Compiled by Jeffrey Kay
With additions from Mike Vainchtein
See Also:
March 30, 1974
Coincident with the extension of the Yonge subway to Finch station, a new route is established replacing the portion of 60 STEELES running east of Yonge Street. Buses on 53 STEELES EAST run from Finch station via north on Yonge and east on Steeles to Pharmacy, looping via south on Pharmacy, west on Passmore and north on Victoria Park. (Note: this section of Passmore Avenue was later redesignated as an extension of Gordon Baker Road)
Service on this route operates out of Eglinton Garage.
|
STEELES EAST |
53 |
P H A R M A C Y |
|
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
March 24, 1976
Operations transferred from Eglinton Garage to the new Wilson Garage.
January 28, 1978
Operation transferred from Wilson Garage to Eglinton Garage.
July 24, 1983
Operations transferred from Eglinton Garage to the newly opened Malvern Garage.
April 16, 1984
A new Monday through Friday rush hours and midday branch established, extending service east of Pharmacy to Kennedy, looping via south on Kelvin Grove, east and south on Conangate, east on Purcell and north on Kennedy.
|
STEELES EAST |
53 |
P H A R M A C Y |
|
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
|
STEELES EAST |
53A |
K E N N E D Y |
|
Monday to Friday, daytime | ||
March 30, 1986
Rush hour service on the 53A Kennedy branch increased to every 7-8 minutes.
June 23, 1986
Service extended east of Kennedy to Brimley, turning back on an off-street loop on the east side of Brimley, just north of Steeles.
|
STEELES EAST |
53 |
P H A R M A C Y |
|
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
|
STEELES EAST |
53B |
B R I M L E Y |
|
Monday to Friday, daytime | ||
November 24, 1986
Service extended east of Brimley to McCowan Road, turning back in the off-street loop on the east side of McCowan just north of Steeles.
|
STEELES EAST |
53 |
P H A R M A C Y |
|
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
|
STEELES EAST |
53A |
M c C O W A N |
|
Monday to Friday, daytime | ||
November 22, 1987
Service on the McCowan branch increased to seven days a week. Service on Pharmacy reduced to short turns during Monday through Friday peak periods and evening, and on Saturday during the daytime.
November 20, 1988
Route was reassigned from Malvern Garage to Wilson Garage. This change came in as a result of the opening of the new Arrow Road Garage.
February 6, 1989
Rush hour express Service established between McCowan and Finch station. Buses on new express branch operate local between McCowan and Victoria Park and then express to Finch station, stopping at Don Mills and Bayview only.
|
STEELES EAST |
53 |
P H A R M A C Y |
|
Monday to Friday, rush hours and evenings | ||
|
STEELES EAST |
53A |
M c C O W A N |
|
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
|
STEELES EAST E X P R E S S |
53C |
M c C O W A N |
|
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
June 24, 1990
Local and express service extended east of McCowan to Middlefield, turning back in an off-street loop on the east side of Middlefield, just north of Steeles.
|
STEELES EAST |
53 |
P H A R M A C Y |
|
Monday to Friday, rush hours and evenings | ||
|
STEELES EAST |
53A |
MIDDLEFIELD |
|
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
|
STEELES EAST E X P R E S S |
53C |
MIDDLEFIELD |
|
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
July 22, 1990
Evening and Saturday short turn service to Pharmacy discontinued. All vehicles operate to Middlefield during these periods.
January 4, 1993
Service on this route is reassigned from Wilson Garage to Malvern Garage. This is the day when Davenport Garage is closed and many of the route assignments have been changed.
February 13, 1994
Rush hour service extended beyond Middlefield to Markham Road, looping via north on Middlefield, east on Elson and south on Markham Road. Up to this date, Orion articulated buses were used on selected Express trips; as of this date, these buses were used on all trips on the 53E (note branch redesignation) Express branch.
|
STEELES EAST |
53 |
P H A R M A C Y |
|
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
|
STEELES EAST |
53A |
MIDDLEFIELD |
|
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
|
STEELES EAST |
53B |
MARKHAM ROAD |
|
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
|
STEELES EAST E X P R E S S |
53E |
MARKHAM ROAD |
|
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
April 18, 1994
Eastbound express routing revised. For an unknown period up to this date, express service had been travelling to Finch station via Willowdale and Finch instead of Yonge (this could have been as early as the start of express service in 1989). From this date forward, all eastbound express buses follow the normal route via north on Yonge and east on Steeles, avoding a difficult right turn at Willowdale and Steeles. To save time, westbound express buses operate via Steeles to Bayview, then clockwise through the off-street loop on the northwest corner, then south on Bayview and west on Finch to Finch station.
April 1, 1996
Midday Monday through Friday service extended east of Middlefield to Markham Road, following the existing rush hour on-street loop.
June 16, 1996
Service on this route is split with Malvern and Wilson Garages.
July 28, 1996
Route now designated accessible, with all off-peak and most peak trips operated by lift-equipped Orion V buses. Articulated Orion III buses continue to operate on the rush hour express branch.
March 30, 1997
All runs on this route now consolidated out of Malvern Garage.
October 14, 1997
The direction of the afternoon rush hour looping at Pharmacy is reversed to operate via Victoria Park, Gordon Baker and Pharmacy.
September 8, 1998
A new morning rush hour short turn service is introduced, operating from the Yonge/Steeles loop to Finch station. Northbound buses run non-stop without passengers while southbound trips are signed “53 to Finch Station”. For internal purposes, this service is known as branch 53D, but by January 1999 these additional AM trips were identified internally as route 153 STEELES EAST. This route was listed once as a separate route on the Ride Guide.
February 15, 1999
Markham Road looping expanded with 53B and 53E buses now looping in the east via north on McCowan (instead of Middlefield), east on Elson and south on Markham Road, returning west on Steeles.
January 4, 2000
Articulated buses removed from morning peak operation and are only used during the afternoon peak.
September 3, 2000
Articulated buses withdrawn entirely as the vehicles are retired. Service increased on the 53E express branch to compensate for the lower capacity of the replacement buses.
January 7, 2001
An earlier trip added and service increased from 30 minutes to 15 minutes in the early morning to reduce overcrowding. The first westbound bus now leaves Markham Road at 5:30 a.m. New trips were added at the end of the morning rush hour on February 18 to further reduce overcrowding. More trips added to the start of the afternoon rush hour on September 2.
May 13, 2001
Operations on the on-street loop for the 53 Steeles East (Finch Stn-Pharmacy) buses in the morning peak period changed so that most customers don’t have to wait while the bus lays over. Buses now lay over at the first southbound stop on Pharmacy Avenue south of Steeles Avenue.
May 12, 2002
Monday through Friday early evening and Saturday daytime service extended from Middlefield to Markham Road (53B). Service only cut back to Middlefield (53A) Monday to Friday late evenings, Saturday evenings and all day Sundays.
September 1, 2002
On this day and on all Sundays following until October 6, this route is extended south of Finch station on Yonge to York Mills station between 9 a.m. and noon. This was to accommodate the shutdown of this section of the Yonge subway to passenger service while the Sheppard subway underwent testing.
March 29, 2004
AM shuttle trips from Steeles and Yonge southbound are now designated internally as 53D instead of 153.
September 5, 2004
Sunday and holiday daytime service is extended east of Middlefield to Markham Road (53B). Middlefield branch now only operates Monday through Friday late evenings and Saturday and Sunday evenings.
June 25, 2007
A new rush hour branch (53F) is added to provide service to a new residential community at Staines Road. Buses operate every ten minutes in the mornings and every twelve minutes in the afternoons, starting from a counter-clockwise loop via Staines Road and Quietbrook Crescent via north on Staines and west on Steeles. Buses serve all stops between Staines Road and Victoria Park and then only stop at Woodbine, Don Mills, Bayview and Finch Station.
Late evening service is added, seven days a week, to the 53B Markham Road branch of the Steeles East bus.
November 23, 2008
As part of the TTC’s Ridership Growth Strategy, non-express service is extended to Staines Road during Monday-to-Friday midday and evenings, Saturdays and Sundays as the 53A branch of the route, replacing the Middlefield branch. Supplementary service is provided during the daytime and early evening by the 53B Markham Road branch, in addition to express services.
EASTBOUND |
|
WESTBOUND |
||
|
|
|
53 |
STEELES EAST |
|
TO FINCH STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
53 |
STEELES EAST |
|
|
|
TO PHARMACY |
|
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
53A |
STEELES EAST |
|
|
|
TO STAINES |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
53B |
STEELES EAST |
|
|
|
TO MARKHAM ROAD |
|
|||
7 days a week, daytime and early evening only. |
||||
53E |
STEELES EAST |
|
53E |
STEELES EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
53F |
STEELES EAST |
|
53E |
STEELES EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
January 2, 2011
The loop at Staines Avenue is expanded to serve the developing neighbourhood there. At all times of the week, all 53A “Staines” and 53F “Staines Express” buses operate east on Steeles, south on Staines, north on Morningside, east on Oasis, east on Seasons, and north on Staines to Steeles, returning via the reverse route. Service removed from Quietbrook Crescent.
August 4, 2013
Looping on the Markham Road branches is revised, with buses removed from Elson Street and all buses on the 53B and 53E branches operate over the normal route to McCowan and then east on Steeles past Markham Road to loop clockwise via south on Tapscott, west on Passmore and north on Markham Road to Steeles. No change to destination signs.
September 1, 2013
Rush hour short turn service to Pharmacy is eliminated, effectively ending the 53 “main” branch. Additional service is extended to Markham Road.
EASTBOUND |
|
WESTBOUND |
||
|
|
|
53 |
STEELES EAST |
|
TO FINCH STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
53A |
STEELES EAST |
|
|
|
TO STAINES |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
53B |
STEELES EAST |
|
|
|
TO MARKHAM ROAD |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
53E |
STEELES EAST |
|
53E |
STEELES EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
53F |
STEELES EAST |
|
53E |
STEELES EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
||||
April 17, 2014
Articulated buses are restored on this route using the newer NovaBUS LFS 18 meter articulated buses on selected few 53E and 53F Express trips. The rest of its runs continue to use standard 12 meter buses.
October 11, 2015
Service is increased during the early morning on Saturdays so that service between Finch station and Markham Road operates at intervals of ten minutes or better, whenever the subway is open.
January 6, 2019
The peak-period 53E/F “Express” branches are heavily replaced and subsumed into the new 953 STEELES EAST EXPRESS service. All 53 STEELES EAST buses operate local between Finch station and Markham Road/Staines Road at all times.
EASTBOUND |
|
WESTBOUND |
||
|
|
|
53 |
STEELES EAST |
|
TO FINCH STN |
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
53A |
STEELES EAST |
|
|
|
TO STAINES |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
53B |
STEELES EAST |
|
|
|
TO MARKHAM ROAD |
|
|||
7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
||||
October 13, 2020
Peak period service on the 53A “Staines local” branch is temporarily resumed, following the cancellation of 953 STEELES EAST EXPRESS earlier in the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This may have happened earlier at a divisional level. In order to reallocate resources to this and to demand-responsive services elsewhere on the network, the whole route is temporarily removed from the Ten Minute Network, with combined late evening weekday service reduced to every twelve minutes.
January 11, 2021
Service on the 53B branch is extended from the intersection of Tapscott Road and Passmore Avenue east on Passmore to Morningside Avenue to directly serve the Amazon Fulfillment Centre before returning via west on Passmore to Tapscott and following its regular route back to Finch Station. On weekdays, the first trip from Finch Station arrives at the centre at around 6 a.m with the last trip departing the centre at around 2 a.m. On Saturdays and holidays, the first trip arrives at the Fulfillment Center at 6:35 a.m. and departs at 1:45 a.m. while on Sundays, the first trip arrives at 8 a.m. and departs at 1:30 a.m. No changes to destination signs.
March 28, 2021
All 53B “Markham Road” buses are now extended via Passmore Avenue to the Amazon cul-de-sac before terminating in the eastbound direction at all times.
Also on this day, buses on this route have moved to the newly-opened McNicoll Garage.
53 Steeles East Image Archive
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An issue of TTC's "Headlights", describing changes to bus services coincident with the extension of the YONGE SUBWAY to Finch on March 30, 1974. |
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An official TTC map of the extension to serve the Amazon Fulfillment Centre, effective January 11, 2021. |
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Map of 53 STEELES EAST route, effective November 23, 2008. |
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TTC Orion VII OG Hybrid 1111 lays over at Finch Station after a busy trip along the 53 STEELES EAST route. Photo by: TorontoTransportGuy. |
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TTC Orion VII 1203 parked at Finch getting ready for a run on Route 53B Steeles East, taken on November 17, 2007. Photo by Michael Seong |
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TTC Orion VII 1206 parked at Finch getting ready for a run on Route 53B Steeles East, taken on November 24, 2007. Photo by Michael Seong |
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TTC Orion VII Hybrid #1713 seen on Bishop Avenue near Finch Station on route 53 STEELES EAST. The photo was taken on December 19, 2009 by Ryan Flores. |
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Caught by Roman Fomin, Orion V bus #7123 runs to Finch Subway Station along Finch Avenue East followed by Orion V bus #7040. This photo was taken on January 20, 2011. |
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TTC GM New Look bus #3748 seen arriving at Finch station via Bishop Avenue on the 53 STEELES EAST route in September 1977. Photo by Bob Hussey. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-87 bus #6301 departs Finch station on the 53 STEELES EAST. This photo was taken on October 16, 1997 by Felix Tse. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-87 bus #6337 exits Finch station running the 53 STEELES EAST going eastbound on Pharmacy Avenue on October 16, 1998. Photo taken by Felix Tse. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-89 bus #6512 arrives at Finch station via Bishop Avenue operating on the 53 STEELES EAST service in August 1989. This photo was taken by Bob Hussey. |
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During a cloudy day on April 14, 1993, Paul A. Bateson provided this photo of TTC Orion V bus #6725 viewed west on Steeles Avenue East heading eastbound to Middlefield loop passing by Brimley Road on route 53A STEELES EAST. |
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Passengers board TTC Orion V 7037, one of the last 11 active 7000 Series units, which is about to leave Finch Station for Markham Road along the 53 STEELES EAST route. Photo by TorontoTransportGuy. |
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TTC GM New Look bus #8271, after retrofitted with electronic signs, seen at Finch station preparing its next run on route 53A STEELES EAST in April 1992. This photo was taken by Bob Hussey. |
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TTC Nova LFS articulated bus #9057 pulls into Finch station's bus terminal from Yonge Street, in service on the B branch of 53 STEELES EAST on May 12, 2015. Photo by Flame Cube. |
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TTC Orion V Ex-CNG 9444 on Route 53 STEELES EAST at Finch Station heading to Staines. Photo by TorontoTransportGuy. |
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Passengers traveling towards Markham Road along the 53 STEELES EAST route board TTC Orion V Ex-CNG 9445 at Finch Station. Photo by TorontoTransportGuy. |
