Compiled by Jeffrey Kay

See Also

• The York University Busway.

September 7, 1999

Service begins on a new route replacing the 106E express branch of 106 YORK UNIVERSITY. Buses operate between Downsview station and the university via north on Allen Road, north on Dufferin Street, west on Finch, north on Keele, west on St. Lawrence to the Murray Ross building. From 7 a.m. to noon, buses run “local” from the Ross Building via south and west on Fraser, south on Sentinel and east on Finch to Keele. From 12 noon to 5:30 p.m., buses run express on the southbound trip and local/express on the northbound trip.

During rush hours, some buses are extended east of Downsview station via Sheppard to Sheppard station on the YONGE SUBWAY line, stopping at Bathurst Street only. In addition, a limited number of buses operate between Sheppard station and Downsview station, likely completing their runs before heading back to the garage.

Service operates out of Wilson Garage, instead of Arrow Road Garage as the previous 106E buses did.

March 20, 2000

Additional evening trips are added when classes let out at the University and operate between the York University Common Area and Downsview Station between 9.15 pm and 10.15 pm.

June 11, 2000

Evening express trips removed for the summer. All rush hour trips operate between Sheppard Station and the University, during the summer. This pattern of summer rush hour service continues in future years, usually beginning in mid May.

September 5, 2000

Early evening trips added between 7 pm and 9 pm to provide a continuous service between 7 am and 10 pm.

January 5, 2001

Last day of service under this name. The following service day, buses operate under the name 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET.

196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET

January 8, 2001

As part of a rebranding of dedicated regular-fare express routes on the system, service redesignated 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET. The route continues to be operated by Wilson Garage.

May 14, 2001

Service is reduced for the summer. All peak period trips operate between Sheppard Station and the university via Downsview Station. No short turn trips east/south bound to Downsview Station only. Regular service resumes on September 4th.

November 22, 2002

Coincident with the opening of the SHEPPARD SUBWAY, and the renaming of Sheppard station to Sheppard-Yonge station, destination signs are modified to reflect this.

February 22, 2003

A new Saturday service is introduced between York University and Downsview Station from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Similar to the weekday service, before noon southbound buses provide a local service from the University to Keele and Finch via Sentinal. After noon 196A buses provide a local service northbound from Keele and Finch to the University via Sentinal.

September 7, 2004

The routing is changed at all times to operate over the fastest possible route between Downsview Station and York University. From Downsview Station buses now run west on Sheppard, north on Tuscan Gate, west north and west on St. Regis and north on Keele to the university, and returning south on the reverse routing. Service on Sentinel continues to be provided southbound before noon and northbound after noon. Buses stop in both directions at Keele and Finch. The stop at Dufferin and Finch is no longer served.

December 20, 2004 to January 1, 2005

The route did not operate during the Christmas, New Years holiday period as the University was closed. Passenger used the 106 YORK UNIVERSITY route during this period. Regular service resumed on January 3, 2005.

September 6, 2005

Midday and early evening service is introduced on the 196B branch to Sheppard-Yonge station.

June 19, 2006

During the summer all Monday through Friday trips operate on the “B” branch. There are no scheduled short turns on the “A” branch. Regular service on both branches resumes after Labour Day.

June 25, 2007

As ridership on this route continues to build, both the “A” (Downsview) and “B” (Sheppard-Yonge) branches will operate in the daytime Monday through Friday through the summer until Labour Day. Regular service on both branches resumes after Labour Day.

June 26, 2008

During the summer in the early evening Monday through Friday, all trips operate on the “B” branch. Regular service on both branches resumes after Labour Day. A similar change is made for the summer of 2009. In the summer of 2010 both branches operate during the early evening Monday through Friday, the last year that adjustments are made in the summer to the branch structure.

November 23, 2008

As part of the TTC’s Ridership Growth Strategy to provide full service to 1 a.m., seven days a week, service is added on the 196A “Downsview Station” branch during the late evening Monday through Friday, during the early morning and evening on Saturdays and all day on Sundays and Holidays

September 6, 2009

Buses begin using a section of the bus-only roadway located west of Keele Street. In the morning buses heading to the university run over the regular route to Keele, north of Finch, then run west on Murray Ross Parkway, north on the busway and west on York Blvd into the Common Area. There is no change in the southbound routing from the campus. After 12 noon, the routings are reversed and buses leaving the campus operate via east on York Blvd, south on the new busway, east on Murray Ross Pkwy, then south on Keele and over the regular route to Downsview Station and to Sheppard-Yonge Station. Buses on the express routing now serve a new stop at Murray Ross and the busway.

November 22, 2009

A bus-only roadway in the hydro corridor north of Finch (later named the York University busway) is opened between Keele and Dufferin. Buses now run both ways Allen Road, Dufferin and the new east-west section of the busway. Northbound buses departing from Downsview Station use the new exit from the southwest corner of the station that leads directly onto northbound Allen Road. Buses divert off the north-south section only in one direction during the peak periods to provide a local service to the community immediately south of campus. In the morning peak buses leaving the Common Area operate south on Ian Macdonald, west on The Pond, south on Sentinel, and east on Murray Ross to Keele where local service ends, and buses continue on the east-west busway to Downsview Station. In the afternoon peak buses operate northbound via Sentinel. At all other times all buses operate in both directions via the express route. This removes all off-peak / local service from the community south of campus. The stop at Keele and Finch is longer served by this route, but a new stop is added on Dufferin at Finch in both directions.

June 20, 2010

Service on Saturdays, Sunday and Holidays will now operate with Orion VII Low Floor buses, replacing the older non-Accessible buses. The route is not yet designated as Accessible as non-accessible buses operate Monday through Friday.

November 21, 2010

This route is now designated as a fully accessible service and will use Orion VII Low Floor buses at all times. And all buses are now bike racked equipped.

January 4, 2011

Service is revised during the midday and evenings Monday through Friday to operate in the off-peak direction via Murray Ross Pkwy, Sentinel, The Pond and Ian MacDonald. With this change, southbound/eastbound buses before noon will operate via this local routing. After noon, westbound/northbound buses will operate via this local routing. There is no change to the service on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays which continues to operate express in both directions.

May 10, 2015

Weekend and holiday daytime service is added to the 196B branch to Sheppard-Yonge station.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Ahead of the extension of the SPADINA SUBWAY to York University and into Vaughan, Downsview station is officially renamed Sheppard West. Destination signs have been adjusted in the days leading up to this change.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Last day of service. Replaced by the extension of the SPADINA subway into Vaughan the following day. Express service between Sheppard West and Sheppard-Yonge is provided by a new branch of the 84 SHEPPARD WEST route.

196 York University Rocket Image Archive

	An official map of the TTC's official 196 YORK UNIVERSIT ROCKET service, effective January 5, 2014.
	A official map of 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET operations after its realignment in 2004, but before the construction of the York University Busway in 2009.
	A TTC map, released in 2016, shows the proposed service changes that could result from an extension of the Spadina subway into Vaughan.
	TTC rebuilt GM New Look 2007 recently transferred from Birchmount to Wilson Complex is completing a right turn from Finch Avenue to southbound Dufferin on the 196A YORK UNIVERSITY EXPRESS route heading to Downsview station in this 2001 shot. Photo by David Cavlovic.
	Two GM rebuilt New Looks (2316 and 2410) have just passed their comrade (2364) on a newly constructed busway. This photograph was taken by Roman Fomin on a rainy day of April 8, 2010.
	TTC rebuilt GM New Look 2327 turns from the "pocket" at Dufferin Street onto the busway heading to York University during evening rush-hour. Photo by Roman Fomin on April 8, 2010.
	GM re-build 2746 speeds round the corner onto southbound Dufferin on 196 YORK UNIVERSITY EXPRESS service in 2001. Behind it is a GM re-build on 105 DUFFERIN NORTH with an Orion heading west on Finch. Photo by David Cavlovic.
	A motorcade of rebuilt New Looks #2755, #2382 and #2396 (from the last to the first) heads away from Dufferin Street to York University along the brand-new busway. This photograph was snapped by Roman Fomin on April 14, 2010.
	TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" bus #8168, laying over at Downsview station while serving 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET, sits in front of TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" bus #8355, also laying over, but serving 106 YORK UNIVERSITY. Two other buses, numbesr unknown, serve 117 ALNESS and 104 FAYWOOD. This photograph, taken on the early afternoon of January 30, 2014, is by James Bow
	TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" diesel bus 8313 picks up passengers at York University common, in service on the 196A YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET to Downsview station, on the morning of July 4, 2014. Photo by James Bow.
	TTC Orion VII bus #8320 pauses at the station formerly known as Downsview, in service on the 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET. The destination sign has been reprogrammed to announce the renaming of the station to Sheppard West. Photo by Chris Edwards, taken on April 22, 2017.
	TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" diesel bus #8380, in service on 196B YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET passes TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" hybrid bus #1561, in service on 84 SHEPPARD WEST. Both are bound for Sheppard-Yonge station, on the afternoon of July 4, 2014. Photo by James Bow.
	TTC Orion V bus 9405 in service on 196B YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET route exited onto Dufferin Street from the York University busway and runs towards Sheppard Station. This photo was taken by Roman Fomin on April 14, 2010.
	The TTC started operating buses along the 196B branch of the 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET route between Sheppard - Yonge Station and York University May 10, 2015. Here's Orion V Ex-CNG 9445 at Sheppard - Yonge Station on May 17, 2015, the first Orion V to operate on this branch. Photo: Lex Reid.