Compiled by Jeffrey Kay
Additional contributions by Pete Coulman and Jelo Gutierrez Cantos
Map by John F. Calnan
Click on the map to see the full sized version.
November 7, 1960
Route established along Birchmount Avenue from Kingston Road to Lawrence and on Lawrence Avenue east from Birchmount to the Bendale area, looping via north on Brimley, east on Brimorton and south on McCowan’s Road. At the south end, buses loop via south on Kingston Road, north on Harding and east on Hollis. Buses operate out of Birchmount Garage, Monday to Friday, rush hours and midday.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | B E N D A L E |
Monday to Friday, rush hours and midday | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17A | E G L I N T O N |
Occasional short turns | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17B | L A W R E N C E |
Occasional short turns | ||
September 3, 1963
As part of a major reorganization of suburban bus routes, the 54 LAWRENCE EAST bus route is introduced, and service on Birchmount is extended north of Lawrence to Sheppard Avenue, looping via west on Cass, north on Amethyst and east on Sheppard. Evening and Saturday service added.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | S H E P P A R D |
Monday to Saturday, 18 hours a day | ||
May 11, 1968
Coincident with the extension of the BLOOR-DANFORTH subway to Warden station, buses now operate out of Warden Station and east along St. Clair Avenue before heading north on Birchmount. Service on Birchmount south of St. Clair now provided by the new 69 WARDEN SOUTH route. An additional rush hour short turn service is operated between Warden station and Ellesmere, looping in the north end via west on Canadian, north on Principal and east on Ellesmere.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | S H E P P A R D |
Monday to Saturday, 18 hours a day | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | E L L E S M E R E |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
July 19, 1968
Rush hour short turn service to Ellesmere ends.
November 3, 1969
Service extended north, almost to Finch. Buses temporarily loop via east, north and west along Glendower Circuit.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | F I N C H |
Monday to Saturday, 18 hours a day | ||
November 24, 1969
An off-street loop opened just south of Finch Avenue on the west side of Birchmount.
April 16, 1973 - May 19, 1973
Off-street loop temporarily closed, forcing resumption of loop via Glendower Circuit.
July 12, 1973
All day service added on Sundays and holidays.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | F I N C H |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
September 22, 1973
A new loop opened at the northwest corner of Finch Avenue and Birchmount. Buses loop counterclockwise.
November 24, 1974
Service extended north to a new off-street loop on the west side of Birchmount Avenue in the Hydro right-of-way corridor just north of Staley.
January 16, 1978 - August 28, 1978
Birchmount closed between Ellesmere Road and Highway 401 to allow for grade separation at the CPR tracks. Buses diverted in both directions via Ellesmere, Warden, Arkora and Scaren. Additional rush hour service added during this period between Warden station and Ellesmere, looping in the north end via Ellesmere, Rolark and Birchmount.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | F I N C H |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17A | E L L E S M E R E |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
October 14, 1980
Some rush hour trips and all weekday midday trips are extended north of Finch via Birchmount to an off-street loop at Denison in the Town of Markham.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | F I N C H |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17A | M A R K H A M |
Monday to Friday, rush hours and midday | ||
February 8, 1982
Markham branch extended to 14th Avenue, with buses looping via McNabb, Gough and 14th Avenue.
March 12, 1984
New rush hour express service is introduced between Steeles Avenue and Warden station. Buses serve all stops between Steeles and Sheppard and then run express to Warden station, stopping only at Ellesmere, Lawrence and Eglinton. At Steeles, buses loop via west on Wintermute, north on Mountcastle and east on Steeles. Monday through Friday evening service is extended to the Steeles loop.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | F I N C H |
Monday to Friday, rush hours | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17A | M A R K H A M |
Monday to Friday, rush hours and midday | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17B | S T E E L E S |
Monday to Friday, evenings | ||
B I R C H M O U N T E X P R E S S | 17C | S T E E L E S |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
July 23, 1984
Weekday evening and all-day Saturday service is extended to 14th Avenue, as is the rush hour express branch.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | F I N C H |
>Monday to Friday, rush hours | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17A | M A R K H A M |
Monday to Saturday, 18 hours a day | ||
B I R C H M O U N T E X P R E S S | 17C | M A R K H A M |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
February 9, 1987
Express service cut back to Steeles Avenue, looping via west on Wintermute, north on Mountcastle and east on Steeles
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | F I N C H |
>Monday to Friday, rush hours | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17A | M A R K H A M |
Monday to Saturday, 18 hours a day | ||
B I R C H M O U N T E X P R E S S | 17C | S T E E L E S |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
February 6, 1989
(Or as early as October 1988) Morning rush hour short turn service extended from Finch to Steeles.
BIRCHMOUNT | 17 | F I N C H |
>Monday to Friday, morning rush hours | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17A | M A R K H A M |
Monday to Saturday, 18 hours a day | ||
BIRCHMOUNT | 17B | S T E E L E S |
Monday to Friday, afternoon rush hours | ||
B I R C H M O U N T E X P R E S S | 17C | S T E E L E S |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
June 25, 1990 - September 4, 1990
Morning rush hour service during this period operates to Finch only (17) instead of Steeles (17B). It is uncertain if this summer change also occurred in 1989 and 1991.
May 12, 1991
Sunday daytime service extended from Finch to Steeles, and west along Steeles Avenue to loop via north on Ferrier, east on Gibson and south on Warden, returning east on Steeles to Birchmount. At all other times, buses operating to Steeles Avenue follow the old looping arrangement.
September 1, 1991 (Approximate)
All 17C Express buses operate local in off-peak direction (northbound in mornings, and southbound during the afternoon). This is shown on pocket timetables dated September 1, 1991 and February 17, 1992, but is not shown on any Service Summaries. It is not possible, therefore, to determine if this type of operation lasted until the end of Express service in June 1999.
March 1992
Starting after this month but before October 1993, all afternoon peak short turn service is extended from Finch to Steeles.
July 26, 1992
At the request of the Town of Markham, all weekday midday, evening and Saturday evening service north of Steeles discontinued. It is not known if all “Steeles” off-peak trips looped via Warden or via Wintermute.
March 28, 1993
An additional stop is added both ways on the 17C Express branch at St. Clair and Birchmount.
September 7, 1993
Saturday service discontinued between Steeles and 14th Avenue in Markham. Buses now turn in the Steeles/Warden industrial area. At this time, “Steeles” buses loop via Wintermute during rush hours only and via the Warden industrial area at all other times.
September 4, 1994
“Markham” looping expanded, now via west on McNabb, north on Gough, north on Crown Steel, east on Royal Crest and south on Birchmount.
NORTHBOUND |
|
SOUTHBOUND |
||
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO FINCH |
|
|||
Sunday Evenings |
||||
|
|
|
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
TO WARDEN STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
17A |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO 14TH AVENUE |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17B |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day, Except Monday to Friday rush hours |
||||
17C |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
17C |
BIRCHMOUNT |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
February 18, 1996
Due a system-wide reduction of service as a result of the elimination of provincial government operating subsidies, Sunday evening service is removed, effectively eliminating the 17 “Finch” branch.
September 1, 1996
With the TTC experimenting with headways longer than 30 minutes, Sunday evening service to Finch Avenue is restored with hourly service until 1 a.m. Buses are extended north on Birchmount and then east on McNicoll to a loop near Silver Springs.
NORTHBOUND |
|
SOUTHBOUND |
||
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO McNICOLL |
|
|||
Sunday Evenings |
||||
|
|
|
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
TO WARDEN STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
17A |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO 14TH AVENUE |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17B |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day, Except Monday to Friday rush hours |
||||
17C |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
17C |
BIRCHMOUNT |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
October 14, 1997
Local service on the 17C Express branch extended south from Sheppard to Ellesmere. This change began at an unknown date the previous August, and only became official on this date.
March 1998
(Date approximate) Express branch renamed 17E as part of a system-wide initiative to use the letters E and F to designate express services.
NORTHBOUND |
|
SOUTHBOUND |
||
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO McNICOLL |
|
|||
Sunday Evenings |
||||
|
|
|
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
TO WARDEN STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
17A |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO 14TH AVENUE |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17B |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day, Except Monday to Friday rush hours |
||||
17E |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
17E |
BIRCHMOUNT |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
June 14, 1999
17E Express service discontinued, replaced by local trips to Steeles Avenue.
September 5, 1999
Branch designations altered so that most service (the Steeles branch) is operated as plain “17”. McNicoll trips are redesignated “17C”.
NORTHBOUND |
|
SOUTHBOUND |
||
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day, Except Sunday and holiday evenings. |
||||
|
|
|
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
TO WARDEN STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
17A |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO 14TH AVENUE |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17C |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO McNICOLL |
|
|||
Sunday and holiday evenings |
||||
February 18, 2001
Off-peak trips to Steeles which had previously looped via Ferrier, Gibson and Warden, now operate via west on Steeles and north on Warden to a new off-street loop on the west side of Warden, just north of Steeles.
January 31, 2007
At its meeting on this day, TTC Commissioners receive a report recommending that buses serving the 17C “McNicoll” branch and the 42B CUMMER “Kennedy” branch be extended from the old “Silver Springs” loop located on the north side of McNicoll 400 metres west of Kennedy to a new loop, called “McNicoll/Kennedy” loop located 375 metres east of Kennedy, on property the TTC acquired for the future McNicoll garage. This change could improve connections between these routes and 43 KENNEDY buses without an increase in operating costs. The change was made soon thereafter, and was on the November 2007 Ride Guide. No change to destination signs.
November 23, 2008
As part of the TTC’s Ridership Growth Strategy, service on the 17C “McNicoll” branch of the Birchmount bus is eliminated, with all buses on Sunday evening operating north to Steeles Avenue instead. Also on this day, in conjunction with the opening of Mount Dennis Garage, buses on this route is transferred to Eglinton (Comstock) Garage.
NORTHBOUND |
|
SOUTHBOUND |
||
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
TO STEELES |
TO WARDEN STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
17A |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO 14TH AVENUE |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
September 4, 2011
Service transferred from Eglinton (Comstock) garage to Birchmount garage.
May 6, 2012
The service that operates to Steeles Avenue via Wintermute Boulevard during rush hours is redesignated 17B, to better distinguish it from the other branch that terminates at Steeles Avenue and Warden.
NORTHBOUND |
|
SOUTHBOUND |
||
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES and WARDEN |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
|
|
|
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
TO WARDEN STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
17A |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO 14TH AVENUE |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17B |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
June 22, 2014
As part of a system-wide reorganization of route branch designation, northbound buses on the main branch to Steeles Avenue are redesignated 17C. All southbound buses show 17 BIRCHMOUNT.
NORTHBOUND |
|
SOUTHBOUND |
||
|
|
|
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
TO WARDEN STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
17A |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO 14TH AVENUE |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17B |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17C |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES and WARDEN |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
July 27, 2015
At the request of York Region Transit, service on the 17A “14th Avenue” branch is extended north to Highway 7. During rush hours, Monday to Friday, southbound buses start their trips on Uptown Drive north of Rougeside Promenade, then proceed east on Rougeside and south on Birchmount to Royal Crest Court, where they resume their previous route to Warden station. Southbound buses no longer pick up or drop off passengers on Crown Steel Drive south of Royal Crest Court and on Royal Crest Court east of Crown Steel Drive and at Birchmount Road. Buses returning northbound operate via north on Birchmount, west on Highway 7, south on Uptown Drive and then east on Rougeside Promenade to Birchmount, where they end their trips. Northbound buses no longer pick up passengers at stops on McNabb Street east of Gough Road, on Gough Road north of McNabb Street [2 stops] and at 14th Avenue and on Crown Steel Drive at Royal Crest Court.
As York Region Transit requested the TTC extend this route, but did not provide additional funding for new buses on this route, the TTC has no choice but to reduce frequencies on this branch, from every 21 minutes to every 35 minutes during morning rush hours and from every 27 minutes to every 36 minutes during the afternoon rush hours. Service levels south of Steeles East remain the same.
NORTHBOUND |
|
SOUTHBOUND |
||
|
|
|
17 |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
TO WARDEN STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
17A |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO HIGHWAY 7 |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17B |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
17C |
BIRCHMOUNT |
|
|
|
TO STEELES and WARDEN |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
March 30, 2017
The TTC reverses the loop at the north end of the 17A branch to and from Highway 7.
Southbound buses start their trips on Rougeside Promenade west of Birchmount Road, then proceed westward along Rougeside, northward along Uptown Drive, eastward along Highway 7 and then southward along Birchmount to Rougeside, resuming their usual route southward along Birchmount. Southbound buses no longer drop off or pick up passengers at the stop on Uptown at Rougemount. Instead, southbound buses serve new stops on Rougemount west of Birchmount and on Highway 7 at Birchmount.
Northbound buses operate along their usual route to Birchmount Road and Rougeside Promenade, then proceed westward along Rougeside to just west of Birchmount, ending their trips. Northbound buses no longer drop off or pick up passengers at stops on Birchmount south of Rougeside and Highway 7 and on Uptown at Rougeside. Instead, northbound buses serve a new stop on Rougeside west of Birchmount.
March 28, 2021
Operations of this route transferred to the newly opened McNicoll Garage.
17 Birchmount Image Archive
|
A map of the TTC's loop at Highway 7, effective March 30, 2017. |
|
TTC GM "New Look" bus #7379 enters Warden Station after running westbound on St. Clair Avenue East in 17 BIRCHMOUNT service, circa August 1970. This photo was taken by Richard Glaze. |
|
A map of the TTC's 17 BIRCHMOUNT operations north of Steeles Avenue, effective Monday, July 27, 2015. |
|
A Headlights from November 1960 illustrating the diversion 17 Birchmount took due to road construction. Image courtesy Pete Coulman. |
|
An official TTC map of 17 BIRCHMOUNT operations, effective July 2010. |
|
17 Birchmount timetable from November 9, 1960. Image courtesy Pete Coulman. |
|
The back of the same timetable, showing service levels at every thirty minutes. |
|
TTC GM TDH-5303 "New Look" #3733 sits at Danforth garage, bearing a 17 BIRCHMOUNT rolling, on September 5, 1967. Alongside it is an older vehicle in SCHOOL BUS service. The photographer is Harry E. Bennett Jr. and the image is courtesy the Gilbert Ebling collection. |
|
While heading north on Birchmount to Steeles, TTC Orion V #6711 stops to let passengers alight at Bonniewood Road. Photo taken on July 18, 2008 by Andrew Barton. |
|
Google Streetview caught TTC Orion VII bus #7467 heading northbound on Birchmount near Wintermute Boulevard in August 2011. |
|
TTC GM New Look bus #7758 rests at Birchmount Garage, bearing a 17 BIRCHMOUNT rollsign in this 1979 shot by Bob Hussey. Photo courtesy the Pete Coulman collection. |
|
TTC Orion VII bus #7771 loads up passengers at Warden station in 17 BIRCHMOUNT service in the late evening of August 3, 2017. Photo by Marcus Danchuk. |
|
TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" bus #8109 pulls out of Warden station onto Warden Ave in service on 17B BIRCHMOUNT. Photo by Roman Fomin, March 15, 2013. |
|
TTC NovaBus LFS #8545 heads northbound on Warden Avenue, approaching a stop south of St. Clair Avenue, in service on 17 BIRCHMOUNT. The bus behind is Novabus #8580, in service on 16 McCOWAN. This photograph was taken by James Bow on the afternoon of March 14, 2019. |
