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TTC upgrading overhead wiring on King West and Roncesvalles, starting February 12



Update — Sunday, March 26, 3:57 p.m.: Starting Sunday, March 26, the work zone for the overhead-wiring project is east of Bathurst Street. The TTC is revising its detour routes.


The TTC is upgrading the overhead wiring to allow streetcars to operate with pantographs along the entire route. Pantographs are the Z-shaped structures on the top of the Toronto Flexity cars that deliver power from the wires to the streetcars. According to the TTC, operating the cars with pantographs, instead of trolley poles, benefits the transit agency and its passengers by providing:

  • more efficient heating and air conditioning systems;
  • better vehicle performance; and
  • fewer instances of disconnecting from overhead wire, delaying the cars.

Starting Sunday, February 12, the work zone for the project includes:

  • King Street West between The Queensway / Queen Street West and Bathurst Street; and
  • Roncesvalles Avenue between Howard Park Avenue and The Queensway / Queen Street West.

The TTC is already detouring streetcars along this route:

Shuttle buses already replace the cars west of Bathurst Street.

2023 -02-03 - 504 King cars thru King - University after emergency water-main repairs.jpg


The TTC continues to detour the cars due to the ongoing TTC / City of Toronto project to upgrade streetcar and other infrastructure at the intersection of Queen Street West / King Street West / The Queensway / Roncesvalles Avenue. It also is detouring the cars due to emergency sewer repairs on Dufferin Street south of Liberty Street.


504A / 504B King

The TTC continues to split service along the route into two branches:


504A branch

Starting Friday, February 3, eastbound cars start their trips in Exhibition Loop, then proceed:

eastward along Manitoba Drive and Fleet Street; and then
northward along Bathurst Street to King Street West,
resuming their regular path eastward along King West.

Eastbound cars skip their previous stops

  • in Dufferin Gate Loop,
  • on Dufferin Street at Liberty Street and King Street West,
  • on King Street West across from Joe Shuster Way, at Atlantic Avenue, Douro and Shaw streets, Strachan Avenue and Niagara and Tecumseth streets.

Instead, eastbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • in Exhibition Loop,
  • on Manitoba Drive at Strachan Avenue,
  • on Fleet Street beyond Fort York Boulevard, across from Bastion Street and at Bathurst Street and
  • on Bathurst Street at Fort York Boulevard, Niagara Street and King Street West.

Shuttle buses replace the cars west of Bathurst Street.

Westbound cars reverse the eastbound detour routing.

Westbound cars skip their previous stops

  • on King Street West at Tecumseth and Niagara streets, Strachan Avenue, Shaw and Sudbury streets, across from Jefferson Avenue and at Joe Shuster Way and Dufferin Street,
  • on Dufferin Street across from Liberty Street and at Springhurst Avenue and
  • in Dufferin Gate Loop.

Instead, westbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on Bathurst Street at Niagara Street and Fort York Boulevard,
  • on Fleet Street beyond Bathurst and Bastion streets and Fort York Boulevard,
  • on Manitoba Drive beyond Strachan Avenue and
  • in Exhibition Loop.

Shuttle buses replace the cars west of Bathurst Street. Westbound streetcar passengers may board westbound buses at stops on King Street West between University Avenue and Bathurst.

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504B branch

Starting Friday, February 3, eastbound cars start their trips in Wolseley Loop (on the east side of Bathurst Street north of Queen Street West), then proceed:

southward along Bathurst to King Street West,
resuming their regular path eastward along King West.

Eastbound cars skip their previous stops

  • in Dufferin Gate Loop,
  • on Dufferin Street at Liberty Street and King Street West,
  • on King Street West across from Joe Shuster Way, at Atlantic Avenue, Douro and Shaw streets, Strachan Avenue and Niagara and Tecumseth streets.

Instead, eastbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • in Wolseley Loop and
  • on Bathurst Street at Queen and King streets west.

Shuttle buses replace the cars west of Bathurst Street.

Westbound cars reverse the eastbound detour routing.

Westbound cars skip their previous stops

  • on King Street West at Tecumseth and Niagara streets, Strachan Avenue, Shaw and Sudbury streets, across from Jefferson Avenue and at Joe Shuster Way and Dufferin Street,
  • on Dufferin Street across from Liberty Street and at Springhurst Avenue and
  • in Dufferin Gate Loop.

Instead, westbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on Bathurst Street at Queen Street West and
  • in Wolseley Loop.

Shuttle buses replace the cars west of Bathurst Street. Westbound streetcar passengers may board westbound buses at stops on King Street West between University Avenue and Bathurst.

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504C King shuttle buses

The TTC continues to operate shuttle buses to replace streetcars along the 504 King route due to ongoing construction at the intersection of Queen Street West / King Street West / The Queensway / Roncesvalles Avenue.

Starting Friday, February 3, eastbound buses operate along the regular path for route 504 to Roncesvalles and Howard Park avenues, then detour:

westward along Howard Park;
southward along Parkside Drive;
westward along Lake Shore Boulevard West;
northward along Colborne Lodge Drive;
eastward along The Queensway to Roncesvalles Avenue / King Street West,
resuming their regular path eastward along King West.

Eastbound buses skip regular path 504 stops

  • on Roncesvalles Avenue beyond Howard Park Avenue, at Grenadier Road, beyond High Park Boulevard, at Galley Avenue, beyond Marion Street and at The Queensway.

Instead, eastbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on Howard Park Avenue at Indian Road and Parkside Drive,
  • on Parkside Drive across from Geoffrey Street, at High Park Boulevard, across from Garden Avenue and at The Queensway,
  • on The Queensway beyond Colborne Lodge and Parkside drives, across from Glendale Avenue and at King Street West.

Eastbound buses continue along the regular path for route 504 to King Street East and Church Street, then proceed:

southward along Church to Wellington Street East,
ending their trips.

Eastbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on King Street East beyond Yonge Street.

Eastbound bus passengers may transfer to eastbound streetcars at stops on King streets west and east between Bathurst and Church streets.

Westbound buses start their trips on Church Street at Wellington Street East, then proceed:

westward along Wellington East and West; and then
northward along York Street to King Street West,
resuming their regular path westward along King West.

Westbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops

  • on King Street West beyond University Avenue, John and Peter streets and Spadina Avenue and at Portland and Bathurst streets.

Westbound buses continue along their regular path to King Street West and The Queensway / Queen Street West, then detour:

westward along The Queensway;
southward along Colborne Lodge Drive;
eastward along Lake Shore Boulevard West;
northward along Parkside Drive; and then
eastward along Howard Park Avenue to Roncesvalles Avenue,
resuming their regular path northward along Roncesvalles.

Westbound buses skip regular path 504 stops

  • on Roncesvalles Avenue beyond Queen Street West and Marion Street and at Garden and Fermanagh Avenues and Grenadier Road.

Instead, westbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on The Queensway at Glendale Avenue and beyond Parkside Drive,
  • on Parkside Drive at The Queensway, Algonquin Avenue, High Park Boulevard, Geoffrey Street and Howard Park Avenue and
  • on Howard Park Avenue beyond Parkside Drive and at Indian Road.

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