Many high school students use public transit to get to and from school. They form a significant part of the commuting public during weekday morning rush hours and early in the afternoon rush hours, particularly on local bus routes.

To handle the unique commuting needs of high school students, most GTA transit agencies run buses along unique, “high school special” routes to link neighbourhoods with high schools or operate regular routes with special branches or short turns to high schools. The TTC usually operates the specials as branches of its regular routes, but doesn’t publish much information about these services.

With the end of the regular school term this week, most “high school specials” stop operating for the summer. However, Mississauga Transit will continue some of its specials with new operating hours and introduce new specials to accomodate summer school students.

Summer high school specials from July 5 to August 3

Mississauga Transit

Separate schools — 8:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.: 303 Father Goetz-Square One; 304 Father Goetz-Mississauga Valley; 307 St. Aloysius Gonzaga-Churchill Meadows; 311 John Cabot-Square One; 316 St. Francis Xavier-Square One; 320 Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Meadowvale; 322 St. Aloysius Gonzaga-Glen Erin

Public schools — 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: 321 Port Credit-Hurontario; 323 Meadowvale-Square One; 325 Mississauga-McLaughlin; 326 Woodlands-Square One; 327 Glenforest-Bloor; 328 Glenforest-Burnhamthorpe

Regular high school specials ending this week

Brampton Transit: 81 Mayfield Secondary; 82 Mayfield Secondary; 83 Mayfield Secondary; 84 Mayfield Secondary; 85 St. Thomas Aquinas; 86 St. Augustine; 87 St. Margaret d’Youville; 88 Mayfield Secondary; 89 St. Augustine

Burlington Transit: 78 Aldershot; 79 Rolling Meadows / M.M. Robinson / Notre Dame; 81 Notre Dame; 83 Notre Dame; 85 Aldershot; 86 Rolling Meadows / M.M. Robinson / Notre Dame

Durham Region Transit: Pickering High School – Ajax Shuttle; Pickering High School – Pickering Shuttle; Pine Ridge Shuttle; All Saints Secondary (5 routes); Father Leo J. Austin Secondary (7 routes); Henry Street High School (3 routes); Sinclair Secondary (3 routes); Eastdale Collegiate (2 routes); Monseigneur John Peryma (3 routes); St. Stephen’s High School; Holy Trinity High School; Bowmanville High School; Clarington Central

Mississauga Transit: 301 Philip Pocock-Tomken; 302 Philip Pocock-Bloor; 303 Father Goetz-Square One; 304 Father Goetz-Mississauga Valley; 305 Streetsville Secondary-Falconer; 306 Streetsville Secondary-Square One; 307 Saint Aloysius Gonzaga; 308 Saint Joseph-Eglinton 309 Saint Joseph-Square One; 310 Clarkson Secondary-Winston Churchill; 311 John Cabot-Square One; 312 Gordon Graydon-Square One; 313 John Cabot-Philip Pocock; 314 Rick Hanson-Donway; 315 Rick Hanson-Square One; 316 Saint Francis Xavier; 317 Clarkson-Erindale Secondary; 318 Cawthra Secondary-Square One

Oakville Transit: Abbey Park; Holy Trinity; Loyola; White Oaks Secondary

York Region Transit: 400 Brother Andre via Raymerville; 401 Brother Andre via Bur Oak; 404 Father McGivney via Kennedy / Warden; 409 Markham District via Bur Oak; 413 Saint Robert via Green Lane; 420 Newmarket High School via Savage; 421 Newmarket High School via Stonehaven; 422 Huron Heights High School; 424 Keswick High School via Church; 435 Holland Landing / Huron Heights; 440 Richmond Hill High School 1 / Saint Theresa Catholic High School 1; 441 Richmond Hill High School 2; 442 Bayview High School; 443 Cardinal Carter High School; 444 Langstaff High School 1 and 2; 445 Saint Robert via Valleymede / Spadina; 446 Saint Theresa Catholic High School 2; 448 Richmond Hill High School 3; 449 Richmond Green High School; 460 Holy Cross Academy; 461 Emily Carr Secondary; 462 Maple High School; 463 Vellore

Regular transit routes with branches or short turns to high schools ending this week

Barrie Transit: 31 Essa; 41 Allandale

Durham Region Transit

DRT West (Pickering): 3 Amberlea (Dunbarton, St. Mary’s); 2 Liverpool (Dunbarton, Notre Dame); 2A Village East (Notre Dame) 2A / 12 Village East / Brock (Pine Ridge); 4 Glendale (Dunbarton / St. Mary’s); 5 / 5A West Shore (Dunbarton, St. Mary’s); 6 Bay Ridges (Dunbarton, St. Mary’s, Notre Dame); 7 Rosebank (Dunbarton, St. Mary’s); 12 Brock (St. Mary’s, Pine Ridge, Notre Dame); 14 Maple Ridge (Pine Ridge)

DRT West (Ajax): 17 Shoal Point (Ajax High School, Dennis O’Connor Secondary); 20 Westney (J. Clarke Richardson); 21 Delaney (Notre Dame, Dennis O’Connor Secondary); 22 Audley South (Ajax High School, Dennis O’Connor Secondary); 24 Harwood (Ajax High School, Dennis O’Connor Secondary); 25 Audley North (J. Clarke Richardson, Notre Dame); 26 Duffins (Ajax High School, Dennis O’Connor); 29 Elm (J. Clarke Richardson); 32 Village (Notre Dame); 35 Puckrin (J. Clarke Richardson); 40 Applecroft (Ajax High School, J. Clarke Richardson, Notre Dame, Dennis O’Connor Secondary).

DRT East (Oshawa): 1 Simcoe (Paul Dwyer, O’Neill); 3 Park (Monseigneur John Peryma); 7 Ritson (Monseigneur John Peryma, Paul Dwyer, O’Neill); 8 Stevenson (Paul Dwyer); 9 Thornton (Paul Dwyer, R.S. McLaughlin Collegiate); 10 Olive / Harmony (Paul Dwyer); 11 Grandview (Monseigneur John Peryma); 21 Town Line (Holy Trinity); 915 Taunton (Eastdale Collegiate); 916 Rossland (Paul Dwyer)

DRT East (Clarington): 501 Aspen Springs (St. Stephens, Clarington Central, Bowmanville High School); 502 Liberty (St. Stephens)

York Region Transit: 1 Highway 7 (Markham High School); 2A 14th Avenue (Markham High School, Father McGivney); 9/9A Stouffville (Stouffville District High School); 31 Aurora North (G. W. Williams Secondary); 90 Leslie South (Richmond Green High School); 91 Bayview South (Thornlea Secondary)