Toronto Mayor John Tory and TTC Chair Josh Colle, highlighted five new and revised express bus routes across the city that launched March 28 making it easier and quicker for customers to get to where they need to go.
Funding for the five routes - 188 Kipling South Rocket, 185 Don Mills Rocket, 186 Wilson Rocket, 199 Finch Rocket and 24E Victoria Park Express - is part of the unprecedented $95-million investment in public transit made by Toronto Council last year. These routes are the first to be introduced as a result of the TTC's Express Bus Network Study. A long-term plan for additional express routes will be presented to the TTC Board in June.
The new regular-fare express services are part of a suite of service improvements that have been approved by the TTC Board, which also includes 10-minutes-or-better frequency, all-door-boarding on streetcars, additional subway trains in the rush hours and restoration of all-day-every-day service cut in 2011. This batch of service improvements is benefiting more than 14 million riders annually.
"Getting around the city remains the number one priority for Torontonians. That's why in my first budget as Mayor, we made the single largest investment in transit in recent memory," said Mayor John Tory. "Today we are seeing real results from this investment which will make it easier for the people of Toronto to get to work and home to their families."
"The five new and enhanced express bus routes starting this week will offer TTC customers a faster and more direct route to their destinations," said TTC Chair Josh Colle. "These service improvements are the beginning of a longer-term plan for a robust express bus network throughout the city."
"It's important that people are able to get where they need to go quickly and easily," said Councillor Mark Grimes, Ward 6, Etobicoke-Lakeshore. "I want to thank the staff at Humber College for working with me, and the TTC for listening to our needs here in Etobicoke. The 188 Kipling South Rocket will significantly improve the commute for the residents of Etobicoke-Lakeshore, including thousands of Humber College students who rely on the TTC."
