The TTC and the City of Toronto are opening the Scarborough Busway tomorrow, Wednesday, September 30, more than six months ahead of the originally projected date, “bringing faster, more reliable transit” to passengers.
The TTC has been testing the busway since early September to identify and correct any issues before service along the bus-only corridor begins. Buses serving many TTC routes will use the busway, offering frequent express service to accommodate the significant passenger demand that Line 3 Scarborough trains previously provided.
The TTC and City originally planned to complete the project in 2027. The busway features dedicated lanes and corridors to bypass regular traffic congestion. It replaces service along the TTC’s former Line 3 Scarborough. The transit agency ended service along Line 3 in 2023.
Since November 2023, the TTC has been operating an interim bus-replacement service with full transit priority measures — southbound along Midand Avenue and northbound along Kennedy Road — after the transit agency closed Line 3.
Starting September 30, buses will operate over about four kilometres of the former Line 3 right-of-way.
Southbound buses that operate along the busway leave Scarborough Centre Station bus terminal:
westward along Triton Road;
southward along Brimley Road; and then
westward along bus-only lanes on Ellesmere Road.
The buses then enter service roads into the former Line 3 Scarborough’s Ellesmere Station, then proceed southwards toward Kennedy Station. They stop in the former Line 3 Lawrence East Station and at a new stop at Mooregate Avenue / Tara Avenue before reaching Kennedy.
Northbound buses reverse the southbound path.
Buses that operate along the entire busway include:
- 38 Highland Creek;
- 129 McCowan North;
- 131 Nugget;
- 133 Neilson;
- 903 Kennedy Stn - Scarborough express;
- 904 Sheppard - Kennedy express;
- 938 Highland Creek express; and
- 939 Finch express.
^ Map of local routes along the Scarborough Busway. Image: TTC via Steve Munro.
^ Map of express routes along the Scarborough Busway. Image: TTC via Steve Munro.
Buses along this route also operate along the busway, but only south of Lawrence East Station:
- 154 Curran Hall.
Buses along these routes divert from their regular path to connect with the busway at Lawrence East Station:
^ Map of platform layout at Lawrence East Station. Image: TTC via Steve Munro.
The new bus corridor provides transit riders with faster travel options while Metrolinx works to extend Line 2 Bloor - Danforth to Sheppard Avenue East and McCowan Road. The TTC and City expect that trips between Scarborough Centre and Kennedy stations will only require 15 minutes — seven minutes less than current trips.
The former Line 3 station buildings remain closed to passengers.
Last December, the TTC and City announced that they were speeding up construction of the new roadway.
Early plans for what would eventually become Line 3 Scarborough included a stop at Tara and Mooregate avenues.
^ Possible alignments initially proposed for Scarborough RT line. Map by Frank P. Teskey; originally appeared in the Toronto Star, Wednesday, January 29, 1975.
From the Transit Toronto archives: “The Rise and Fall of the Scarborough RT,” by James Bow (reviewed by Steve Munro), here.
154 Curran Hall
Starting Wednesday, September 30, westbound buses operate along their usual path to Lawrence Avenue East and Midland Avenue, then proceed:
westward along Lawrence East;
north- and eastward along the Lawrence East Station service road (west of the station); and then
southward along the Scarborough Busway through Lawrence East and Tara stations to Kennedy Station,
ending their trips.Westbound buses skip their usual stop
- on Midland Avenue beyond Lawrence Avenue East.
Eastbound buses reverse the southbound path.
Eastbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Eglinton Avenue East at Kennedy Road and
- on Kennedy Road at Lawrence Avenue East.
939A / 939B Finch express
Starting Wednesday, September 30, westbound buses start their trips in Kennedy Station bus terminal, as usually, then proceed:
northward along the Scarborough Busway through Tara, Lawrence East and Ellesmere stations; and then
west- and northward along the Ellesmere Station service road to Ellesmere Road,
resuming their usual path eastward along Ellesmere.Westbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Kennedy Road beyond Lawrence Avenue East and at Ellesmere Road.
Eastbound buses reverse the eastbound path.
Eastbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Midland Avenue beyond Ellesmere Road and Lawrence Avenue East.
38 Highland Creek
938 Highland Creek express
Starting Wednesday, September 30, westbound buses operate along their usual path to Ellesmere Road and Midland Avenue, then proceed:
westward along Ellesmere;
north- and eastward along the Ellesmere Station service road (west of the station); and then
southward along the Scarborough Busway through Lawrence East and Tara stations to Kennedy Station,
ending their trips.Westbound buses skip their usual stop
- on Midland Avenue beyond Lawrence Avenue East.
Eastbound buses reverse the southbound path.
Eastbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Eglinton Avenue East at Kennedy Road and
- on Kennedy Road at Lawrence Avenue East.
903A / 903B Kennedy Stn - Scarborough express
Starting Wednesday, September 30, southbound buses operate along their usual path to Ellesmere Road and Midland Avenue, then proceed:
westward along Ellesmere;
north- and eastward along the Ellesmere Station service road (west of the station); and then
southward along the Scarborough Busway through Lawrence East and Tara stations to Kennedy Station,
ending their trips.Southbound buses skip their usual stop
- on Midland Avenue beyond Lawrence Avenue East.
Northbound buses reverse the southbound path.
Northbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Eglinton Avenue East at Kennedy Road and
- on Kennedy Road at Lawrence Avenue East.
54A / 54B Lawrence East
954 Lawrence East express
Starting Wednesday, September 30, westbound buses operate along their regular path to Lawrence Avenue East at the Lawrence East Station service road west of the station, then proceed:
north- and eastward along the north service road;
through the Lawrence East Station bus terminal; and then
west-** and northward along the south service road to Lawrence Avenue East,
resuming their regular path westward along Lawrence East.Westbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at a new stop
- in Lawrence East Station bus terminal.
Eastbound buses reverse the westbound path.
Westbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at a new stop
- in Lawrence East Station bus terminal.
129A / 129C McCowan North
133 Neilson
Starting Wednesday, September 30, southbound buses operate along their usual path to Ellesmere Road and Midland Avenue, then proceed:
westward along Ellesmere;
north- and eastward along the Ellesmere Station service road (west of the station); and then
southward along the Scarborough Busway through Lawrence East and Tara stations to Kennedy Station,
ending their trips.Southbound buses skip their usual stop
- on Midland Avenue beyond Lawrence Avenue East.
Northbound buses reverse the southbound path.
Northbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Eglinton Avenue East at Kennedy Road and
- on Kennedy Road at Lawrence Avenue East.
131 Nugget
Starting Wednesday, September 30, westbound buses operate along their usual path to Ellesmere Road and Midland Avenue, then proceed:
westward along Ellesmere;
north- and eastward along the Ellesmere Station service road (west of the station); and then
southward along the Scarborough Busway through Lawrence East and Tara stations to Kennedy Station,
ending their trips.Westbound buses skip their usual stop
- on Midland Avenue beyond Lawrence Avenue East.
Eastbound buses reverse the southbound path.
Eastbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Eglinton Avenue East at Kennedy Road and
- on Kennedy Road at Lawrence Avenue East.
904 Sheppard - Kennedy express
Starting Wednesday, September 30, westbound buses start their trips in Kennedy Station bus terminal, as usually, then proceed:
northward along the Scarborough Busway through Tara, Lawrence East and Ellesmere stations; and then
west- and northward along the Ellesmere Station service road to Ellesmere Road,
resuming their usual path eastward along Ellesmere.Westbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Kennedy Road beyond Lawrence Avenue East and at Ellesmere Road.
Eastbound buses reverse the eastbound path.
Eastbound buses skip their usual stops
- on Midland Avenue beyond Ellesmere Road and Lawrence Avenue East.
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