Compiled by Peter Coulman
Transit to the Rustic Road/Falstaff area of Toronto (south of Highway 401 between Jane and Keele Streets) began around 1980 when the 35D branch of the JANE bus started operating on Falstaff between Jane and Keele during rush hours. Then, on January 1, 1984, the TTC combined the 35D JANE service on Falstaff Road with the 41B KEELE branch operating on Calvington Avenue north of Wilson. The new route, 120 CALVINGTON, looped in both directions via Keele, Calvington, Jane and Falstaff before operating on Wilson Avenue to Wilson station.
Service demands on Falstaff Avenue were not as strong as along Calvington, however, and in 1991 the TTC responded by breaking up 120 CALVINGTON into its component parts. 120 CALVINGTON now operated on Calvington in two branches, one looping at Beverly Hills near the Wilson/Jane intersection, while the other operated north on Jane to serve Giltspur Drive near the Sheppard/Jane intersection. 163 RUSTIC ROAD handled the operation along Falstaff Avenue, with a diversion to Rustic Road between Culford and Keele. During evenings when service demands on both the Calvington and Rustic Road routes were the same, buses serving the 164 CALVINGTON-RUSTIC ROAD route took over operations.
This experiment would only last a few years before funding cuts coupled with low ridership figures would end all service in the Falstaff/Rustic Road area.
July 22, 1991
Operations begin on 163 RUSTIC ROAD. Buses operate from Wilson station via west on Wilson, south on Keele, west on Rustic Road, north on Culford Road and west on Falstaff road to loop via south on Maidstone, west on Beckett, south on Jane, east on Raven Rd and north on Maidstone to Falstaff and return. Service operated Monday to Friday only, twelve hours a day, with 20 minute service during rush hours and 30 minute service during the midday.
RUSTIC RD | 163 | J A N E |
Monday to Saturday, rush hours and midday |
February 16, 1996
Last day of operation. Route eliminated due to low ridership and provincial funding cuts.
February 15, 1999
Service granted a reprieve. Buses operate on the same route and on the same headways as in 1991.
September 1, 2000
Last day of operation. Route eliminated due to low ridership. To continue to provide service to Nelson A. Boylen C.I., two school special runs are extended from 35 JANE via Falstaff to the school (see PDF).
163 Rustic Road Image Archive
An official TTC map of 163 RUSTIC ROAD operations, effective February 25, 1999 in its final configuration. |