Update — Wednesday, November 13, 7:08 a.m.: Construction in St Clair West Station terminal has ended. Streetcars along the 512 St Clair route resume service — including into the terminal — starting Thursday, November 14. Buses along the 33 Forest Hill, 90 Vaughan and 126 Christie routes resume service into the terminal Sunday, November 17.
Update — Friday, November 1, 5 p.m.: The TTC is replacing streetcars with buses along the entire path for the 312 St Clair overnight and 512 St Clair routes, starting 11 p.m. Friday, November 1.
Update — Thursday, June 20, 5:17 p.m.: Streetcars resume service along St. Clair Avenue West, Sunday, June 23, 2024.
Update — Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 10:21 p.m.: The TTC has updated passengers about progress in completing the various projects.
As part of the TTC’s plans to maintain a state of good repair and continue to modernize its streetcar system, it is upgrading the streetcar overhead power system and renewing other infrastructure in the terminals at St Clair West and St Clair stations and at several sites on St. Clair Avenue West.
The TTC is also co-ordinating this work with other projects in the area by Metrolinx, the City of Toronto and other agencies.
Starting Sunday, September 3, the TTC is replacing streetcars with buses along this route to accommodate these various construction projects:
- 512 St Clair.
Buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops beside the curb, instead of the mid-road “island” streetcar stops.
The TTC’s also detouring buses that usually start and end their trips in St. Clair West Station terminal:
Buses continue to operate along this route, but they drop off or pick up passengers on the street beside St Clair West Station, instead of in the station terminal:
- 312 St Clair - Junction overnight.
In the west end of the route, the TTC is restoring regular service along this route:
- 47 Lansdowne.
Construction on St. Clair Avenue West and the resulting TTC service changes continue “until mid-2024”, meaning as late as until June 30, 2024.
TTC projects on the St. Clair corridor
St Clair West Station
- Replacing the track in the streetcar loop / bus terminal: Fall 2023 until summer 2024.
- buses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route; buses along the 33 Forest Hill, 90 Vaughan, 126 Christie and 312 St Clair - Junction overnight routes detour.
- Improving fire ventilation and enhancing capacity in Cedarvale Park near the Heath Street West entrance / exit: 2026.
- no impact to streetcar or bus service.
St Clair Station
- Replacing the streetcar off-loading platform: Fall 2023.
- buses along the 512 St Clair route operate to and from the lower bus platform off Pleasant Boulevard.
- minor service changes for buses along the 74 Mt Pleasant and 88 South Leaside routes.
- Relocating utilities: Fall 2023 until winter 2024.
- no impact to streetcar or bus service.
St. Clair Avenue West
- Replacing and upgrading the streetcar overhead wiring: September 2023 until winter 2024.
- between Gunns Loop and Yonge Street.
- at intersections with Bathurst Street, Vaughan Road and Oakwood and Lansdowne avenues.
- buses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route.
- Improving track lubricators.
- Earlscourt and Oakwood loops.
- buses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route.
- Replacing the streetcar tracks.
- at Earlscourt Avenue and Bathurst Street
- buses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route.
- Repairing the concrete.
- at Bathurst Street, Vaughan Road and in Oakwood Loop.
- Bbuses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route.
Other projects on the St. Clair corridor
- Upgrading the railway bridge west of Caledonia Road / Caledonia Park Road (by the City of Toronto): September 2023 until winter 2024.
- buses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route.
- Replacing a sewer valve (by City of Toronto Water): September 2023
- at Greenlaw Avenue.
- crews must excavate part of the streetcar tracks to access the valve.
- buses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route.
- Replacing cable (Toronto Hydro): September 6 until October 2023.
- between Caledonia Road / Caledonia Park Road and Bathurst Street.
- buses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route.
- Rebuilding the rail bridge and building a new GO Transit station (by City of Toronto and Metrolinx): 2024 and 2025.
- west of Old Weston Road.
- buses replace streetcars along the 512 St Clair route.
Bus replacement service and traffic conditions
- CafeTO patios remain in place until the end of the 2023 CafeTO season in mid-October.
- Access to paid parking lots along St. Clair Avenue remains available.
- TTC is co-ordinating with City of Toronto Transportation Services and the Toronto Parking Authority to remove parking in pinch points on the street after the outdoor dining season has ended and restaurants have removed CafeTO infrastructure.
- The City is modifying signals to improve transit and traffic flow.
- It will specifically update signals at two pinch points — between Vaughan Road and Bathurst and between Keele and Old Weston Road — to allow buses to operate in the right-of-way, where there are no centre poles. Once TTC crews have upgraded the overhead in these sections, the signal work can proceed.
- The City has also set up 30-metre “no-standing zones” at all 512 St Clair bus stops to allow buses to drop off or pick up passengers in the curb lanes while traffic flows past in the left lanes.
- The TTC completed an operational test to examine whether buses could safely operate in the streetcar right-of-way (tracks) during construction. The test showed that the narrow lane width, overhead poles and raised curb heights do not permit safe bus service.
What to expect during construction
- Crews mostly work from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. Occasionally, they may work overnight and weekends for worker and passenger safety.
- Expect some noise, dust and vibration resulting from the work, especially in stations.
- Crews work on the streetcar right of way and the sidewalks to upgrade streetcar infrastructure.
- Crews work near streetcar infrastructure to upgrade to overhead power supply, near loops, poles, pits and substations.
- Crews start relocating utilities in St Clair station as early as September 2023. This work is limited to the concourse level and will not impact transit service. However, hoarding within the station will result in reduced width of the passenger flow corridor. Appropriate signage will be in place.
- Crews are also renewing the track and other streetcar infrastructure at St.Clair West Station and upgrading other streetcar operations infrastructure in fall 2023.
- Expect more traffic while buses replace streetcars, because the buses are travelling in mixed traffic.
- The City will temporarily remove or relocate taxi stands and some bike parking near bus stops.
126 Christie
From Sunday, September 3 until Sunday, June 30, 2024, buses start and end their trips on St. Clair Avenue West beside St Clair West Station, instead of in the station terminal.
Southbound buses pick up passengers on the north side of St. Clair West beside the station entrance / exit.
Northbound buses drop off passengers on the south side of St. Clair beside the station entrance / exit.
While St Clair West Station terminal is closed, the TTC is interlining buses along route 33 with buses along the 126 Christie route.
33 Forest Hill
From Sunday, September 3 until Sunday, June 30, 2024, buses start and end their trips on St. Clair Avenue West beside St Clair West Station, instead of in the station terminal.
Southbound buses drop off passengers on the north side of St. Clair West beside the station entrance / exit.
Northbound buses pick up passengers on the south side of St. Clair beside the station entrance / exit.
While St Clair West Station terminal is closed, the TTC is interlining buses along route 33 with buses along the 126 Christie route.
47A Lansdowne
The City of Toronto is resuming its project to rehabilitate St. Clair Avenue West under the Metrolinx bridge west of Caledonia Road / Caledonia Park Road. (The bridge carries GO Transit trains along the Barrie line across the roadway.)
Since the TTC is replacing streetcars with along the entire 512 St Clair, it no longer has to extend the path for rote 47A buses along St. Clair West under the bridge to and from Gunns Loop.
Starting Sunday, September 3, buses resume their regular path, operating to and from Earlscourt Loop on the southwest corner of St. Clair and Lansdowne Avenue.
Southbound buses no longer drop off or pick up passengers at stops
- in Gunns Loop and
- on St. Clair Avenue West at Keele Street, Old Weston Road, Hounslow Heath Road and Laughton Avenue and beyond Caledonia Park Road.
Instead, southbound buses again pick up passengers at a stop
- in Earlscourt Loop.
Northbound buses buses no longer drop off or pick up passengers at stops
- on St. Clair Avenue West beyond Lansdowne Avenue, at Caledonia Road, across from Laughton Avenue and at Silverthorn Avenue and Old Weston Road and
- in Gunns Loop.
Instead, northbound buses again pick up passengers at a stop
- in Earlscourt Loop.
Buses along the 47B and 47C (“via Caledonia”) branches of the route continue to operate along their regular paths north of St. Clair Avenue West.
512 St Clair
From Sunday, September 3 until Sunday, June 30, 2024, buses replace streetcars along the route.
Buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops on the street, instead of the centre-road “island” streetcar stops.
Buses don’t enter St Clair West Station terminal. Instead the drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops on both sides of the street near the station entrance / exit.
312 St Clair - Junction overnight
From Labour Day, Monday, September 4 until Sunday, June 30, 2024, buses operate along their regular path, except they skip their stop in St Clair West Station terminal. Instead, buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops on St. Clair Avenue West beside the station.
90 Vaughan
From Sunday, September 3 until Sunday, June 30, 2024, southbound buses operate along their regular path to Vaughan Road and St. Clair Avenue West, then detour:
southeastward along Vaughan;
southward along Bathurst Street; and then
eastward into Bathurst Station terminal,
ending their trips.Southbound buses skip their regular stops
- on St. Clair Avenue West at Bathurst Street and
- in St Clair West Station terminal.
Instead, southbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- on Vaughan Road at St. Clair Avenue West,
- on Bathurst Street at Alcina Avenue and Davenport Road, beside #1138 Bathurst and at Dupont Street and Olive and Barton avenues and
- in Bathurst Station terminal.
Southbound passengers aboard buses along route 90 hoping to connect with Line 1 Yonge - University must walk five minutes from Vaughan Road north of St. Clair Avenue West to St Clair West Station.
Northbound buses start their trips in Bathurst Station terminal, then proceed:
northward along Bathurst to St. Clair Avenue West,
resuming their regular path westward along St. Clair West.Northbound buses skip their regular stop
- in St Clair West Station terminal.
Instead, northbound buses drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops
- in Bathurst Station terminal,
- on Bathurst Street at Barton Avenue and Wells and Dupont streets, beyond Bridgman Avenue, at Davenport Road and Nina Street and
- on St. Clair Avenue West beyond Bathurst Street.
Line 1 Yonge - University subway passengers wanting to connect with northbound buses along route 90 must walk five minutes from the St Clair West Station to St. Clair Avenue West west of Bathurst.
Transit agencies often interline transit vehicles along two or more routes with a common terminal to save resources — human resources (drivers) and physical resources (vehicles). For example, when a northbound bus along the 126 Christie arrives on St. Clair Avenue West beside St Clair West Station, it continues northward along the 33 Forest Hill route. It completes a round trip along route 33 before returning to the station and then continues southward along route 126.
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