Toronto Could Give Buses and Streetcars Priority

In a shift away from subway expansions and upgrades, Toronto looks to improve the bus and streetcar systems.

1 minute read

July 19, 2019, 10:00 AM PDT

By Camille Fink


Toronto Bus TTC

BillyCabic / Flickr

The Toronto Transit Commission is considering changes that will help speed up the city’s notoriously slow and unreliable buses and streetcars. "According to a recent TTC report outlining the agency’s five-year service plan, measures being considered range from relatively subtle interventions like increased use of turning restrictions or traffic signals that give priority to transit vehicles, to more robust interventions like removing lanes of car traffic to create dedicated transit lanes," writes Ben Spurr.

Almost 60 percent of TTC trips were on buses and streetcars in 2017, and the cost to improve infrastructure and operations for these modes is significantly lower than for the subway system. Advocates say the return on investment makes sense and the city needs to take bold measures as the area’s population increases.

After the success of a streetcar pilot project on King Street in downtown, the city council voted to make the changes permanent. But city officials say getting public support for bus and streetcar improvements is still a challenge, particularly in Toronto’s suburbs where people are used to driving and less likely to use transit regularly.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019 in The Star

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight