Compiled by Jeffrey Kay

Public Transit on Yonge Street

• 1796 - Yonge Street opens between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe
• 1800 - 1880s - Stagecoach operations along Yonge Street
• 1849 - Burt Williams' horse-drawn omnibus service begins between St. Lawrence Hall and Yorkville Town Hall.
• 1861 - Yonge streetcar service within Toronto city limits (and Town of Yorkville) begins
• 1862 - Burt Williams' sells/shuts down omnibus service
• 1885 - The Metropolitan Railway (later Toronto & York) begins service on Yonge north of Toronto's City Limits, eventually reaching Lake Simcoe
• 1930 - North Yonge Railways replaces Lake Simcoe line, operates between Toronto's city limits and Richmond Hill
• 1948 - North Yonge Railways "temporarily" switches to bus operation due to power shortages.
• 1949 - North Yonge's "temporary" switch to buses becomes permanent.
• 1954 - Yonge Subway Opens between Eglinton and Union
• 1954 - DOWNTOWN bus, YONGE NIGHT bus and YONGE trolley bus start operations
• 1973 - Yonge subway extends to York Mills
• 1974 - Yonge subway extends to Finch
• 1977 - GO Transit takes over 59 NORTH YONGE bus
• 1989 - 27 DOWNTOWN and 97 YONGE merged into single route.
• 2003 - York Region Transit takes over GO Transit's Yonge 'C' Bus operations
• 2005 - York Region Transit establishes VIVA Bus Rapid Transit Service Between Finch Station and Newmarket
• 2012 - Bus rapid transit construction begins on Yonge in York Region
• 2020 - Rapidways for VIVA Blue service on Yonge open from Highway 7 to Major Mackenzie and Crosby to 19th Street in Richmond Hill, and from Savage-Sawmill to Davis Drive in Newmarket.
• 2031 - Possible opening of Yonge subway extension to Langstaff?

October 21, 1954

The TTC establishes a new route to provide local service on Yonge Street through the downtown core when stores are open. Buses run from Wellesley station south on Yonge to Front, looping via west on Front, north on Bay and east on Wellington before returning north on Yonge. Buses for this route are based out of St. Clair Division (Davenport garage).

July 2 to August 27, 1955 (and each summer up to and including 1959)

Saturday service discontinued for the summer.

December 14 to December 31, 1956

Weeknight service added during the holiday season from 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm. It is not certain if "Week night" includes Saturdays for this extended service.

September 1956

Assigned route number 27.

November 9, 1959

Service extended north of Wellesley via Yonge to Rosedale station.

July 15, 1960

With the change of Wellington Street to one-way westbound the downtown loop is changed to operate west on Wellington, south on Bay and east on Front.

May 4, 5, 11 and 12, 1961

Trial evening service is provided Thursday and Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

February 26, 1966

BLOOR-DANFORTH subway opens, and certain TTC rollsigns are adjusted to include "STN" if terminating at a subway station.

Sunday, May 30, 1971 to Saturday, June 5, 1971

The City of Toronto launches a test of a Yonge Street pedestrian mall, shutting down Yonge Street to automobile traffic between Adelaide and Albert starting on this day and continuing for a week. Service on 27 DOWNTOWN was rerouted, although we have no official confirmation of this or the rerouting. It's likely that buses were diverted as they were the following year, when the pedestrian mall was re-established, this time lasting for a month. The mall was repeated for another week, starting August 13.

January 3, 1972

Operations for this route switched to Eglinton division.

June 28 to July 26, 1972

Yonge Street is closed between Adelaide and Albert for a temporary pedestrian mall. Southbound buses rerouted via south on Yonge, east on Shuter, south on Victoria, east on Adelaide, south on Church, west on Wellington and south on Bay to Front. Northbound buses operate via east on Front, north on Yonge, east on Adelaide, north on Victoria and west on Shuter to Yonge.

A 97 YONGE BUS transfer punched for the 27 DOWNTOWN route, circa 1985.

July 27 to August 14, 1972

In addition to the above, a second pedestrian mall is opened on Yonge Street between Dundas and Gerrard, forcing an expanded diversion. Southbound buses now operate via south on Yonge, east on Gerrard, south on Victoria, east on Adelaide, south on Church and west on Wellington and south on Bay to Front. Northbound buses operate via east on Front, north on Yonge, east on Adelaide, north on Victoria and west on Gerrard to Yonge. Note that this diversion includes a section of Victoria between Gerrard and Gould, which is now a pedestrian area inside the Ryerson University campus.

On August 15, the pedestrian mall is closed for the summer and normal operation resumes.

June 20 to September 12, 1973

The Yonge Street pedestrian mall is restored, this time between Gerrard and King. Southbound buses are rerouted via south on Yonge, east on Gerrard, south on Church, west on Gould, south on Victoria, east on Adelaide, south on Church, west on Wellington and south on Bay to Front. Northbound buses operate via east on Front, north on Yonge, east on Adelaide, north on Victoria, east on Gould, north on Church and west on Gerrard to Yonge. Normal service resumes on September 13, 1973.

June 26 to July 8, 1974

The Yonge Street pedestrian mall is restored, with another section set up between Bloor and St. Mary. Southbound buses operate from Rosedale station via south on Yonge, east and south on Church, west on Gloucester, south on Yonge, east on Gerrard, south on Victoria, east on Adelaide, south on Church, west on Wellington and south on Bay to Front. Northbound buses operate via east on Front, north on Yonge, east on King, north on Victoria, west on Gerrard, north on Yonge, east on Dundonald, north and west on Church and north on Yonge to Rosedale station.

July 9 to September 3, 1974

The northern pedestrian mall wraps up for the season, but malls continue to operate between Gerrard and Dundas and between Albert and King. Southbound buses are now rerouted to south on Yonge, east on Gerrard, south on Victoria, east on Adelaide, south on Church, west on Wellington and south on Bay to Front. Northbound buses operate via east on Front, north on Yonge, east on King, north on Victoria and west on Gerrard to Yonge. Normal service resumes after Labour Day.

June 23, 1979

Last day for Saturday service. Service continues to operate Monday through Friday.

February 6, 1984

Service extended north of Rosedale station to St. Clair station via Yonge and Pleasant Boulevard, looping via the lower level of St. Clair station's bus and streetcar terminal.

December ??, 1987

Two later trips added to the route, with the last trip now leaving St. Clair station at 5:30 p.m. and Front Street at 6 p.m.

November 23, 1989

Last day of operation for 27 DOWNTOWN. Effective November 26, 1989, service replaced by an extended 97 YONGE route operating between Front Street and Steeles Avenue.

27 Downtown Image Archive

	TTC's bus 1161 (manufactured by Canadian Car & Foundry in 1947) is seen here operating on 27 DOWNTOWN in its first days of operation. Here the bus is heading northbound on Yonge, about to cross College and Carlton streets.
	Circa 1965, the TTC places signs up and down Yonge Street, promoting 27 DOWNTOWN and 99 YONGE NIGHT services.
	TTC GM "New Look" bus #3340 heads northbound on Yonge, passing Walton (and Sam, the Record Man) in 27 DOWNTOWN service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa July 1970.
	TTC GM New Look #3994 pulls up to a stop after crossing College Street southbound on Yonge in 27 DOWNTOWN service, in this October 1970 shot. The photographer is unknown, and the photo is from the Pete Coulman collection.
	TTC GM New Look bus #7132 heads southbound on Yonge approaching Dundas circa November 1970. Photo by Richard Glaze.
	TTC GM TDH-5105 "Old Look" bus #2150 operates southbound on Yonge Street, passing Albert Street in service on 27 DOWNTOWN in this 1971 shot. The photographer is unknown and the image is courtesy the Pete Coulman collection.
	TTC GM "New Look" bus #3568 heads southbound on Yonge, crossing Gould Street, in 27 DOWNTOWN service. Richard Glaze took this photograph circa May 1971.
	In the summers of 1972, 1973 and 1974, the City of Toronto experimented with turning several blocks of Yonge street into a pedestrian mall. The experiment was successful enough in its first two years, but was not repeated after 1974. These street closures forced extensive diversions of the 27 DOWNTOWN and 99 YONGE NIGHT buses. This shot shows Yonge Street as a pedestrian mall near Gerrard (note the Yonge Street Mission building at the left). Photo donated by William Paul.
	TTC GM New Look #2921 heads north on Yonge, crossing King Street, in 27 DOWNTOWN service on June 16, 1973. The photographer is unknown and the photo is from the John Knight collection.
	TTC GM "New Look" bus #7753 heads southbound on Church, crossing Lombard in 27 DOWNTOWN service, diverted due to the Yonge Street Pedestrian Mall in this 1973 shot. The photographer is unknown and the image is courtesy the John knight collection.
	TTC GM "New Look" bus #7955 turns from southbound Bay to eastbound Front in 27 DOWNTOWN service. This shot was taken by Richard Glaze circa June 1980.
	Jeffrey Kay captured this image of TTC GM New Look #7373 heading northbound on Yonge past Queen in service on 27 DOWNTOWN. The photo was taken on August 3, 1982 and is used with permission.
	The outside of the TTC's timetable for 27 DOWNTOWN operations, effective February 6, 1984.
	The advertisement in the inside pages of the TTC's 27 DOWNTOWN timetable (effective February 6, 1984) promotes the extended service to St. Clair station.
	The outside of the TTC's official timetable for 27 DOWNTOWN operations, reprinted on July 26, 1987.
	The inside of the TTC's official timetable for 27 DOWNTOWN operations, reprinted on July 26, 1987.