126 Christie

Until Friday, July 31, southbound buses start their trips in St. Clair West Station bus terminal, as usual, then proceed:

westward along St. Clair Avenue West;
southward along Vaughan Road and Bathurst Street; and then
westward along Davenport Road to Christie Street,
ending their trips.

Northbound buses operate along their regular route to Christie Street and Benson Avenue, then detour:

eastward along Benson; and then
northward along Wychwood Avenue to St. Clair Avenue West,
resuming their regular route eastward along St. Clair West.

Rebuilding the sidewalks along St. Clair Avenue West is part of the large, lengthy ongoing project to build the St. Clair West light rail transit line. You can read more about the project here, here and here.

This detour marks one of the few times that transit vehicles have regularly operated along Wychwood Avenue since the TTC closed its St. Clair Carhouse in 1978. The Transit Toronto archives includes an article by Aaron Adel and James Bow on the history of the carhouse here. (The carhouse now houses the Artscape Wychwood Barns.)

The archives also contain several other articles by James Bow on the history of transit service along St. Clair Avenue West.

• You can read a history of the 512 St. Clair streetcar route here.
• You can read a history of the 511 Bathurst streetcar route, which formerly operated along St. Clair West, here.

Several of James’ articles describe other transit routes that served St. Clair West in the past:

• a history of the former Bay streetcar route here.
• a history of the former 512L Earlscourt streetcar route here.
• a history of the former Rogers Rd streetcar route here.