Compiled by Pete Coulman
Originally Posted by Alan Gryfe

September 20, 1924

Service begins on a new bus route replacing the ASHBRIDGE streetcar line. The streetcar line was discontinued due to unsafe conditions on the bridges on the route. Buses operate from King and Sumach via Sumach, Eastern, Cherry, Villiers to Munitions Street, returning via Villiers, Cherry, Eastern, Sackville and King.

This route is initially called CHERRY (destination sign unknown), but was soon changed to ASHBRIDGE, and assigned route #4.

December 8, 1924

Rush hour service extended from Munitions via Villiers to Saulter and return via the same route. Destination sign unchanged, although “SAULTER” is used as a window card.

December 3, 1927

Saturday service discontinued after 8:10 p.m.

January 20, 1928

With the construction of the Cherry Street railway subway, service rerouted to operate from King via Parliament, Fleet, Cherry, Villiers to Munitions (Saulter during rush hours), returning via Villiers, Cherry, Fleet, Parliament, Front and Berkeley to King and Parliament.

November 14, 1929

With the completion of the subway beneath the railway tracks, buses return to their regular route.

October 8, 1931

Sunday Service to be operated from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only.

October 20, 1932

Rush hour service extended from Villiers and Saulter to loop via Saulter, Keating, Carlaw, Commissioners, Logan, Keating and Saulter to Villiers.

October 28, 1932

Rush hour service rerouted from Saulter, Keating, Carlaw to Commissioners, returning via the same route.

October 1, 1933

Due to the closing of Sherbourne Garage, ASHBRIDGE buses transferred to operate out of Davenport Garage.

October 15, 1933

Normal Sunday service discontinued. During the summer months, weekend service (including Sundays) is extended south via Cherry Street to Cherry Beach from 1:00 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. These summer periods take place from June 24, 1933 to September 4, 1933, June 16, 1934 to September 3, 1934, June 29, 1935 to September 7, 1935 and June 27, 1927 to September 6th, 1936.

January 11, 1937

Normal route rerouted to operate from King and Sumach via Sumach, Eastern, Cherry, Commissioners, Munitions to Villiers, returning via Villiers, Cherry, Eastern, Sackville to King. During rush hours, regular bus service is extended south on Cherry Street to Carton (Now Polson), returning via the same route. Additional buses loop via Cherry, Commissioners, Carlaw, Keating, Saulter and Villiers to Cherry Street, returning over the regular route to King Street.

June 4, 1945

Service extended to replace the old CARLAW bus. Buses now operate from King and Berkeley via east on King, south on Parliament, east on Fleet, south on Cherry, east on Commissioners, looping near Carlaw to return via Commissioners, Munitions, Villiers, Cherry, Fleet, Parliament and King. During rush hours, service continues north on Carlaw to Gerrard, looping via east on Gerrard, south on Boston and west on Badgerow to Carlaw, returning via the reverse route. Additional rush hour service operates from King and Parliament via Parliament, Fleet and Cherry to Carton (now Polson) and back.

September 10, 1945

Operation transferred back to Sherbourne Garage from Davenport Garage.

February 11, 1946

Rush hour service to Carton Street discontinued.

July 13, 1946 to September 6, 1946

With the end of the Second World War, summer extension to Cherry Beach resumes, 12 hours a day, Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.

December 16, 1946 to January 17, 1947

Due to the construction of Parliament loop, ASHBRIDGE buses loop via Front, Princess, King, Berkeley and Front to Parliament instead of via Front, Berkeley, King and Parliament.

January 18, 1947

With the opening of the new Parliament bus and streetcar loop, buses loop at the southwest corner of King and Parliament instead of looping via Front, Berkeley and King.

December 5, 1949

Service revised to operate from Parliament loop via Parliament, Fleet (now renamed Lake Shore Boulevard), Cherry, Commissioners and Carlaw to Gerrard, looping via Gerrard, Boston and Badgerow, during all hours of operation. Additional rush hour service cuts back at Munitions.

February 20, 1955

Sunday service discontinued.

February 21, 1955

Service cut back to rush hours only, Monday through Saturday.

May 2, 1955

Off-peak service, Monday to Saturday, restored.

October 14, 1955

Due to road conditions, routing temporarily changed to operate from Parliament loop, via south on Parliament, east on Fleet, south on Cherry, east on Commissioners, north on Logan, east on Keating, and north on Carlaw to Gerrard, returning via the reverse route.

November 28, 1955

Routing in effect since October 14th made permanent.

September 2, 1956

Assigned route number 3.

July 1, 1961

Saturday and holiday service discontinued.

Route changed to run from King and Parliament over the regular route to Lake Shore Boulevard, east on Lake Shore, south on Don Roadway, west on Commissioners to Cherry Street, looping in the intersection and then running east on Commissioners, north on Logan, east on Lake Shore, north on Carlaw to Gerrard. Returning buses follow the reverse route to Commissioners and Cherry, looping in the intersection and then heading east on Commissioners, north on Saulter, west on Lake Shore and north on Parliament to King.

January 15, 1962 to March 2, 1962

Service diverted via east on Lake Shore, south on Saulter and west on Commissioners, back to the route due to poor road conditions on the Don Roadway between Lake Shore and Commissioners.

Although various route diversions due to Gardiner Expressway construction were in effect from November 9th, 1962 to May 25th, 1965, TTC maps from 1963 through late 1965 (and presumably until the opening of the Bloor-Danforth subway) show 3 ASHBRIDGE buses running from Parliament loop via Parliament, Lake Shore, Cherry, Keating, Don Roadway, Commissioners and Carlaw to Gerrard, looping clockwise via Gerrard, Boston and Badgerow, returning via Carlaw, Commissioners, Saulter, Keating, Cherry, Lake Shore and Parliament. 3A ASHBRIDGE buses run from Gerrard to Munitions via Carlaw and Commissioners, U-turning around the boulevard to return east.

November 9, 1962 to October 9, 1963

Various diversions due to the construction of the Gardiner Expressway.

October 19, 1964 to November 10, 1964.

Various diversions due to the construction of the Gardiner Expressway.

February 25, 1966

Last day of operation. With the opening of the BLOOR-DANFORTH SUBWAY, service replaced by the 72 PAPE route extending north from Gerrard to Pape station.

3 Ashbridge Image Archive

	An official TTC operators' guide to the 3 ASHBRIDGE route, effective January 1, 1958 (PDF Format).
	A TTC riding count of 3 ASHBRIDGE eastbound operations in the spring of 1955.
	A newspaper advertisement promoting the merger of the CARLAW and ASHBRIDGE buses on Monday, June 4, 1945.
	A TTC ridership count of ASHBRIDGE bus operations in the spring of 1955.
	TTC White Motor Company 50A-class bus #16, bearing an ASHBRIDGE route sign, is seen in a TTC garage on February 23, 1932. Photo courtesy the Toronto Archive.
	TTC Twin Coach 23-R bus #722 in operation on the King-Munition branch of the ASHBRIDGE bus in 1942. Photo courtesy the Toronto Archives.
	TTC General Motors TDH-3610 "Old Look" bus #985 operates westbound on Commissioners Street, in service on the 3 ASHBRIDGE route. This photo was taken by Anthony Holt and comes courtesy of the Pete Coulman collection.
	TTC GM TDH-3610 "Old Look" bus #989 poses at Sherbourne Garage, bearing a 3 ASHBRIDGE rollsign in this September 1965 shot by Neil McCarten. This photo was donated by William Paul.

References

TTC O&N #1938-U