Form Revised: September 1999

TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION REPORT NO.

MEETING DATE: November 26, 2008

SUBJECT: EXPRESS BUS SERVICE

ACTION ITEM

RECOMMENDATIONS

1) Approve the elimination of the premium fare on the 141 DOWNTOWN/MT PLEASANT EXPRESS, 142 DOWNTOWN/AVENUE RD EXPRESS, and 144 DOWNTOWN/DON VALLEY EXPRESS bus routes, so that customers pay only a regular fare, as described in this report, effective September 8, 2009;

2) Note that:

• in 2008, service levels have been improved on 21 existing local-express bus services;

• in 2008, new periods of operation have been implemented on six existing local- express services

• new local-express service will be introduced, on a trial basis, on the 41 KEELE and 60 STEELES WEST bus routes, as described in this report;

• more-frequent service will be introduced, on a trial basis, on the existing local- express services on the 35E JANE and 96E WILSON bus routes, as described in this report;

• an additional downtown/express bus service on Bayview Avenue will be assessed in conjunction with the planned post-implementation review of the introduction of regular fares on downtown express services recommended above;

• a comprehensive evaluation of opportunities for express bus operations on all of the other major bus routes in the system has been carried out, and has concluded that additional express bus operations are not recommended at this time because they would not provide sufficient benefit to customers to justify their costs; EXPRESS BUS SERVICE Page 2

• the operation of limited-stop express bus services on the six future LRT corridors now served by buses, until the new LRT services begin, is not recommended because they would require the addition of 54 peak buses, and would cost approximately $5.6-million per year in additional direct operating costs, and have few passenger benefits over and above the express services already in operation on a number of these lines; and

• Forward this report to all City councillors, Mississauga Transit, York Region Transit, Brampton Transit, , GO Transit, and .

FUNDING

The recommended conversion of routes from premium fare to regular fare would decrease fare revenue by approximately $300,000 per year. This loss of revenue has not been budgeted for in the 2009 Operating Budget. Other service increases described in this report can be accommodated within the 2009 Operating Budget.

BACKGROUND

TTC staff have initiated work on a Transit City Bus Plan which is a comprehensive review of bus operations on all major routes in the system, focusing on improving the speed of operations and customer-focused amenities. The Bus Plan involves assessing all aspects of bus operations including the design of services, physical road improvement (queue jump lanes, for example) to speed operations, improved stop locations and shelter treatments, improved customer information systems, and branding. As a first step in the development of the Bus Plan, staff have completed a comprehensive review of the use of express buses at the TTC, and these results are presented in this report. The report summarises approximately 20 proposals for new express bus services.

DISCUSSION

The TTC currently operates 22 express bus services. These are shown in Exhibit 1, attached. These can be broadly categorised in three ways:

• “Local-Express” Bus Services: usually consist of an express branch that operates on a regular TTC route, often in the peak-periods from Monday to Friday only. The express buses typically serve all local stops at the outer end of the route and then serve limited stops only as they get closer to the subway station. These services are implemented when there are overall passenger benefits to reassigning existing local buses on the route to express bus operation on a no-net cost basis.

• Rocket Routes: These are limited-stop express routes that generally link two major transit destinations. They typically have peak-period service and some off-peak EXPRESS BUS SERVICE Page 3

service. These services involve additional costs which must be justified through the route’s ability to attract new riders to the system.

• Downtown Express Routes: These are routes that operate directly to the downtown in the morning peak-period and from downtown in the afternoon peak-period. They provide an alternative to travel on the Yonge Subway or parallel local bus and streetcar routes. Premium fares are charged for travel on these routes.

Express services improve service for customers by reducing travel time and making transit a more-attractive travel option, compared to other ways of travelling. The local-express services reduce operating costs on long routes, because fewer buses, overall, are required to provide the required capacity, compared to operating all the buses in slower local service. The Rocket Routes and downtown express routes generally require an overall increase in operating costs. The provision of a direct no-transfer and fast service to link major destinations means that the Rocket Routes provide substantial benefits to customers, and attract new customers to the TTC because of the reduced travel time. Three of the four downtown express routes importantly provide an alternative to peak- period travel on the Yonge Subway. Ridership in recent years has been relatively low on the downtown express routes.

Express services are routinely evaluated in the same way as all other TTC routes, using the Commission-approved Service Standards. Since 2003, 16 requests for new or improved express services have been formally analysed as part of the report on Service Improvements, of which three have been implemented. Many other service improvements have been made to express bus services in recent years. Between February and September, 2008, service was increased on 13 express routes, to reduce crowding. In February, 2008, new Monday-Friday midday and early evening and Saturday daytime express service was introduced on the 39E FINCH EAST (-Neilson Express) branch, and new Monday-Friday early evening express service was introduced on the 53E STEELES EAST (Finch Station-Markham Road Express) branch.

Starting on November 23, 2008, as part of the TTC’s Ridership Growth Strategy, new and increased express services were introduced on several routes. New service during the late evenings from Monday to Friday and the evenings on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays was introduced on the 191 HIGHWAY 27 ROCKET route. New service during the late evenings on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays began on the 190 SCARBOROUGH CENTRE ROCKET route. New service during the late evenings from Monday to Friday, the evenings on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays and holidays is now operating on the 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET route. New off-peak service at all times of the week has been introduced on the 116E MORNINGSIDE (-University of Scarborough) branch. Service has been increased during the peak-periods on the 39E FINCH EAST (Finch Station-Neilson Express) branch, the 45E KIPLING (-Steeles) branch, the 131E NUGGET (Kennedy Station-Old Finch Express) service, 86E SCARBOROUGH (Kennedy Station–Sheppard Express) branch, the 53E/F STEELES EAST express branches, the 60E/F STEELES WEST express branches, the 190 SCARBOROUGH CENTRE ROCKET route, and the 196 YORK UNIVERSITY ROCKET route.

EXPRESS BUS SERVICE Page 4

Starting on January 5, 2009, service during the peak-periods on the 39 FINCH EAST EXPRESS route will be extended east from Neilson Road to Old Finch Avenue and Valley Centre Drive. This change is being made as part of the report on Service Improvements for 2008.

The balance of this report discusses additional possible express bus services, and summarises a systematic review that has been made of possible additional express services on all major routes and along significant transit corridors.

Local-Express Services – Review of Existing Routes

A comprehensive review has been undertaken of existing and possible new local-express services. The ridership, costs, and customer benefits of all existing express services were evaluated.

Based on this evaluation, two routes with existing express service, the 35E JANE (-York University Express) and 96E WILSON (-Humber College Express) have been identified as underperforming. Ridership and service levels on these two services are relatively low, and the overall benefit to customers provided by the express services on these two routes is less than if the services were discontinued and the resources reinvested into local service. Both of these routes provide relatively infrequent express service, however, (every 14 minutes on 35E JANE and every 21 minutes on 96E WILSON) and the lack of success on these services may be the result of relatively infrequent express service.

In order to determine if increased service on the two underperforming express services would attract additional customers, service on the 35E JANE (Jane Station-York University Express) and 96E WILSON (Wilson Station-Humber College Express) branches will be increased to a bus approximately every 12 minutes, from the present 14- to 21-minute service. This change will be made, on a trial basis, beginning in November, 2009. The changes would require the addition of three morning peak and five afternoon peak-period buses. Sufficient resources are available in the 2009 Operating Budget for this change. Ridership and route performance on these two services will be re-evaluated in the spring of 2010, at the end of the trial period. If ridership has not increased and the overall benefit to customers of the express service is not positive, then these express services will be discontinued.

Service and ridership characteristics on the other existing nineteen local-express routes are satisfactory. Ridership levels are higher, and the express services provide an overall benefit to customers. No route or service level changes are recommended for these services. Many of these have had service increases in 2008 to reduce crowding, and service will continue to be increased if and when ridership exceeds the maximum planned levels.

EXPRESS BUS SERVICE Page 5

Local-Express Services – Possible New Routes

A detailed evaluation was made of possible new Monday-Friday peak-period local-express branches on major corridors in the TTC network that do not currently have express service. These are listed below, and are shown on Exhibit 2, attached.

25 DON MILLS ...... - Steeles 29 DUFFERIN ...... Wilson Station - Exhibition (Dufferin Gate) 32 EGLINTON WEST...... - Renforth 32 EGLINTON WEST...... Eglinton Station - 34 EGLINTON EAST...... Eglinton Station - Kennedy Station 36 FINCH WEST ...... Finch Station - Humberwood 41 KEELE...... - York University 52 LAWRENCE WEST...... Lawrence Station - 54 LAWRENCE EAST ...... Eglinton Station - 116 MORNINGSIDE ...... Kennedy Station - Finch 133 NEILSON...... Scarborough Centre Station - Morningside Heights 79 SCARLETT RD ...... - Jane & Lawrence 85 SHEPPARD EAST ...... - Rouge Hill GO Station 60 STEELES WEST...... Finch Station - Highway 27 96 WILSON / 165 WESTON RD NORTH...... - Wilson Station

The evaluation considered the existing ridership patterns and possible future usage of major stops, based in part on typical stop usage on similar nearby express services. Projections of express bus ridership were prepared for each corridor, and the effect of changes on customers who use stops that would not be served by the express buses were evaluated. The analysis assumed that there would be an increase in the number of buses on the route, thus minimising the increase in waiting time that would be experienced at stops that are now served by all buses on the route and would in the future be served only by local bus service. The evaluation also estimated the travel time savings that would result from operating express service.

Based on the evaluation, a trial of new local-express service is warranted on the 41 KEELE route between York University and Keele Station, and on the 60 STEELES WEST route between Finch Station and Highway 27. The evaluation shows that the projected ridership and travel time savings would result in an overall benefit to customers. The new express service on both routes will be introduced in November 2009. The changes would require the addition of four morning peak and four afternoon peak-period buses. Sufficient resources are available in the 2009 Operating Budget for these changes.

The evaluation of new local-express service on the other corridors that are not recommended for new express service determined that, overall, the benefits to new express customers would be less than the inconvenience to existing customers who would continue to use the local bus stops. In most cases, the projected travel time savings for the express service are too small to produce a significant benefit to customers.

Downtown Express Service

Four TTC Downtown Express services operate during the peak-periods from Monday to Friday. A premium fare is charged on all four routes. This premium fare is approximately EXPRESS BUS SERVICE Page 6 double that of a regular TTC fare (two tokens, or $5.00 cash, or a monthly Metropass with a $32.00 per month Downtown Express sticker). One of the routes, the 143 DOWNTOWN/BEACH EXPRESS, provides an express trip between the Beach and downtown, and parallels the streetcar service. The other three routes – 142 DOWNTOWN/AVENUE ROAD EXPRESS, 141 DOWNTOWN/MT PLEASANT EXPRESS, and 144 DOWNTOWN/DON VALLEY EXPRESS – offer a direct express ride to and from downtown, parallel to the Yonge Subway. Many of the customers who use Routes 141, 142, and 144 have the alternative of a ride on an east-west bus route to the Yonge Subway, and a subway ride to downtown.

From their introduction in 1990 until 1992, the Avenue Road and Mount Pleasant Road routes operated with regular fares. Ridership was relatively high, and continued to grow during those two years, demonstrating that the routes were popular with customers as a fast and direct alternative to downtown travel by means of a local bus route connecting to the subway. In 1992, during a period of transit service cuts across the system, instead of eliminating the routes, a premium fare was introduced on these two routes (premium fares have always been charged on the 143 DOWNTOWN/BEACH EXPRESS and the 144 DOWNTOWN/DON VALLEY EXPRESS and its predecessor routes). Ridership on the Avenue Road and Mount Pleasant Road routes is now less than 25 per cent of the level in 1991, before the premium fare was introduced.

The Yonge Subway is currently approaching all-time high ridership levels, especially southbound during the morning peak-period. The average number of customers per train at the busiest point on the route in the morning peak-period now exceeds the maximum planned levels. Significant capacity improvements are underway on the Yonge Subway, through the purchase of new higher-capacity and more reliable trains, and the installation of a new train control system to replace the existing 50-year old train signal system. Together, these two initiatives will increase peak-period capacity on the Yonge Subway by a significant percentage. Because of the time required to implement these major capital programmes, these improvements will not be fully realised for seven or more years.

In the interim, supplementary bus services are warranted that can carry modest volumes of passengers who would otherwise travel on the Yonge Subway at the busiest times. Experience in the early 1990s shows that the 142 DOWNTOWN/AVENUE ROAD EXPRESS, 141 DOWNTOWN/MT PLEASANT EXPRESS, and 144 DOWNTOWN/DON VALLEY EXPRESS can provide a viable alternative to travel on the Yonge Subway, and can help to carry more customers on transit without further overcrowding the subway.

It is, therefore, recommended that the premium fares be eliminated on the 142 DOWNTOWN/AVENUE ROAD EXPRESS, 141 DOWNTOWN/MT PLEASANT EXPRESS, and 144 DOWNTOWN/DON VALLEY EXPRESS routes, effective September 8, 2009. Regular fares would be charged on these three routes after that date. It is projected that eliminating the existing premium fare would reduce fare revenues by approximately $300,000 on an annual basis.

Service will be increased on the routes, as required, to maintain crowding levels within the service standards. Given the relatively low present ridership on two of the routes, EXPRESS BUS SERVICE Page 7 additional capacity is available in the short term to accommodate increased ridership. Sufficient resources are available in the 2009 Operating Budget to implement the future expected service increases.

As part of this analysis, a new downtown express route was evaluated along Bayview Avenue, in order to provide an additional alternative to the Yonge Subway. This regular fare route would operate from , south on Bayview Avenue to downtown, serving the same stops on Richmond Street and Adelaide Street that are served by the other downtown express routes. This route would require the addition of five buses. This possible new service, and others that would potentially reduce crowding on the Yonge Subway, will be re-evaluated in detail later in 2009, once ridership results are available after the recommended elimination of premium fares on Routes 141, 142, and 144.

No change is recommended to the premium fare on the 143 DOWNTOWN/BEACH EXPRESS. This route does not provide an alternative to overcrowding on the Yonge Subway.

Rocket Routes – Transit City LRT Corridors

An evaluation was made of new possible express bus service for the existing bus corridors in which it is planned to implement Transit City LRT lines. The evaluated bus services are listed below.

Etobicoke-Finch West LRT ...... Finch Station – Humber College Sheppard East LRT ...... Don Mills Station – Meadowvale Jane LRT...... Jane Station – Steeles Don Mills LRT ...... Pape Station – Steeles Eglinton-Crosstown LRT ...... Kennedy Station – Pearson Airport Scarborough-Malvern LRT ...... Kennedy Station – Malvern

The new express services were assumed to operate during the peak-periods from Monday to Friday only, every 10 to 12 minutes. Service would be similar to the existing Rocket Routes. Buses would serve limited stops only, approximately at the same locations proposed for stops on the planned LRT lines. These limited-stop express routes differ from the local-express routes evaluated earlier in this report on the same corridors because they would serve fewer more-widely-spaced stops than the local-express services. The limited stop services as evaluated also represent a substantial increase in resources, over and above the existing local services. Existing local-express bus service on two of the lines (Jane LRT, Scarborough–Malvern LRT) would be replaced by the proposed new express service.

The new limited-stop services would require the addition of 54 peak buses, and would cost approximately $5.6-million per year in additional direct operating costs. The projected increase in ridership would be relatively small, because the travel time savings expected from the limited-stop operation would also be relatively small. Unlike the future LRT services, the limited-stop bus service would be subject to the same traffic congestion as the existing bus services. Travel time benefits of the new services would be further limited during the construction of the transit lines, as traffic congestion would temporarily increase during construction. As a result of the high costs and the limited, short-term EXPRESS BUS SERVICE Page 8 benefits, a parallel limited-stop bus service along Transit City LRT corridors is not recommended.

Future work

TTC staff will present a report to a future Commission meeting on the feasibility of an extensive upgraded bus network, similar to the Transit City LRT network. This report will consider bus corridor upgrades and other improvements for major routes that are not covered by the Transit City LRT project.

SUMMARY

This report describes a number of express bus and limited-stop bus route evaluations. Changes to the fare structure of three of the downtown express bus routes are recommended, in order to increase ridership and provide a surface alternative to the Yonge Subway. A comprehensive evaluation of new local-express services on major bus routes was also undertaken, and TTC staff will implement two new local-express services in 2009.

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October 1, 2008 11-38-57

Attachment: Exhibits 1 and 2