Toronto island ferry lineups were completely out of control this weekend

Another weekend of painfully long waits for Toronto Island ferries has locals clamouring for a new bridge — something City officials are already considering amid an unprecedentedly bad summer of huge lines and limited capacity.

Island-goers endured particularly brutal lineups on Saturday, a day of perfect weather that had throngs of visitors flocking to the islands.

A viral photo captured that day shows a line snaking out of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, and around the block on Queens Quay, triggering renewed calls for a bridge.

This is the current lineup to get on a ferry to the Toronto Islands. It extends out of the ferry terminal and around the block.

It's time to build the bridge! pic.twitter.com/Z9BdfAxJW0

— April Engelberg (@AprilEngelberg) July 20, 2024

The post from former mayoral candidate April Engelberg (who ran on a platform of building a bridge to the islands) generated significant attention over the weekend. It's just the latest in a string of similar viral photos and videos that have underscored a lack of ferry capacity and resulted in high-profile calls for a fixed pedestrian/cycling connection.

In June, councillor Jon Burnside put forth a motion asking the City to seriously consider a viaduct as a new option to better move crowds to and from the popular attraction, which was later greenlit by council.

The move from Burnside came after public sentiment seemed to reach a boiling point following the City advising residents to "choose another day to visit" due to a lack of capacity.

Toronto to finally consider a bridge to the islands after years of ferry headaches https://t.co/Z7cytk7zK5

— blogTO (@blogTO) June 24, 2024

Even on summer weekends where the City isn't actively warning the public to stay away, there's a general expectation that a visit to the islands will involve overcrowded chaos at the ferry terminal, lineups to return to the mainland, and on the boats themselves.

The lineups for the ferry to Toronto Islands are already chaotic. Are you planning on visiting Toronto Island this year? https://t.co/rPMpEBvp8g pic.twitter.com/kk8XPf46ga

— blogTO (@blogTO) May 29, 2024

However, Burnside's motion is only the latest in a series of proposed designs and promises from political candidates in past years that remain unrealized.

While there is no bridge just yet, there is indeed a fixed-link connection to the Toronto Islands. A pedestrian tunnel connecting to Billy Bishop Airport opened in 2015, though this connection does not provide access to the rest of the islands.