Many TTC passengers are complaining as large-scale construction is announced on Spadina Ave in Toronto. The TTC announced that street cars on the 510 Spadina route will be replaced with buses from Sunday, June 23rd until the end of the year to upgrade infrastructure. Buses will run in both directions along Spadina Avenue from Spadina Station to Queens Quay West. Commuters traveling to and from Union Station must transfer to the bus and 509 Harbourfront Streetcar at Queen’s Quay West.
The TTC said the work includes track maintenance, system modernization and future platform expansion. Although this work is intended to ensure long-term safe and reliable service, many Torontonians are concerned about traffic delays and disruption. On Reddit, the largest community in North America, one netizen described the traffic situation on Spadina on the Gardiner Expressway as a “nightmare” and said it took 30 minutes to travel the 700 meters from Queen Street to Front Street.
Another user complained, saying, “I always have to wait for the late bus while trying to cram people into a small space.” Some users made light of the situation by quoting lyrics from Canadian band Shuffle Demons’ 1986 hit “Spadina Bus.” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow acknowledged that this construction would be a major inconvenience to many people but emphasized that it was necessary. “So many people rely on Spa Dinah Street Cars, and this is important work to ensure safe and reliable TTC service going forward,” Mayor Chow said in her statement
. Many are criticizing Mayor Chow’s comments earlier this week when she spoke to Canadian business leaders about wanting employees to work in-person. One Reddit user sarcastically said, “I’m really happy that Mayor Chau is trying to get more people to go to work and at the same time TTC service is being cut off.” The TTC did not release an exact end date for construction but said it would last until December. “While temporary bus replacements may cause inconvenience to many of our citizens, our dedicated team will work diligently to complete the upgrades on time or sooner by the end of the year,” TTC Chairman Jamal Myers said in a statement.