Compiled by James Bow
June 19, 2016
As part of a series of service improvements to the West Don Lands and Port Lands areas of the city, service begins on a new route replacing much of the 172 CHERRY STREET bus, and restoring some of the service lost with the departure of the 121 FRONT-ESPLANADE route in the year 2000 providing service to the new residential and commercial developments in the Front/Spadina and Fort York/Bathurst areas.
Buses on the 121 FORT YORK-ESPLANADE route operate from Mill Street and Cherry Street, near the Distillery District and the end of the 514 CHERRY and then proceed via north on Cherry, west on Front, south on Berkeley, west on the Esplanade, north on Church, west on Wellington, south on Yonge, west on Front past Union Station, south and west on Blue Jay Way and Navy Wharf Court, and west on Bremner Boulevard and Fort York Boulevard to Fleet Street, looping via west on Fleet, south on Strachan and east on Lake Shore Boulevard to Fort York Boulevard.
Returning, buses follow Fort York Boulevard, Bremner Boulevard, Navy Wharf Court, Blue Jay Way and Front Street to Scott, and then proceed south on Scott, east on the Esplanade, north on Berkeley, east on Front, south on Parliament and east on Mill to Cherry Street.
From May to October, service is extended from Cherry and Mill via south on Cherry to Cherry Beach Loop. The service starts in this configuration, operating to Cherry Beach Loop seven days a week.
Service operates every thirty minutes or better 7 days a week, whenever the subway is open.
121A |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
121C |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
TO FORT YORK |
TO CHERRY BEACH |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
September 6, 2016
As per seasonal service changes, weekday daytime service ends on the 121C “Cherry Beach” branch, replaced by 121A buses looping via Front, Cherry and Mill. Evening, weekend and holiday service to Cherry Beach continues until the end of the September 2016 board period.
WESTBOUND |
|
EASTBOUND |
||
121A |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
121A |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
TO FORT YORK |
TO DISTILLERY |
|||
Weekdays, rush hours and midday |
||||
|
|
|
121C |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
TO CHERRY BEACH |
|||
Weekday evenings, Weekends and holidays, 18 hours a day |
Sunday, March 26, 2017
For operator convenience and to improve connections with other routes, service on this bus is extended from the Lake Shore Boulevard/Strachan Avenue intersection via north on Strachan, west on Manitoba Drive, south on Canada Boulevard and into Princes’ Gate Loop. Buses return from Princes’ Gate Loop via north on Canada Boulevard, east on Manitoba Drive and east on Fleet Street to Fort York Boulevard. This change provides a more convenient connection with the 29 DUFFERIN, and gives operators access to washroom facilities during their layover periods. Also on this date, the schedule is adjusted to increase run times on certain periods to improve service reliability.
WESTBOUND |
|
EASTBOUND |
||
121A |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
121A |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
TO EXHIBITION |
TO DISTILLERY |
|||
Weekdays, rush hours and midday |
||||
|
|
|
121C |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
TO CHERRY BEACH |
|||
Weekday evenings, Weekends and holidays, 18 hours a day |
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Service will be extended for the season to Cherry Beach at all times. Daytime service, Monday to Friday, during the May board period will be provided on a trial basis in response to divisional and customer requests. All service will operate on the 121C (Princes’ Gate-Cherry Beach) branch.
WESTBOUND |
|
EASTBOUND |
||
121A |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
|
|
TO EXHIBITION |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
121C |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
TO CHERRY BEACH |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
June 18, 2017
With a new traffic light installed at the intersection of Yonge and the Esplanade, westbound buses operate through the area via west on the Esplanade, north on Yonge and west on Front, while eastbound buses continue east on Front, south on Scott and east on the Esplanade. Service on Church and Wellington Streets dropped.
October 15, 2017
Seasonal service to Cherry Beach comes to an end, with all buses now operating on the 121A (Princes’ Gate-Distillery) Branch. Seasonal service operations resume in the following years, covering the May to September board periods.
121A |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
121A |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
TO EXHIBITION |
TO DISTILLERY |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
121C |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
TO CHERRY BEACH |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
June 24, 2018
With the reopening of Ontario Place, service begins on a new seasonal branch of the 121 FORT YORK-ESPLENADE route, extending buses west from Princes’ Gate to the urban park. Buses operate westbound via the regular route to the Fort York Boulevard/Lake Shore Boulevard intersection and then via west on Lake Shore, south and west on Ontario Place Boulevard to Remembrance Drive, returning via west and north on Remembrance Drive, east on Lake Shore, north on Strachan and east on Fleet to rejoin the regular route. Service frequencies are largely unchanged.
121D |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
|
121D |
FORT YORK-ESPLANADE |
TO ONTARIO PLACE |
TO CHERRY BEACH |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
May 12, 2019
121D Seasonal service to Ontario Place and Cherry Beach is launched on this day, to end on Canadian Thanksgiving. Service is also rerouted to operate via Front Street West and Spadina Avenue, in both directions, to reduce delays from Toronto Blue Jays home games on Blue Jay Way and Bremner Boulevard east of Spadina.
June 21, 2020
121D Seasonal service to Ontario Place and Cherry Beach is launched on this day, to end on Canadian Thanksgiving.
May 9, 2021
121 Seasonal service to Ontario Place and Cherry Beach is launched on this day, to end around Canadian Thanksgiving.
October 9, 2021
Last day of service. Most service on this route is replaced the following day by the revamped 121 ESPLANADE-RIVER retaining service on the Espalande area while extending service east to the Corktown and Regent Heights neighborhoods. Service is discontinued along Front Street West, Blue Jays Way, and Fort York Boulevard.
Summer seasonal service on the 121D branch to Ontario Place and Cherry Beach will be removed. Replacement seasonal service to the Port Lands and Cherry Beach is to be replaced by the proposed 172 CHERRY BEACH route in the 2022 Annual Service Plan.