TTC says Scarborough busway work being accelerated, will open next September

Mayor Olivia Chow announced a new Scarborough busway to replace the old SRT line, with opening planned for September 2026.

The TTC says work on a bus corridor in the path of the former Scarborough RT is being accelerated and the busway will open in about 10 months in September 2026.

“Buses won’t sit in traffic, and they’ll move faster,” Mayor Olivia Chow said at a news conference in Scarborough Friday. “A trip from Scarborough Centre Station to Kennedy Station will take 15 minutes only, saving riders valuable time each day.”

Currently, buses are operating in both mixed traffic and dedicated bus lanes to replace the transit service the RT used to provide, making the same trip in about 22 minutes.

TTC CEO Mandeep Lali said the work is being sped up by modifying shift times and ordering materials ahead of time. Chow said there were also takeaways from the sped-up work on the Gardiner Expressway that helped the city move faster.

The ageing Scarborough RT was finally taken out of commission after it derailed in the summer of 2023, sending five people to hospital.

The $97 million busway is intended to be an interim measure to speed up transit in Scarborough until the Scarborough Subway Extension, from Kennedy to Sheppard stations, is complete in 2030.

Coun. Michael Thompson told reporters that the busway could possibly remain in service to provide better transit for the growing community, even after the subway opens.

“There are neighborhoods now that will actually have easier access to transit, whereas even with the subway, it would still be problematic and difficult for them,” Thompson said. “I don’t see that we’re going to mothball $100 million and simply say that’s the end of it.

“We have many industries, many businesses and factories along this roadway where people actually come to work. It’s much more convenient and much easier for them with respect to bus by coming through.”

Chow said the buses will “probably” keep running after the subway opens, but the exact route is not yet clear.

The Scarborough busway will follow the same general route as the former RT line, the TTC says. It will begin at Kennedy Station, making stops at Tara Ave./Mooregate Ave., Lawrence East Station, and Ellesmere Station. Buses will then use Ellesmere Road’s priority bus lanes to connect to Scarborough Town Centre.

Back in 2023, staff had estimated the busway could be completed by 2026, “at the earliest” thought that estimate was later revised to 2027 once the project was approved.