Compiled by Peter Coulman
Bayview Avenue originated as East York Avenue, a reference to the division it formed between the city of Toronto and the township of East York, that follows the first concession line, laid 6,600 ft (2,000 m). In 1931, James Stanley McLean had erected the street called “Bay View” overlooking the Don Valley on the edge of Moore Park. On August 17, 1959, Bayview was extended south beyond Moore Avenue in Leaside to Front Street. The northern section of this extension was routed alongside Pottery Road to Nesbitt Drive. South of this, it wraps around a hill and descends into the Lower Don Valley, travelling parallel to the route of the Don Valley Parkway.
Transit service on Bayview Avenue began in 1955 with the establishment of the Bayview bus operated between Glen Echo and Princess Avenue. Extensions occurred over the years though in 1974, the 26 BAYVIEW NORTH was launched operating between Sheppard station and Steeles Avenue in the former City of North York while service south of Lawrence was operated by the 28 DAVISVILLE bus before being reorganized and reintegrated on July 21, 1991 which remains so to this very day.
January 24, 1955
Service begins on a new route operating in the Borough of North York, running from Glen Echo loop on Yonge Street at the Toronto City Limits via north on Yonge, east on York Mills, and north on Bayview to Princess Avenue, looping via west on Princess, south on Estelle and east on Hillcrest, returning via the reverse route. Buses depart the city limits from 6:20 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the morning and 3:10 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the afternoon. Buses depart Princess from 6:40 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. in the morning and 3:30 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. in the afternoon. Service operates on a 40 minute headway, using one bus out of Eglinton Garage.
BAYVIEW |
PRINCESS |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
September 7, 1956
Assigned route number 11.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
P R I N C E S S |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
November 26, 1956
Hours of service increased to 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Base service is every 40 minutes, using one bus, and every 20 minutes during rush hours, using two buses.
December 6, 1958
Service extended a short distance to loop via McKee, Estelle and Parkview. Rush hour buses now operate every fifteen minutes.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
P A R K V I E W |
Monday to Saturday, daytime hours |
October 11, 1960
Service extended north to loop in the newly constructed Bayview-Finch intersection, spanning a tributary of the West Don River. Buses loop counter-clockwise to the west side of this newly constructed intersection, from north on Bayview via west on Finch Ave, south off Finch through the traffic island to the “stop” platform, then east and south on the merging roadway to Bayview Avenue to route.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
F I N C H |
Monday to Saturday, daytime hours |
October 7, 1962
Extended from Bayview and Finch via west on Finch Avenue to loop at the Branson Hospital just west of Bathurst Street. Hours of operation increased to 7 days a week, 18 hours a day.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
FINCH-BATHURST |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
September 3, 1963
Coincident with the launch of the 36 FINCH bus, service on 11 BAYVIEW altered. On Mondays through Fridays, during rush hours and midday, service runs from Glen Echo loop via north on Yonge, east on York Mills, north on Bayview to Newton Drive, just south of Steeles. Buses loop through a loop provided at the southeast corner of the entrance into the Jesuit Seminary Grounds.
During weekday evenings and all day Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, buses continue to operate on Finch Avenue to Brandon Hospital.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
FINCH-BATHURST |
Weekday evenings, all day Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays | ||
BAYVIEW |
11A |
S T E E L E S |
Monday to Friday, daytime |
November 29, 1964
Service altered to provide a direct connection to the Yonge subway. From Monday to Friday, during rush hours and middays, service operates from Seminary loop (south of Steeles) and St. Clair station via south on Bayview, west on Moore, south on Welland, west on St. Clair, south on Avoca and west on Pleasant to loop through the St. Clair bus terminal. During evenings, Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, service runs from St. Clair station to Finch and west on Finch to Branson Hospital.
Both services operate express (limited stop) between the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, just south of Sunnybrook Hospital, and St. Clair station, stopping only at Eglinton and Bayview, Davisville and Bayview and Moore and Bayview.
B A Y V I E W E X P R E S S |
11 |
S T E E L E S |
Monday to Friday, daytime | ||
B A Y V I E W E X P R E S S |
11A |
FINCH-BATHURST |
Weekday evenings, all day Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays |
August 17, 1965
Buses re-routed both ways to operate via St. Clair, Mount Pleasant and Davisville.
November 29, 1965
Hours of service to Seminary loop extended to Mondays through Saturdays, 18 hours a day. Buses to Branson Hospital operate all day Sundays only.
February 26, 1966
Service rerouted to operate to Eglinton station instead of St. Clair station. From Bay 7 of Eglinton’s bus terminal, buses operate via the Yonge Street exit, north on Yonge, east on Eglinton and north on Bayview to Seminary loop, just south of Steeles. This service operates all day, Mondays through Saturdays. Sunday service continues to operate to the Branson Hospital on Finch..
In addition to this, a new rush hour short turn service begins operation on the following Monday (February 28), running from Eglinton station to Bayview and Sheppard, looping at the northwest corner of the Bayview Village Shopping Centre parking lot, using the entrance and exit on Bayview Avenue north of Sheppard, opposite Spring Garden Road.
All Bayview buses operate express south of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, stopping only at the intersections of Eglinton and Bayview and Eglinton and Mount Pleasant.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
S T E E L E S |
Monday to Saturday, 18 hours a day | ||
BAYVIEW |
11A |
S H E P P A R D |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
B A Y V I E W |
11B |
B A T H U R S T |
All day, Sundays and holidays |
October 2, 1967
Weekday service extended north from Seminary loop via north on Bayview and west on Steeles to the Yonge-Steeles loop, looping clockwise through the loop. This service retains the 11-STEELES destination sign, and a new sign is offered for Saturday runs, which continue to operate only to Seminary loop. Short turn service to Sheppard discontinued.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
S T E E L E S |
Monday to Friday, 18 hours a day | ||
BAYVIEW |
11A |
N E W T O N D R. |
All day Saturdays | ||
B A Y V I E W |
11B |
B A T H U R S T |
All day, Sundays and holidays |
November 3, 1969
Coincident with the launch of the new 60 STEELES bus, service on Steeles cut back to a new off-street loop at the Bayview/Steeles intersection, created when Bayview was realigned and a new bridge built across the west branch of the Don River. The use of Seminary loop at Newton Drive is discontinued, ending the 11A branch.
December 6, 1970
Express service south of the Canadian National Institute of the Blind now operated during rush hours only. Service operates local all other times.
September 3, 1972
Sunday service on Finch Avenue replaced by an expansion of the 36 FINCH bus. Buses operate from Eglinton station to Steeles Avenue seven days a week, eighteen hours a day.
October 15, 1973
Service revised to operate from Lawrence station and Steeles, via east on Lawrence and north on Bayview, returning via reverse route. Service south of Lawrence provided by an extension of the 28 DAVISVILLE bus.
Although this service clearly takes advantage of the extension of the YONGE SUBWAY to York Mills, this change did not occur until six and a half months after the opening of Lawrence station. It is possible the change may have been delayed because the stations opened incomplete, and it was some time before all escalators were installed.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
S T E E L E S |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
March 30, 1974
Coincident with the extension of the YONGE SUBWAY to Finch, service on 11 BAYVIEW divided, with service north of Sheppard now operated by the new 26 BAYVIEW NORTH bus. 11 BAYVIEW buses operate from Lawrence station to Sheppard via west on Lawrence and north on Bayview, looping via east on Sheppard, north on Hawksbury and west on Bayview Mews to Bayview, returning via reverse route.
BAYVIEW |
11 |
S H E P P A R D |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
July 21, 1991
As part of a general reorganization of service along Bayview, service on 11 BAYVIEW extended to run from Davisville station to Steeles, running via east on Davisville and north on Bayview and return. Buses run through the Sunnybrook Hospital grounds in both directions. Service replaces a portion of the 28 DAVISVILLE bus (and interlines with it) and the 26 BAYVIEW NORTH. Service on Lawrence provided by the new 124 SUNNYBROOK route.
Additional service provided by a series of short turn branches.
B A Y V I E W |
11 |
S T E E L E S |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
B A Y V I E W |
11A |
S H E P P A R D |
Monday to Friday, afternoon rush hours only | ||
B A Y V I E W |
11B |
L A W R E N C E |
Monday to Friday, evenings | ||
BAYVIEW |
11C |
SUNNYBROOK |
Early morning and late evenings |
February 18, 1996
As a result of system-wide service cuts resulting from the elimination of provincial subsidies for public transit, service north of Sheppard after 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday is removed with buses on the 11A branch short turning at Sheppard. Saturday midday frequent service reduced and Saturday and Sunday late evening service reduced to every 30 minutes.
November 21, 1999
Service rendered accessible using Flyer D40LF low floor buses.
March 31, 2002
Old Eglinton Garage ceases operations and buses were moved to the new Eglinton Garage on Comstock Road.
November 23, 2008
As part of a system-wide series of service improvements under the Ridership Growth Strategy, Saturday and Sunday service north of Sheppard is restored. Service is also altered to provide 30 minute frequencies or better between Steeles and Davisville station, whenever the subway is open, thus eliminating the 11A “Sheppard” branch. Additional service provided weekday evenings, midday Saturdays and all day Sundays on the 11C branch operating between Lawrence station and Sunnybrook Hospital. Also on this day, operations transferred from Eglinton (Comstock) Garage to Wilson Garage. This change is a result of the opening of Mount Dennis Garage.
SOUTHBOUND |
|
NORTHBOUND |
||
11 |
B A Y V I E W |
|
11 |
B A Y V I E W |
TO DAVISVILLE STN |
TO STEELES |
|||
7 days a week 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
11C |
B A Y V I E W |
|
TO SUNNYBROOK |
|||
Weekday evenings |
January 6, 2014
Rush hour service is no longer interlined with 28 DAVISVILLE, to protect service on Davisville Avenue from delays on Bayview.
June 23, 2014
As part of a reorganization of the old 28 DAVISVILLE route, as well as a system-wide redesignation of route branches, 11 BAYVIEW takes over all rush hour operation between Davisville station and Bayview Avenue, with short turning rush hour buses looping via Cleveland and Belsize. In addition, northbound buses operating to Steeles Avenue via Sunnybrook are redesignated 11A.
SOUTHBOUND |
|
NORTHBOUND |
||
11 |
B A Y V I E W |
|
|
|
TO DAVISVILLE STN |
|
|||
7 days a week 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
11A |
B A Y V I E W |
|
TO STEELES |
|||
7 days a week 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
11B |
B A Y V I E W |
|
TO BAYVIEW&DAVISVILLE |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
|
|
|
11C |
B A Y V I E W |
|
TO SUNNYBROOK |
|||
Weekday evenings |
June 19, 2016
The 11B “Bayview and Davisville” short turn branch is discontinued. All 11B trips are extended to Sunnybrook Hospital (11C) with every second bus running through to Steeles.
SOUTHBOUND |
|
NORTHBOUND |
||
11 |
B A Y V I E W |
|
|
|
TO DAVISVILLE STN |
|
|||
7 days a week 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
11A |
B A Y V I E W |
|
TO STEELES |
|||
7 days a week 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
11C |
B A Y V I E W |
|
TO SUNNYBROOK |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours and evenings |
May 12, 2019
Due to the reconstruction of the bus roadway at Davisville station, part of the bus roadway is closed, and 11 BAYVIEW buses have to change bus bays for the duration of the construction.
February 16, 2020
With the end of construction in Davisville station, buses on 11 BAYVIEW return to normal operation through the station’s bus terminal.
March 28, 2021
Route switched from Wilson Garage to Eglinton (Comstock) Garage. On this day, route base assignments were changed in conjunction with the opening of McNicoll Garage.
March 31, 2024
Due to construction work at Lawrence West and Lawrence stations, service is adjusted on the 11C (Davisville Station to Sunnybrook Hospital) branch to compensate and replace the suspended 124 SUNNYBROOK route. Buses on this branch are temporarily extended to Roe Loop, operating over the normal route to and through the Sunnybrook Hospital grounds and then running via north on Bayview, west on Lawrence Avenue, north on Avenue Road and west on Old Orchard Grove to enter Roe Loop, returning via the reverse route. The 11C extension significantly closely mimics the former 28B DAVISVILLE branch that operated from 1974 to 1991 when they were replaced by the new 124 SUNNYBROOK and 162 LAWRENCE-DONWA routes.
Service on the 11A branch to Steeles remains unaffected.
SOUTHBOUND |
|
NORTHBOUND |
||
11 |
B A Y V I E W |
|
|
|
TO DAVISVILLE STATION |
|
|||
7 days a week 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
11A |
B A Y V I E W |
|
TO STEELES |
|||
7 days a week 18 hours a day |
||||
11C |
B A Y V I E W |
|
11C |
B A Y V I E W |
TO DAVISVILLE STATION |
TO ROE LOOP |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
11 Bayview Image Archive
References
- O&N TTC #1756-U 15.604.33 Oct 4,1960
- O&N TTC #2159 15.604.40 Oct 2nd,1962
- O&N TTC #2287 6.100.33 AUG 26,1963
- O&N TTC #2470 6.100.33 NOV 24,1964
- O&N TTC #2655 6.100.33 NOV 24,1964
- O&N TTC #29065 6.100.32