TTC to vote on new list of route cuts
[attach]3487[/attach]After hearing from the public and crunching the numbers the TTC has decided to change its recommendation regarding service cuts to 48 bus routes.
Under the new proposal seven of the 48 routes will be unaltered, while it still plans to proceed with reduced hours on 41 bus routes.
The proposal will go to the TTC for a vote tomorrow.
Here’s how it all impacts you.
The seven bus routes are no longer on the chopping block and will continue as currently scheduled are: 122 Graydon Hall, 110 Islingon South, 130 Middlefield, 48 Rathburn, 78 St. Andrews, 60 Steeles West and 55 Warren Park.
Of the remaining 41 routes, they fall into two categories: the 19 routes that will see services cuts, but not as drastic as those originally proposed and the 22 where the cuts will go ahead as previously announced.
Selected revised cuts:
5 Avenue Road bus the new proposal is to have service end at 10 p.m. weekdays and end at 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The original proposal was for service to end at 7 p.m. weekdays and run no buses on weekends and holidays.
51 Leslie the new plan is to have buses stop after 10 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Previously proposed was to stop buses at 10 p.m. Mon-Sat and end service at 7 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.
162 Lawrence-Donway — service will finish at 7 p.m. on weekdays and there will be no buses at all on weekends and holidays. But this could be seen as an improvement as the previous recommendation was to offer only peak-hour bus service in the mornings and evenings during the week.
Selected same cuts as before:
26 Dupont — service is ending at 10 p.m. daily.
8 Broadview — service will cease at 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
33 Forest Hill — service ending at 7 p.m. weekdays and no buses at all on weekends and holidays.
135 Gerrard — service ends at 10 p.m. Mon-Sat and ceases at 7 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.
56 Leaside — service stops at 10 p.m. weekdays and at 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Plus no service west of Laird Dr to Eglinton Station on Sundays and holidays in the daytime.
The TTC stated in a Jan. 31 press release some rationale behind the cuts.
If fewer than 10 people are boarding a bus per hour, then service on these routes should be cut. However, if the nearest alternative bus route is more than 600 metres away then an exception should be made to keep the service at current levels. The plan is to save about $4 million by reducing service on underperforming routes and reinvest the same money later this fall on unspecified, busier routes.
The TTC votes on this issue at its meeting Feb. 2 in afternoon at city hall in Committee Room 2 on the 2nd floor. If the services cuts are approved, they will take affect in May.
For an up-to-date list of revisions to all 41 bus routes click [url=http://www3.ttc.ca/News/2011/January/TTC_bus_routes_reallocated_0131.jsp]here[/url].
For the original list of 48 bus route reductions click [url=http://www3.ttc.ca/News/2011/January/0119_Public_Meetings.jsp]here[/url].