Toronto was buzzing this past weekend amid a last blast of summer weather, which unfortunately coincided with several overlapping road and transit closures that made for particularly unpleasant travel conditions on the TTC.

Transit users took to social media over the weekend to voice their frustrations about a perceived lack of TTC service relative to the high demands of a warm, sunny weekend.

The 505 when the timetable looking like this pic.twitter.com/Iv6Supk9RS

— Justin 🚄🎵🔋🌈 (@not_taylorx) September 30, 2023

Photos of commuters attempting to pack their way onto sardine-can-like streetcars have stirred up (more) anger directed at the TTC.

It’s so weird seeing crowding like this at times when there’s zero good reason for it

According to basically every single TTC and city transit policy, pics like this shouldn’t even be possible. But yet we see it every day in Toronto! https://t.co/fBONmbgBAy

— Chris Livett (@Chris_Livett) October 1, 2023

Almost every TTC rider has experienced some level of bunching, where frustrated passengers will wait at a stop for long stretches only to encounter a procession of closely spaced streetcars/buses.

Multiple X users reported issues on the 505 Dundas route on Saturday and Sunday.

Maybe I’ve been unfair to Rick Leary. After all, his organization can organize a parade. pic.twitter.com/aFG9QOborp

— Sean “Mr. X” Marshall (@Sean_YYZ) October 1, 2023

One commenter argues that the blame doesn't fall squarely on the TTC, stating that "Cities own the roads and the traffic lights. Cities have the powers to change how road space is used, how priority is managed, not transit agencies."

However, transit blogger Steve Munro called out this argument as a "BS excuse" in a reply.

This is a BS excuse used by the TTC who are chronically unwilling to manage their service. Bunching occurs at times and in areas where there is no competing traffic.

— Steve Munro (@SwanBoatSteve) October 1, 2023

Munro backed up his claim that traffic signal priority would be of little help to the TTC with a detailed graph shared via X on Monday morning.

In the continuing saga of TTC bus service quality, here is the service chart from @transsee for Sunday, October 1, 2023. This is a weekend day. There is no evidence of traffic congestion. Buses routinely run in twos or worse over entire trips. TSP would *not* fix this. pic.twitter.com/SB6WJiyz3d

— Steve Munro (@SwanBoatSteve) October 2, 2023

While the public is not accepting excuses at face value, the TTC did indeed have multiple closures planned for the weekend that were publicized well in advance.

The most notable was a full weekend closure along a section of the Line 1 Yonge-University subway spanning between St. Clair West and Sheppard West.

Bunching noted on Dundas occurred amid a diversion of the 505 route, where streetcar service was halted on Queen St. E. between Broadview and the Neville Park Loop.

The latest round of complaints about inadequate public transportation service in Toronto comes just days after Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster stated that the transit agency was still unable to offer a timeline for the opening of the long-overdue Eglinton Crosstown LRT.