021

The replacement buses filled up quickly, and many people either couldn't fit or just didn't want to assume the crammed close-quarters health risk.

Walked from Greenwood to Pape station and saw only one shuttle bus pass in a 15min time crammed full of people. 🤦‍♀️
— Sam (@justsamantics_) December 16, 2021

Throw in the stress of being late for work or school with the inconvenience and perceived health risks of shuttle buses, and commuters are bound to get a little irritated.

Feels great to be late twice this week thanks to the TTC.
Also great job at helping covid have better chances of spreading when you pack so many people into small buses.
Of course the fare will increase yet again at some point.
— Zeke (@Cryotronixz) December 16, 2021

With tensions high, sometimes things even boil over, and a few reports of fighting have come in this morning.

I was at Vic Park and 2 people starting to fist fight over pushing
— Fern Skully (@JoeCashKOTD) December 16, 2021

With approximately 9.5 kilometres of track out of commission this morning, it's going to take a lot of these shuttle buses to move a large portion of the city.