Compiled by Peter Coulman

Additional notes by Jeffrey Kay

Operations Overview

• Type: Local
• Established: April 20, 1981
• Distance: 6.53km
• Blue Night Service: 395 YORK MILLS NIGHT
• Types of vehicles used: Orion VII NG Hybrid, Nova LFS, Nova LFS Hybrid, New Flyer Xcelsior XE40
• Bus Length: 40’ standard low-floor
• Division: Arrow Road
• Ridership: 1,000 (2018)

This route operates with 1 branch:

• 115 York Mills Station - Leslie

The suburban areas north of York Mills between Yonge and Leslie streets, offering primarily low density neighbourhoods with houses on large lots, proved a challenge in providing economically feasible transit service. In 1973, the Government of Ontario had used the area to test the GO Dial-a-Bus service, an on-demand transit service which used mini-buses to ferry passengers from their homes to shops and the subway at York Mills.

The service did not prove to be successful and closed down in 1976 (more details on the GO Dial-a-Bus service can be found here, but demand for transit service continued and, in 1979, the Toronto Transit Commission and the Borough of North York investigated further. There was some opposition, with residents complaining that only “maids” would use the service, but local councillors persisted. Initially, the TTC proposed a single route, combining what would today be 78 ST ANDREWS and 115 SILVER HILLS. Instead, the proposal proceeded as two separate routes.

April 20, 1981

Service on 115 SILVER HILLS begins with buses running from York Mills station via east on York Mills, north on Leslie and west on Bannantyne, looping via Woodsworth, Davean and Bannatyne and then returning over the reverse route. Service initially operates during rush hours and midday from Monday to Friday, using 30’ Orion I buses, operating from Eglinton Garage. The Orion buses would continue in use until early 1990, after which standard 40’ buses were used.

April 15, 1984

Service provided at twenty-minute intervals from 6:20 a.m. to 7:20 p.m.

January 21, 1991

Monday-to-Friday evening and Saturday daytime service added along Leslie, Bannantyne, Woodsworth and Davean as part of the 166 SILVER HILLS-GRAYDON HALL route. The service would be discontinued on May 9, 1992

January 4, 1993

Operation of this route is transferred from Eglinton Garage to Wilson Garage. On this day, Davenport Garage closed and many route assignments have been changed.

February 18, 1996

In conjunction with the elimination of public transit subsidies by the province of Ontario, midday service on 115 SILVER HILLS eliminated. Buses operate during rush hours only.

In 1998, the TTC recommended combining the Silver Hills service with 78 ST. ANDREW in order to improve the route’s financial importance. Buses would operate from the end of 78 ST. ANDREWS via Truman and Silvergrove to loop via Silver Hills’ current routing. Service would be eliminated on Ballantyne from Davean Drive to Leslie Street. The proposal was opposed by the neighbourhood, who feared the loss of a direct connection between the loop and schools on York Mills. The idea was deferred at the December 1998 meeting of TTC Commissioners, and later dropped altogether.

January 5, 1998

During the afternoon peak period, service is interlined with 97A YONGE at York Mills and operates from Eglinton Garage. The morning service continues to operate from Wilson Garage.

February 15, 1999

Interlining with 97 YONGE in the afternoon ends and all service once again operates from Wilson Garage.

November 23, 2008

As part of the TTC’s Ridership Growth Strategy, service times are lengthened so that this bus route operates whenever the subway is open, seven days a week.

August 2, 2009

This route becomes an accessible service with the introduction of Orion V Lift Equipped buses. And also on this date, all buses on the route are now equipped with bike racks.

November 22, 2009

Low Floor Orion VII are now used on this route.

May 8, 2011

As part of a general reallocation of resources, service after 10 p.m. every day eliminated.

March 31, 2019

Service is revised in order to allow more run time and improve service reliability. Headways are increased from 20 to 24 minutes during peak hours, and improved from every 30 minutes to 20 minutes during the early evening. As a result of this change, interlining with the 122 GRAYDON HALL route during the early evenings ends.

March 28, 2021

Operations of the route switched from Wilson Garage to the newly-opened McNicoll Garage.

May 9, 2021

Due to construction taking place at York Mills Centre, the TTC bus terminal serving York Mills station is closed for a period of three months, starting on this day. 115 SILVER HILLS buses are routed to a temporary terminal set up in the parking lot on the northwest corner of Wilson and Yonge. No change to scheduled departure times or destination signs.

March 26, 2023

Service transferred from McNicoll Garage to Wilson Garage.

Also on that date, the interline with 122 GRAYDON HALL during the weekends is replaced by the new interline with the 78 ST. ANDREWS. Headways are slightly improved excluding late evenings.

November 19, 2023

Operation of this route is transferred from Wilson Garage to Arrow Road Garage. On this day, the implementation of the Line 3 Bus Replacement service had affected the 996 WILSON EXPRESS on the York Mills corridor.

Summary

Last Updated: November 22, 2023

115 Silver Hills Image Archive

	The Riders News of April 1981 promotes the new and revised services of 58 MALTON, 78 ST. ANDREWS, 115 SILVER HILLS and the "85E Middlefield" branch of the 85 SHEPPARD EAST bus. Item donated by Pete Coulman.
	An official TTC map of 115 SILVER HILLS operations effective June 20, 2011.
	TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" hybrid bus #1803 lays over at York Mills station, in service on 115 SILVER HILLS on February 6, 2014. This photo is by James Bow.
	TTC New Flyer D40 bus #6474 on a layover at York Mills station on route 115 SILVER HILLS in August 1988. Next to it is Flyer D901 #6060 on route 122 GRAYDON HALL. This photo is taken by Bob Hussey and donated by Jelo G. Cantos
	2012 Orion VII #8363 seen at York Mills Station on November 26th 2012. Photo taken by Jelo Gutierrez Cantos.
	TTC Orion I bus #8370 lays over at York Mills station, in service on 115 SILVER HILLS on February 11, 1986. Photo by Dave Chalmers, courtesy the Pete Coulman collection.
	TTC Orion I bus #8373 in 115 SILVER HILLS service passes GM New Look #7924 at York Mills station on April 9, 1984. Photo by J.R. Caronetti.
	TTC Orion I bus #8376, in service on 115 SILVER HILLS, pulls up beside TTC GM "New Look" bus #7783, in service on 95 YORK MILLS at the York Mills subway station bus terminal on October 5, 1982. Note the Gray Coach bus (#2358) in the background. This photo is courtesy the Gilbert Ebling collection.
	TTC Orion I bus #8376 is seen here on Davean, in service on 115 SILVER HILLS in 1984. The photographer is unknown, and the photo is from the Pete Coulman collection.
	TTC Orion V bus #9438 operates in service on the 115 SILVER HILLS route on October 23, 2015. Photo by Larry Batzakis.