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		November 20, 1998 Ms. Novina Wong Clerk City of Toronto Station 1071, 7th Floor Metro Hall 55 John Street Toronto, Ontario M5V 3C6 Dear Ms. Wong: At its meeting on Wednesday, November 18, 1998, the Commission considered the attached report entitled, "1999 Service Plan - Results of Consultation." The Commission approved Recommendation Nos. 1, 4, 5 and 6 contained in the above report, as listed below: 1.Approve the introduction of the following service changes for a trial period, beginning on February 14, 1999, noting that no comments were received in opposition to these changes: C160 BATHURST NORTH - Removal of late evening service C307 EGLINTON WEST - New overnight service to Pearson Airport C309 FINCH WEST - New overnight service to Humberwood Loop C83 JONES - New Saturday service C74 MT PLEASANT - New Monday-Friday evening service C131 NUGGET - New Sunday and holiday service CRustic Road and Falstaff Avenue - New service C86 SCARBOROUGH - Removal of non-summer weekend service to Toronto Zoo C85 SHEPPARD EAST - Direct service east of Meadowvale Road on weekends C53 STEELES EAST - New service on Elson Street east of McCowan Road C168 SYMINGTON - New service on Weston Road to West Park Hospital C168 SYMINGTON - Removal of late evening service north of St. Clair Avenue C319 WILSON - New overnight service on Martin Grove Road north of Finch Avenue C165 WESTON RD NORTH - New Sunday and holiday late evening service to Finch Avenue. 4.Note that the following proposals for service changes, which had not been recommended in the 1999 service plan, have been re-evaluated by staff at the request of city councillors, and are still not recommended: C51 LESLIE - Sunday service CRivalda Road - Service north of Bradstock Road 5.Request the City of Toronto to take the steps necessary to build a bus driveway connecting Richview Road to Eglinton Avenue, because this connection is needed to introduce the 73 Royal York service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road, as described in this report, and to respond on this matter to the Commission by March 1, 1999. 6.Forward this report to the City of Toronto, all city councillors, and the Town of Markham." The Commission approved Recommendation No. 2, subject to the following amendments: CReferring the proposed service change concerning the 49 Bloor West and 50 Burnhamthorpe back to staff to investigate the alternative options suggested by the deputants, with the local area councillors to be included in any discussions which take place in this regard, and further that "one way" bus service on Markland Drive be a condition of any options that are investigated. CDeferring consideration of the proposed service change for the 115 Silver Hills to permit Councillor Flint an opportunity to appear before the Commission on this matter; so such recommendation reads, as follows: 2.Approve the introduction of the following service changes for a trial period, beginning on February 14, 1999, or as soon thereafter as possible following road changes, noting that comments of varying degrees of opposition to the changes were received, as described in this report: C12 KINGSTON RD - Removal of service east of St. Clair Avenue C74 MT PLEASANT and 103 MT PLEASANT NORTH - Combination into one route and new service on Merton Street (with temporary operation on Davisville Avenue until required road changes are made on Merton Street) C73 ROYAL YORK - New Service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road (road changes required) C76 ROYAL YORK SOUTH - New service on Grand Avenue C88 SOUTH LEASIDE - Removal of Saturday evening service to Thorncliffe Park C68 WARDEN - Extension to Steeles Avenue. The Commission amended Recommendation No. 3 by striking out the Recommendation and replacing therein the following: 3.That staff be directed to proceed with the original proposal for the 80 Queensway service, as detailed in the 1999 Service Plan, and that commencement of this service be deferred for one Board Period; and further that in the interim TTC staff meet with the local area councillors and City Transportation staff in an effort to resolve the issue of bus stops on Lake Shore Boulevard. In approving Recommendation No. 5 noted above, it is hereby requested that the City of Toronto take the necessary steps to build a bus driveway connecting Richview Road to Eglinton Avenue, as this connection is needed to introduce the 73 ROYAL YORK service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road, as described in the report, and further that the City of Toronto respond on this matter to the Commission by March 1, 1999. The foregoing is forwarded to the City of Toronto Urban Environment and Development Committee for necessary action, as well as, all Toronto City Councillors and the Town of Markham for information. Sincerely, Vincent Rodo General Secretary 1-64 Attachment Copy:All Toronto City Councillors B. Panizza, Clerk, Town of Markham TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION REPORT NO. MEETING DATE:November 18, 1998 SUBJECT:1999 SERVICE PLAN - RESULTS OF CONSULTATION RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that the Commission: 1.Approve the introduction of the following service changes for a trial period, beginning on February 14, 1999, noting that no comments were received in opposition to these changes: •160Bathurst North - Removal of late evening service •307Eglinton West - New overnight service to Pearson Airport •309Finch West - New overnight service to Humberwood Loop •83Jones - New Saturday service •74Mt Pleasant - New Monday-Friday evening service •131Nugget - New Sunday and holiday service •Rustic Road and Falstaff Avenue - New service •86Scarborough - Removal of non-summer weekend service to Toronto Zoo •85Sheppard East - Direct service east of Meadowvale Road on weekends •53Steeles East - New service on Elson Street east of McCowan Road •168Symington - New service on Weston Road to West Park Hospital •168Symington - Removal of late evening service north of St. Clair Avenue •319Wilson - New overnight service on Martin Grove Road north of Finch Avenue •165Weston Rd North - New Sunday and holiday late evening service to Finch Avenue 2.Approve the introduction of the following service changes for a trial period, beginning on February 14, 1999, or as soon thereafter as possible following road changes, noting that comments of varying degrees of opposition to the changes were received, as described in this report: •49Bloor West and 50Burnhamthorpe - New service on Mill Road •12Kingston Rd - Removal of service east of St. Clair Avenue •74Mt Pleasant and 103Mt Pleasant North - Combination into one route and new service on Merton Street (with temporary operation on Davisville Avenue until required road changes are made on Merton Street) •73Royal York - New service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road (road changes required) •76Royal York South - New service on Grand Avenue •115Silver Hills - Combination with 78St Andrews •88South Leaside - Removal of Saturday evening service to Thorncliffe Park •68Warden - Extension to Steeles Avenue 3.Note that the recommendation by staff for service to the western beaches on the 80Queensway route has been withdrawn, as it has been determined to be not operationally feasible, as described in this report: 4.Note that the following proposals for service changes, which had not been recommended in the 1999 Service Plan, have been re-evaluated by staff at the request of city councillors, and are still not recommended: •51Leslie - Sunday service •Rivalda Road - Service north of Bradstock Road 5.Request the City of Toronto to take the steps necessary to build a bus driveway connecting Richview Road to Eglinton Avenue, because this connection is needed to introduce the 73Royal York service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road, as described in this report, and to respond on this matter to the Commission by March 1, 1999; 6.Forward this report to the City of Toronto, all city councillors, and the Town of Markham. FUNDING The service changes recommended in the 1999 Service Plan will increase the TTC's revenues with no change in the overall cost of operating the TTC system. The service improvements are expected to increase fare revenue by approximately $140,000 per year. BACKGROUND The TTC's mandate is to move people from place to place within the City of Toronto. Customers' expectations of the TTC are continually changing, as their needs for travel evolve. In turn, the TTC must continuously adapt its network to best serve its customers. TTC staff use input from customers, as gathered through travel surveys, direct communication, and customers' representatives on council, to plan improvements to the TTC's route network. Recommendations to change the TTC network are based on the best interests of transit customers. Contributions from governments toward the cost of operating the TTC have fallen dramatically in recent years, to the point that over 80 percent of the cost of operating the TTC is now paid by customers, through their fares. The trend toward increased reliance on fare revenue has made it even more important to meet customers' travel needs; not only are the customers the TTC's sole reason for existence, they are now also, by far, the most important source of funding. The Commission has faced in recent months some issues which have required decisions to be made between the interests of transit customers and the interests of other people within Toronto. These other people have asked the TTC to deny improvements in transit service for transit customers, and to place the interests of non-customers above those of customers. The TTC is a transportation agency, and its responsibilities are to care for its customers, to increase transit ridership, and to promote the use of transit. To meet its responsibility to continuously improve transit service, the TTC carries out a range of transit planning activities. One among these is the preparation of an annual service plan. The work to prepare a service plan begins by asking city councillors early in the year for suggestions for service improvements, and by collecting comments from customers and TTC employees. Through the spring and summer, TTC staff evaluate the proposals, to measure the benefits for customers, to compare the proposals to the TTC's financial standards, and to conduct physical route assessments. The service plan is presented to the Commission in the summer, and consultation with councillors is carried out through the fall. The 1999 Service Plan was presented to the Commission at its meeting of August 19, 1998. The report recommended 25 service changes, designed to improve service for customers and thus increase ridership and revenue. These service changes include improved service on 11 routes, new service on nine routes, and service changes or reductions on nine routes to improve financial performance. The changes are expected to improve service for approximately 10,100 customer-trips each day, by reducing the distance that customers need to walk to or from their nearest bus stop, by reducing the number of transfers that they need to make, or by reducing their travel time. It is projected that these service increases will attract 102,000 new customer-trips to the TTC each year and, thus, increase revenues by approximately $140,000 each year. While the service changes increase the costs of operation on these particular routes, the total cost of operation of the TTC system will not change, because resources will be used which have been made available by reductions in service on routes with low ridership. The net effect of all of the changes is to improve the financial situation of the TTC. The TTC's service standards process includes a period of consultation after the changes are presented to the Commission and before they are introduced, during which time comments are requested from city councillors. If requested, TTC staff also attend meetings of the community councils and public meetings, or provide additional information regarding the recommendations. At the end of the period of consultation, if no suggestions have been made to change the recommendations, or if no comments are received in opposition, then arrangements are made for the service changes to begin. If changes are suggested, TTC staff review these suggestions or concerns and report to the Commission before changes are made to the service. The period of consultation for the 1999 Service Plan began upon the presentation of the report to the Commission on August 19, 1998, and continued until October 28, 1998. This report presents the results of the consultation, and TTC staff responses to the comments that were made during the consultation. Appendix A lists the details of all of the comments that were received during the consultation, and Appendices B, D, and E list the details of comments that were made at three public meetings that were organised by city councillors to discuss the recommended service changes. Appendices C and F describe alternatives that were examined for two recommended service changes. DISCUSSION Service changes with no opposing comments, to begin in February 1999 The following 14 service changes were recommended in the 1999 Service Plan. As no comments in opposition to these changes were received during the period of consultation, arrangements are being made for these service changes to be introduced, beginning on February 14, 15, or 20, 1999. It is recommended that the Commission approve the introduction of these changes, because they will improve service for customers. Further details about these changes can be found in the excerpt from the 1999 Service Plan which is attached to this report. •160 Bathurst North - Removal of late evening service •307 Eglinton West - New overnight service to Pearson Airport •309 Finch West - New overnight service to Humberwood Loop •83 Jones - New Saturday service •74 Mt Pleasant - New Monday-Friday evening service •131 Nugget - New Sunday and holiday service •Rustic Road and Falstaff Avenue - New service •86 Scarborough - Removal of non-summer weekend service to Toronto Zoo •85 Sheppard East - Direct service east of Meadowvale Road on weekends •53 Steeles East - New service on Elson Street east of McCowan Road •168 Symington - New service on Weston Road to West Park Hospital •168 Symington - Removal of late evening service north of St. Clair Avenue •319 Wilson - New overnight service on Martin Grove Road north of Finch Avenue •165 Weston Rd North - New Sunday and holiday late evening service to Finch Avenue The recommended routing of the extension of the 168Symington route to West Park Hospital has been changed. Since the preparation of the 1999 Service Plan, and for reasons unrelated to the proposed transit service, City of Toronto staff have recommended that Buttonwood Avenue be closed at the intersection with Weston Road. No specific date has been set for this road closure. Because of the proposed closure of Buttonwood Avenue, it is now recommended that buses leaving West Park Hospital operate east on Buttonwood Avenue, north on Charlton Settlement Avenue, east on Dora Spencer Road, and south on Weston Road. This revised routing is recommended for operation, whether or not Buttonwood Avenue is closed at the time that the service begins operation, as a change in the routing during the trial period would be confusing to customers. This service change requires a place for buses to turn around at West Park Hospital. West Park Hospital staff have identified a suitable on-street loop through their grounds, and are prepared to make the necessary physical change to allow bus operation once the service change has been approved by the Commission. If a turning area is not ready by February15, then the change will not begin operation until the turning area is ready. Service changes with comments in opposition, recommended for introduction The following eight service changes were recommended in the 1999 Service Plan. During the period of consultation, comments were received in varying degrees of opposition to the changes. The comments are described below, along with a response from TTC staff. It is recommended that the Commission approve the introduction of these changes, because they will improve service for customers. 49 Bloor West and 50 Burnhamthorpe - New service on Mill Road Background: TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that these two routes be combined into one route, operating between Kipling Station and Islington Station, to provide new service on Mill Road between Markland Drive and Burnhamthorpe Road. The change would improve service for approximately 115 customer-trips each day, by reducing the distance that customers need to walk to or from their nearest bus stop. Results of consultation: TTC staff attended a public meeting organised by Councillors Holyday and O'Brien on October 19, 1998. There were approximately 160 people at the meeting. Of these, approximately 140 were opposed to the service change, because it would have the effect of increasing the number of buses which drive past their houses. Approximately 10 of the people supported the recommended service change, and approximately 10 gave no opinion. Both councillors indicated that they do not support the recommendation. A summary of comments received at the meeting is given in Appendix B. A number of suggestions were made at the public meeting regarding possible alternative routings. City of Toronto staff have indicated that they plan to write a report about the recommended service change. TTC staff received a petition, several letters, and several telephone calls from residents on Markland Drive in opposition to the recommendation to combine the 49Bloor West and 50Burnhamthorpe routes to provide new service on Mill Road. TTC staff response: TTC staff have reviewed the other options suggested at the public meeting that would provide new service on Mill Road between Markland Drive and Burnhamthorpe Road, but which would not increase operation on Markland Drive. These options are described in Appendix C. The service change originally recommended in the 1999 Service Plan would provide the best service to Mill Road and would cause the least inconvenience for present TTC customers. For this reason, the service change, as described in the 1999 Service Plan, is recommended, to begin on February 14, 1999. 12 Kingston Rd - Removal of service east of St. Clair Avenue Background: TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that the service provided by the 12Kingston Rd route east of St. Clair Avenue to Morningside Avenue be removed, to reduce operating costs. No customers would lose service, as this section of Kingston Road is also served by the 102Markham Rd and 86Scarborough routes. The change would make service worse for some customers, by requiring them to make an additional transfer. Results of consultation: Scarborough Community Council asked that the recommendation to remove the service provided by the 12Kingston Rd route east of St. Clair Avenue be re-examined. TTC staff received a letter from a customer opposed to the recommendation to remove the section of the 12Kingston Rd route east of St. Clair Avenue. TTC staff response: TTC staff have reviewed the figures on ridership and operating costs of the 12KingstonRd service east of St. Clair Avenue, and have found no reason to change the recommendation to remove the service. All of the customers who now use the 12Kingston Rd service east of St. Clair Avenue will continue to have access to convenient transit service. In many cases, customers will be required to make an additional transfer to complete a trip which is now made on only the 12Kingston Rd route. In some cases, customers' best choices will be to use other bus stops than they now do, or to transfer between routes away from Kingston Road, for instance at subway stations. The TTC's telephone information centre will be available to help customers plan their travel in future. The financial performance of all TTC services needs to be examined continuously, and changes made when appropriate. Since fare revenue from customers pays most of the cost of running the TTC, the level of ridership on a service is the best indicator of whether a service should continue to be offered. Services with low ridership, such as the 12Kingston Rd service east of St. Clair Avenue, should be removed so that the operating costs are reduced and those resources can be moved to other services where there is a greater travel demand from customers and, thus, better financial performance. For these reasons, the service change, as described in the 1999 Service Plan, is recommended, to begin on February 15, 1999. 74 Mt Pleasant and 103 Mt Pleasant North - Combination into one route and new service on Merton Street Background: TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that the 74Mt Pleasant and 103Mt Pleasant North routes be combined into one route, operating to Davisville Station and providing new service on Merton Street. The combination of the two routes would improve service by reducing the overall travel time for customers on the two routes, and the new service on Merton Street would improve service by reducing the distance that customers in the area need to walk to the nearest bus stop. This change requires road modifications before it can be operated, as described below. It is recommended that the two routes be combined on February 14, 1999, and that operation begin with buses running temporarily on Davisville Avenue until the required changes on Merton Street are made. Results of consultation: TTC staff received a letter from a customer enquiring about the details of the recommendation to combine the 74Mt Pleasant and 103Mt Pleasant North routes. The customer wrote that she opposed the combination of the routes, but each of the reasons she gave indicated that she may have misunderstood the recommendation. TTC staff wrote to the customer, to explain the recommendation and to address each of her points. No further communication has been received from this customer. TTC staff response: No information was received during the consultation which would cause the recommendation to be changed. The recommended service change would improve service for customers travelling to or from points on Mt. Pleasant Road and Merton Street. For this reason, the service change, as described in the 1999 Service Plan, is recommended, to begin on February 14, 1999. Further action required by City of Toronto: Operation of a bus route on Merton Street is not physically possible at this time, as the right turns, from south on Mt. Pleasant Road to west on Merton Street, and from west on Merton Street to north on Yonge Street, are too tight for a bus to negotiate safely. The curbs at the affected corners of these intersections must be cut back and the stop-bar for the left turn lanes moved back to provide enough room for the buses to make these right turns. TTC staff will pursue the required changes directly with City of Toronto staff. 73 Royal York - New service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road Background: TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that a new branch of the 73Royal York route be introduced, to provide new service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road. Buses would run north on Royal York Road, east on La Rose Avenue, south on Scarlett Road, west on Richview Road, west on Eglinton Avenue, and south on Royal York Road. Until a bus driveway could be built to connect Richview Road with Eglinton Avenue, buses would run south on Scarlett Road, west on Eglinton Avenue, and south on Royal York Road; ridership on the new service would be lower with this temporary routing. Results of consultation: At the Etobicoke Community Council meeting on September 16, 1998, Councillor Giansante expressed his opposition to the new service. TTC staff attended a public meeting organised by Councillors Giansante and Lindsay Luby on October 22, 1998. There were approximately 140 people at the meeting. Of these, approximately 80 supported the service change, because it would improve transit service for them, approximately 40 people opposed the change, because they would not like to have buses drive past their houses, and approximately 20 gave no opinion. A summary of comments received at the meeting is given in Appendix D. As suggested at the public meeting, the councillors requested that TTC staff consider operating the new service at times of the day best suited for travel by senior citizens. TTC staff received a petition and several letters and telephone calls from residents near La Rose Avenue in opposition to the recommendation to provide a new service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road. TTC staff response: No information was received during the consultation which would cause the recommendation to be changed. The service change, as described in the 1999 Service Plan, is recommended, to begin on February 15, 1999. TTC staff would set the hours of operation of the new peak-period service to make it possible to serve as many customers as possible, whether seniors travelling locally or rush-hour commuters. Further action required by City of Toronto: Operation of a bus route on La Rose Avenue is not physically possible at this time, as the right turn, from north on Royal York Road to east on La Rose Avenue, is too tight for a bus to negotiate safely. The curb at the southeast corner of this intersection must be cut back to provide enough room for the buses to make this right turn. TTC staff will pursue the required change directly with City of Toronto staff. Operation of the service on La Rose Avenue cannot begin until this change is made. Operation of the recommended service on Richview Road is not physically possible at this time, as there is no way for buses to connect directly from the cul-de-sac at the west end of Richview Road to the westbound lanes of Eglinton Avenue. It is recommended that the Commission request the City of Toronto to take the steps necessary to build a bus driveway connecting Richview Road to Eglinton Avenue, and to respond on this matter to the Commission by March 1, 1999. Operation of the service on Richview Road cannot begin until this connection is built. 76 Royal York South - New service on Grand Avenue Background: TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that a new branch of the 76Royal York South route be introduced, to provide new service on Grand Avenue. Buses would run south on Royal York Road, east on the Queensway, south on Grand Avenue, west on Portland Street, and north on Royal York Road. The change would improve service by reducing the distance that customers need to walk to their nearest bus stop. Results of consultation: TTC staff attended a public meeting organised by Councillors Jones and Kinahan on November 2, 1998. There were approximately 40 people at the meeting. Of these, approximately 20 supported the service change, because it would improve transit service for them, approximately 10 were opposed to the service change, because it would result in buses driving past their houses, and approximately 10 gave no opinion. A summary of comments received at the meeting is given in Appendix E. As suggested at the public meeting, the councillors requested that TTC staff investigate an alternative which would have the buses operate south on Royal York Road, east on Portland Street, turn around in an off-street loop at Grand Avenue, and return west on Portland Street, and north on Royal York Road. TTC staff response: TTC staff have reviewed the option suggested at the public meeting. This option is described in Appendix F. The service change originally recommended in the 1999 Service Plan would provide better service to Grand Avenue and would attract the largest number of customers. For this reason, the service change, as described in the 1999 Service Plan, is recommended, to begin on February 15, 1999. 115 Silver Hills - Combination with 78 St Andrews Background: TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that the 115Silver Hills route be combined with the 78St Andrews route, to improve financial performance by reducing operating costs. The 115Silver Hills route currently has financial performance which is below the minimum acceptable level, and this route would be recommended for removal if there were a need to reduce the TTC's budget, either because of declining ridership or reduced funding from the city. The effect of combining the routes would be to remove service from the section of Bannatyne Road between Davean Drive and Leslie Street, and to add new service on Silvergrove Road and Truman Road. The change would make service worse for some customers, but would allow service to continue on the section of the route which is used by the majority of customers. One bus fewer than at present would be needed during the morning peak period. The cost to provide this service would be reduced, and the financial performance would, therefore, be improved. Results of consultation: The North York Community Council approved on September 16, 1998, a motion by Councillor Flint to oppose this service change. The resolution states that: •Truman Road is unsuitable for bus operation, •Many of the customers on the 115Silver Hills route are travelling to or from schools along York Mills Road, and •The 115 Silver Hills route provides supplementary service along York Mills Road. TTC staff spoke by telephone with a person who was opposed to the recommendation to combine the 115Silver Hills route with the 78St Andrews route, as her daughter is an occasional customer on the 115Silver Hills route, and would no longer be able to use the route to travel to her school on York Mills Road. TTC staff received a letter from the principal of Dunlace School, which is near the 115 Silver Hills route, asking that the 115Silver Hills service not be removed from the section of Bannatyne Drive east of Davean Drive, as some of her students use this service to travel to and from the school. TTC staff received a letter in favour of the combination of the 115 Silver Hills route with the 78 St Andrews route; the writer was not a customer. TTC staff response: TTC staff have conducted an operational assessment of the proposed new route, and have found that both Silvergrove Road and Truman Road are suitable for regular bus operation. Councillor Flint's comments about customers travelling to the schools along York Mills Road are correct: the service change would cause an inconvenience for customers travelling from the on-street loop in the Silver Hills area to points along York Mills Road, and it is possible that some of these customers would stop using the TTC as a result. The number of customers who are making this trip is, however, not high enough to justify the cost of operating the service over the current route. The 115 Silver Hills route does provide a supplementary service along York Mills Road, but the remaining service of the 95York Mills route and the 122Graydon Hall route, at a combined average interval of 2 min 22 s in the morning peak period and 2 min 54 s in the afternoon peak period, is sufficient to carry all of the customers along this section of York Mills Road. The financial performance of all TTC services needs to be examined continuously, and changes made when appropriate. Since fare revenue from customers pays most of the cost of running the TTC, the level of ridership on a service is the best indicator of whether a service should continue to be offered. Where possible, changes should be made to services with low ridership, such as the 115 Silver Hills route, so that the opeating costs are reduced and those resources can be moved to other services where there is a greater travel demand from customers and thus better financial performance. For these reasons, the service change, as described in the 1999 Service Plan, is recommended, to begin on February 15, 1999. 88 South Leaside - Removal of Saturday evening service to Thorncliffe Park Background: TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that the service provided by the 88South Leaside route, east of Laird Drive to Thorncliffe Park, be removed after 7:00p.m. on Saturdays, to improve the financial performance for the route, by reducing operating costs. The 88South Leaside service to Thorncliffe Park on Saturday evenings currently has a financial performance which is below the minimum acceptable level, and this service would be recommended for removal if there were a need to reduce the TTC's budget, either because of declining ridership or reduced funding from the city. The effect of the removal of the service would be to remove the direct link between Thorncliffe Park and St. Clair Station on the Yonge-University-Spadina Subway on Saturday evenings, and thus to require customers who now use that link to make another transfer. Customers in the Thorncliffe Park area would still be served at all times of the week by the 81Thorncliffe Park, 25Don Mills, and 100Flemingdon Park routes, connecting with Pape Station and Broadview Station on the Bloor-Danforth Subway, and the 88South Leaside service would still be available during the daytime and early evening from Monday to Friday and during the daytime on Saturdays. Results of consultation: East York Community Council stated that they strongly object to the change in scheduling of the 88South Leaside bus route. TTC staff response: The financial performance of all TTC services needs to be examined continuously, and changes made when appropriate. Since fare revenue from customers pays most of the cost of running the TTC, the level of ridership on a service is the best indicator of whether a service should continue to be offered. Services with low ridership, such as the 88South Leaside service to Thorncliffe Park on Saturday evenings, should be removed so that the operating costs are reduced and those resources can be moved to other services where there is a greater travel demand from customers and thus better financial performance. For this reason, the service change, as described in the 1999 Service Plan, is recommended, to begin on February 20, 1999. 68 Warden - Extension to Steeles Avenue Background: TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that the 68Warden route be extended to Steeles Avenue, to reduce the distance that customers need to walk to reach their nearest bus stop or when transferring between routes. The change would require that a bus loop be built on Warden Avenue at Steeles Avenue, and the TTC and Markham Transit are co-operating to build a new bus loop on land owned by the Town of Markham. The change would also make service worse for some of the customers who now use the stops on Bamburgh Circle, and who walk between those stops and the area to the east. With the change, these customers would have a longer walk, to bus stops on Warden Avenue. Results of consultation: Scarborough Community Council asked that the recommendation to extend the 68Warden route to Steeles Avenue be re-evaluated, and that public input be obtained. Councillor Shaw sent a letter to residents in the area that would be affected by the change. The letter described the change, and asked residents to give their comments. Councillor Shaw later wrote to the TTC, to advise that she had received four comments in support of the recommendation, and three opposed. TTC staff response: No information was received during the consultation which would cause the recommendation to be changed. The recommended service change would improve service for customers who use the 68Warden. For this reason, the service change, as described in the 1999 Service Plan, is recommended, to begin on February 14, 1999. 80 Queensway service to western beaches no longer recommended TTC staff recommended in the 1999 Service Plan that the 80Queensway route be changed to operate on Lake Shore Boulevard, between Parkside Drive and Ellis Avenue, to improve service by reducing the distance that customers need to walk between the western beaches and the nearest bus stop. It was also recommended that new service be provided on the 80Queensway route on Sundays and holidays during the summer to connect Keele Station, on the Bloor-Danforth Subway, with the western beaches. TTC staff have discussed the recommended service change with City of Toronto staff, and City staff have advised that they are opposed to the installation of bus stops anywhere on Lake Shore Boulevard. City staff are concerned about the potential for accidents between autos, and between autos and buses, if buses were to stop on this busy road. If bus stops cannot be installed on Lake Shore Boulevard, then there is no reason to change the present route, nor to add new Sunday service. For these reasons, TTC staff withdraw the recommendations to change the 80Queensway route. Customers who are travelling to the western beaches will continue to be served by the 501Queen streetcar service, which runs along The Queensway, parallel to and a short distance north of Lake Shore Boulevard. Customers who are travelling to the western beaches from the Bloor-Danforth Subway will continue to be served by the 504King, 80Queensway, and 71Runnymede routes, which serve stops a short distance to the north of Lake Shore Boulevard. Re-evaluation of proposals for service changes Two proposals for service changes which were evaluated for the 1999 Service Plan, and which were not recommended, have been re-evaluated at the request of city councillors. 51 Leslie - Sunday service Background: A suggestion was made at the TTC's public meeting of May 26, 1998, to add new Sunday service on the 51Leslie route. This proposal was evaluated for the 1999 Service Plan, and was not recommended, as it does not meet the TTC's financial standards. The number of new customers who would be attracted to the TTC, per dollar of increased operating cost, was calculated to be 0.20, which is less than the minimum acceptable value of 0.23. Results of consultation: The North York Community Council approved on September 16, 1998, a motion by Councillor Shiner to ask that the evaluation be reviewed. The resolution stated that: •North York General Hospital and Branson Hospital have been amalgamated and that North York General Hospital is now responsible for patient care and emergency services which had previously been provided by Branson Hospital; •The calculated number of customers per dollar of 0.20 was close to the minimum value of 0.23; and •Leslie Street area residents without automobiles have lost their Sunday service. TTC staff response: North York General Hospital, which is located at Sheppard Avenue and Leslie Street, is served by very frequent TTC service on Sheppard Avenue. On Sundays, the interval between buses on the 85Sheppard East route is 7 min 30 s. Customers who are travelling from places closer to Branson Hospital would be well-served by the 85Sheppard East route. The TTC's minimum financial standard (0.23 customers gained per dollar spent) is the limit of financial performance for any TTC service. Services with financial performance lower than the minimum are not sustainable within the TTC budget. If a new service were to be added with a financial performance below the minimum, the operating resources required to provide the service would have to come from a service which now has higher financial performance. The number of customers who would stop using the TTC because of the service reduction would be greater than the number who would start using the TTC because of the new service, and the TTC's overall revenue would decline, at no change in operating costs. This would make the TTC's financial situation worse, and could require further service cuts. Sunday service on the 51Leslie route was removed in February 1996 as part of the TTC's response to cuts in funding from the municipal and provincial governments. Within the current levels of funding, the historic ridership levels on the 51Leslie route are not sufficient to operate the service. Rivalda Road - Service north of Bradstock Road Background: Councillors Mammoliti and Sgro proposed that new service be provided on Rivalda Road north of Bradstock Road, to reduce the distance that customers would have to walk to or from the Ramgarhia Sikh Temple on Rivalda Road. This proposal was evaluated for the 1999 Service Plan, and was not recommended, as it would not have high enough ridership to meet the TTC's financial standards. The number of new customers who would be attracted to the TTC, per dollar of increased operating cost, was calculated to be 0.08, which is less than the minimum acceptable value of 0.23. A second option was examined, which would not increase costs, but which would increase waiting time for all customers on the 84Sheppard West route; this option would result in an overall inconvenience to customers, and was, therefore, not recommended. Results of consultation: The North York Community Council, at its meeting of September 16, 1998, asked that the TTC further review the possibility of service on Rivalda Road north of Bradstock Road, during the daytime on weekends only. TTC staff response: TTC staff have evaluated this proposal, using the same criteria as were used for the 1999 Service Plan. The service is forecast to be used for approximately 20 customer-trips each Saturday and each Sunday, and all of these would be new to the TTC. At this level of ridership, the service would not meet the TTC's minimum financial standard. The number of new customers who would be attracted to the TTC per dollar of increased operating cost was calculated to be 0.08 for both Saturday and Sunday, which is less than the minimum acceptable value of 0.23. The TTC's minimum financial standard is the limit of financial performance for any TTC service. Services with financial performance lower than the minimum are not sustainable within the TTC budget. If a new service were to be added with a financial performance below the minimum, the operating resources required to provide the service would have to come from a service which now has higher financial performance. The number of customers who would stop using the TTC because of the service reduction would be greater than the number who would start using the TTC because of the new service, and the TTC's overall revenue would decline, at no change in operating costs. This would make the TTC's financial situation worse, and could require further service cuts. An operational assessment has been carried out of the proposed routing, which would have buses travel west on Sheppard Avenue, north on Weston Road, east on Bradstock Road, north on Rivalda Road, and turn around in the cul-de-sac at the north end of Rivalda Road. Buses would then continue south on Rivalda Road and east on Sheppard Avenue. This routing is not operationally feasible, as the cul-de-sac is too small to allow buses to safely turn around. JUSTIFICATION The service changes from the 1999 Service Plan will improve service for approximately 10,100 customer-trips each day by making service more convenient, more direct, and faster. The recommended service changes are being introduced to attract new customers to the TTC and thus generate increased fare revenue, and to improve service for customers without increasing operating costs. ------- 11-84-76 Attachments:Appendices A to F Excerpts from 1999 Service Plan Letter from Councillor Shaw APPENDIX A SUMMARY OF CONSULTATION This appendix gives details of the consultation that has taken place on the service changes proposed in the 1999 Service Plan. Copies of the 1999 Service Plan were distributed in August 1998 to all city councillors. City of Toronto Council City of Toronto Council at its meeting of October 1 and 2, 1998, adopted the reports prepared by each of the community councils on the subject of the 1999 Service Plan. East York Community Council East York Community Council considered the TTC's 1999 Service Plan at its meeting of September 16, 1998. Community Council stated that they were opposed to the reduction in late evening service on the 62Mortimer route and to the recommendation to remove service on the 88South Leaside route to Thorncliffe Park on Saturday evenings. Community Council also asked that the TTC promote ridership on the 62Mortimer route and examine changing the 303Don Mills Blue Night Network overnight route to serve Thorncliffe Park Drive. TTC staff comments on the service changes on 62Mortimer and 88South Leaside appear earlier in this report. TTC staff will take note of the request to promote ridership on the 62Mortimer route in developing their marketing plans for 1999. TTC staff will evaluate the proposal to change the 303Don Mills overnight route in the 2000 Service Plan. Etobicoke Community Council Etobicoke Community Council considered the TTC's 1999 Service Plan at its meeting of September 16, 1998. Community Council asked that public meetings be held to discuss the recommended service changes on the 307Eglinton West, 309Finch West, 73Royal York, 76Royal York South, and 319Wilson routes. The councillors for the area subsequently organised these public meetings, and TTC staff attended. Summaries of the comments made at these public meetings are in Appendices B, D, and E. TTC staff comments on the public meetings appear elsewhere in this report. North York Community Council North York Community Council considered the TTC's 1999 Service Plan at its meeting of September 16, 1998. Community Council stated that they were opposed to the recommendation to combine the 115Silver Hills route with the 78St Andrews route, and asked the TTC to re-examine the proposals to add service on Rivalda Road north of Bradstock Road and to add Sunday service on the 51Leslie route. TTC staff comments on all three of these issues appear earlier in this report. Scarborough Community Council Scarborough Community Council considered the TTC's 1999 Service Plan at its meeting of September 16, 1998. Community Council asked that the recommendation to remove the section of the 12Kingston Rd route east of St. Clair Avenue be re-evaluated, that the recommendation to extend the 68Warden route to Steeles Avenue be re-evaluated and that public input be obtained. TTC staff comments on both of these requests appear earlier in this report. Councillor Shaw circulated a letter to residents in the area near Bamburgh Circle, who would be affected by the recommendation to extend the 68Warden route to Steeles Avenue, and the responses that she received were considered in developing the comments that appear earlier in this report. Toronto Community Council Toronto Community Council considered the TTC's 1999 Service Plan at its meeting of September 16, 1998. No comments were made in opposition to the service changes recommended in the plan. York Community Council York Community Council considered the TTC's 1999 Service Plan at its meeting of September 16, 1998. Community Council asked the TTC to hold a public meeting to discuss whether the routing of the 55Warren Park service should be changed. TTC staff wrote to the councillors for the area, and advised that they would attend any meeting that the councillors were to organise. No comments were made in opposition to the service changes recommended in the plan. Councillor Sgro (North York Humber) TTC staff received a call from Councillor Sgro, in which she asked that an alternative west-end on-street loop be considered for the new service on Rustic Road and Falstaff Avenue. The alternative looping, via Falstaff Avenue, Gordon MacKay Road, and Suntract Road, would replace the recommended looping, via Falstaff Avenue, Maidstone Street, Beckett Avenue, and Raven Road, where a resident had expressed concerns about bus operation on these local streets. A preliminary operational assessment of the suggested alternative routing indicates that it is not operationally satisfactory, as the cul-de-sac at the end of Suntract Road is not wide enough to allow a bus to be safely or reliably turned around. No change is, therefore, recommended to the routing in the 1999 Service Plan. Councillor Shaw (Scarborough Agincourt) TTC staff received a letter from Councillor Shaw, which advised of the responses she had received to a letter she had sent to people living in the area near Bamburgh Circle, advising them of the TTC's recommendation to extend the 68Warden route to Steeles Avenue and to remove operation from Bamburgh Circle. Councillor Shaw received four replies in favour of the change, and three opposed to the change. A copy of Councillor Shaw's letter is attached to this report. Public meetings organised by councillors TTC staff attended a public meeting organised by Councillors Holyday and O'Brien to discuss the recommendation to combine the 49Bloor West and 50Burnhamthorpe routes in order to provide new service on Mill Road between Markland Road and Burnhamthorpe Road. More information about this public meeting appears earlier in this report. A summary of comments received at the meeting is given in Appendix B. Several options for revised transit service in the area are described in Appendix C. TTC staff attended a public meeting organised by Councillors Giansante and Lindsay Luby to discuss the recommendation to introduce new service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road. More information about this public meeting appears earlier in this report. A summary of comments received at the meeting is given in Appendix D. TTC staff attended a public meeting organised by Councillors Brown and Sinclair to discuss the recommendations to change the 307Eglinton West, 309Finch West, and 319Wilson Blue Night Network overnight routes. No comments in opposition to the recommendations were made at this meeting. TTC staff attended a public meeting organised by Councillors Jones and Kinahan to discuss the recommendation to introduce new service on Grand Avenue. A summary of comments received at the meeting is given in Appendix E. An option for revised transit service in the area is described in Appendix F. Other communications from councillors about the 1999 Service Plan At their meeting of September 16, 1998, East York Community Council passed a resolution expressing their opposition to the reduction in service in the late evening on the 62Mortimer route. This reduction in service was part of the action taken by TTC staff to reduce operating costs on services with low ridership. The interval between buses on the route will be increased from 20 minutes to 40 minutes, but service will continue to be provided during the same hours as before the change. TTC staff will continue to monitor ridership levels, and will increase service if buses become overcrowded. At their meeting of September 16, 1998, Scarborough Community Council asked that the decision to reduce service on the 86DScarborough (Kennedy Stn-Beechgrove) branch be re-examined. This reduction in service was part of the action taken by TTC staff to reduce operating costs on services with low ridership. The interval between buses on the route was increased from 15-16 minutes to 20-21 minutes during the peak periods and from 20 minutes to 30 minutes during the midday from Monday to Friday, but service continues to be provided during the same hours as before the change. TTC staff will continue to monitor ridership levels on this branch, and will increase service if buses become overcrowded. Scarborough Community Council also asked that the service change made on the 134Tapscott route in February 1998, to provide service on the new section of Progress Avenue between Centennial College and Sheppard Avenue, be re-evaluated. TTC staff will report on this evaluation in the post-implementation review of the trial service. Communications from customers about the 1999 Service Plan TTC staff received a letter and petition from a customer enquiring about the details of the recommendation to combine the 74Mt Pleasant and 103Mt Pleasant North routes. The customer wrote that she opposed the combination of the routes, but each of the reasons she gave indicated that she may have misunderstood the recommendation. TTC staff wrote to the customer, to explain the recommendation and to address each of her points. No further communication has been received from this customer. TTC staff returned a telephone call from a person who had called Councillor Kinahan's office. This person called to express her opposition to the recommendation to combine the 115Silver Hills route with the 78St Andrews route. Her daughter is an occasional customer on the 115Silver Hills route, and would no longer be able to use the route to travel to her school on York Mills Road. She is, thus, one of those customers identified in the evaluation of the proposal as having an inconvenience caused by the service change. TTC staff received a letter from the principal of Dunlace School, which is near the 115Silver Hills route, asking that the 115Silver Hills service not be removed from the section of Bannatyne Drive east of Davean Drive, as some of her students use this service to travel to and from the school. These students are among the customers identified in the evaluation of the proposal as having an inconvenience caused by the service change. TTC staff received a letter from a customer opposed to the recommendation to remove the section of the 12Kingston Rd route east of St. Clair Avenue. The customer was one of those identified in the evaluation of the proposal as having an inconvenience caused by the service change. TTC staff wrote to the customer to explain the background of the recommendation and to show her how she would be still able to make her trips in future. Communications from others about the 1999 Service Plan TTC staff received a petition, several letters, and several telephone calls from residents on Markland Drive in opposition to the recommendation to combine the 49Bloor West and 50Burnhamthorpe routes to provide new service on Mill Road. TTC staff received a petition and several letters and telephone calls from residents near La Rose Avenue in opposition to the recommendation to provide a new service on La Rose Avenue and Richview Road. TTC staff received a letter in favour of the combination of the 115Silver Hills route with the 78St Andrews route; the writer was not a customer. TTC staff have met with West Park Hospital staff to discuss the recommendation to extend the 168Symington route to West Park Hospital, and the need to establish a place for buses to turn around. West Park Hospital staff indicated support for the recommended new service. Staff from the hospital have identified a suitable on-street loop through their grounds, and are prepared to make the necessary physical change to allow bus operation once the service change has been approved by the Commission. APPENDIX B SUMMARY OF COMMENTS RECEIVED AT PUBLIC MEETING 49 BLOOR WEST AND 50 BURNHAMTHORPE - NEW SERVICE ON MILL ROAD A public meeting was held to discuss this recommended service change from the TTC's 1999 Service Plan. The meeting, arranged by councillors Doug Holyday and Dick O'Brien, took place at 7:00 p.m. on October 13, 1998, in the auditorium of Silverthorn Collegiate Institute. It was attended by approximately 160 residents of the area, TTC staff, City of Toronto staff, and both councillors for the area. A questionnaire was distributed at the meeting, a copy of which is attached as part of this appendix. Out of the 100 questionnaires distributed, 68 were returned. Seven responses were supportive of the service change. The remaining 61 responses were opposed to the service change. Most of the people who returned a questionnaire indicated that they do not regularly use TTC services. An attendance sheet at the meeting was signed by 157 people. Of that number, nine indicated support for the proposed changes, seven gave no opinion, and the remainder expressed opposition to the proposed changes. At the meeting, a few people spoke in favour of the service, and their reasoning was: •The bus is needed. •There will be a shorter walk to the bus stop, particularly after 10:00 p.m. •The service will not be unsafe, as buses actually have lower accident rates than cars. The majority of people at the meeting spoke in opposition to the proposed change, with particular concerns about the two-way bus service that would result on Markland Drive. The reasons they gave for being opposed were: •The request did not come from the area's councillors. The whole proposal should be withdrawn from the service plan. •The area already has traffic problems resulting from the high volume of traffic which use this portion of Markland Drive to by-pass the Mill Road/Bloor Street intersection to access Burnhamthorpe Road. Most of this traffic come from Mississauga. •Most of the customers using the bus at the Bloor Street/Markland Drive intersection are from Mississauga, and are not part of the local community. •Why should people who live in Markland Woods have to put up with more buses on their street just to make service more convenient for people who live in Mississauga, or on Mill Road? •The width of Markland Drive is inadequate for the current one-way bus operation, let alone doubling it to two-way. •Buses won't be able to get by all the parked cars, and are currently encroaching onto the opposite roadway in making turns. There is no way for two buses to pass each other with cars parked on the road. Residents have been backing up their cars to facilitate bus operation. •There are concerns about safety in the area. This is a residential neighbourhood, with a large number of children playing on the street, and increased bus traffic would further endanger them. There have been near misses in the past, and the situation would likely get worse with increased bus operation. •Buses operate over the speed limit, they are noisy and polluting. People waiting at the bus stops litter and vandalize the area. Residents can no longer enjoy their homes with buses idling and giving out fumes outside their windows. •Property values in the area will decrease as a result of increased two-way bus service. Residents of Markland Woods have paid their fair share of taxes, and should have a say in what goes on in the neighbourhood; that they do not want more buses. •There are concerns about safety at the off-street bus loop on Burnhamthorpe Road, and the pedestrian crossing next to it, given that there have been fatal automobile-pedestrian accidents. The pedestrian crossing should be relocated, and buses should stop using the loop. It is unsafe for the bus to make the left-turn into the loop as proposed in the change. •The TTC should integrate service with Mississauga Transit to better serve customers from Mississauga. •The TTC should consider other routing options, such as turning the buses at an off-street loop at Bloor Street, or looping via Dixie Road in Mississauga, instead of Markland Drive. •The current 49Bloor West bus service is adequate, so leave it as is. •Buses should be removed from Markland Drive altogether. •For the present route, would prefer a more frequent service to the present 30 min off-peak "clockface" service. •New service should be provided on Mill Road north of, not south of, Burnhamthorpe. It would be more useful to operate a service to Sherway Gardens and the (former) Queensway General Hospital. •Instead of doubling up the service on this portion of Markland Drive, should try to serve other parts of Markland Drive. •The proposed benefits are too negligible to be of significance. •There are costs involved in introducing two-way bus operation, such as for new bus stops. •The proposed change would remove the bus stop on Mill Road between Bloor Street and Markland Drive, thereby increasing the walking distance for some residents. •The TTC's existing method of public consultation is inadequate. The residents of the area were not aware of this proposal until it was reported in the local newspaper. The TTC should have consulted the local residents when the request was first received, before it was analysed. •The timing and location of the afternoon public meeting of the Commission where this service change will be discussed is not convenient for local residents to attend. When asked, both councillors stated that they do not support the proposed change, and that they would convey the residents' comments to the Commission. The meeting ended at 9:30 p.m. APPENDIX C NEW SERVICE ON MILL ROAD - OTHER ALTERNATIVES EXAMINED At the public meeting regarding this recommended service change, and in subsequent discussions with Councillors Holyday, O'Brien, and local residents, several routing changes were suggested, which would be alternatives to the service change recommended in the 1999 Service Plan. These additional options have been evaluated by TTC staff, using the same criteria used in the 1999 Service Plan. In all cases, the options would result in worse service for transit customers than the service which is recommended in the 1999 Service Plan. Option A: Operate the 49Bloor West and 50 Burnhamthorpe routes via Mill Road in both directions With this option, buses would operate on Mill Road in both directions between Bloor Street and Burnhamthorpe Road. Service on the northwest quadrant of Markland Drive would be removed. Approximately 800 customer-trips which are made each day at the stops on Bloor Street, west of Mill Road, and on Markland Drive, would be inconvenienced with a longer walk to the nearest bus stop. The customers who are now using the bus on Mill Road, between Bloor Street and Markland Drive, would benefit from the "Option A" service change, as they would have two way service, instead of either the one-way service which is currently operated, or the removal of all service, as recommended in the 1999 Service Plan. If the "Option A" change were made, approximately 50 customer-trips, which are made each day at the stop on Mill Road between Bloor Street and Markland Drive, would have a shorter walk to the nearest bus stop. The change in weighted travel time shows that the longer walk for 800 customer-trips is more significant than the shorter walk for 50 customer-trips. The proposed "Option A" change is, therefore, not recommended, because it would cause an overall inconvenience to customers, compared to both the present service and to the service recommended in the 1999 Service Plan. Option B: Operate the 49Bloor West and 50 Burnhamthorpe routes via Markland Drive and Mill Road in one direction only Buses running westbound from Kipling Station would operate on Bloor Street and Markland Drive, as now, and then run north on Mill Road to Burnhamthorpe Road. Buses from Islington Station would operate west on Burnhamthorpe Road, south on Mill Road to Bloor Street, and then east to Kipling Station, without operating west and south on Markland Drive. The number of bus trips on Markland Drive would be similar to the current level, as service would continue to be provided only northbound and eastbound on Markland Drive. If the "Option B" change were made, approximately 380 customer-trips each day, which are made at the stop on Markland Drive at Bloor Street, would have a longer walk to their nearest bus stop with eastbound service to Kipling Station, or would have a longer travel time, as they would travel to Islington Station instead of Kipling Station. The 50 customer-trips that are made each day at the stop on Mill Road between Markland Drive and Bloor Street would continue to have southbound/eastbound service to Kipling Station, and would not lose service to this stop, as recommended in the 1999 Service Plan. The change in weighted travel time indicates that the longer walk or longer travel time for 380 customer-trips is more significant than the shorter walk for the 50 customer-trips. The "Option B" service change is, therefore, not recommended, because it would cause an overall inconvenience to customers, compared to both the present service and to the service recommended in the 1999 Service Plan. Option C: Operate the 49 Bloor West route to a new off-street loop near Bloor Street and Markland Drive Buses on the 49 Bloor West route would turn around in a new off-street loop, which could be built on the north side of Bloor Street, east of Markland Drive. There would be no change to the 50Burnhamthorpe route, which would continue to turn around in the off-street loop on Burnhamthorpe Road, east of Mill Road. With this change, bus service on Markland Drive and on Mill Road, between Markland Drive and Bloor Street, would be removed. If the "Option C" change were made, approximately 490 customer-trips which are currently made each day at stops on Markland Drive and on Mill Road would be inconvenienced, as they would have a longer walk to the nearest bus stop. No new service would be operated on Mill Road between Markland Drive and Burnhamthorpe Road, and there would be no improvement to service for customers who could use a new service on Mill Road. Because the proposed "Option C" change would cause an inconvenience to customers, and would have no significant benefits for customers, it is not recommended. Option D: Extend the 49Bloor West route to Burnhamthorpe Loop via Markland Drive and Mill Road in one direction only, after 10:00 p.m. After 10:00 p.m. when the 50Burnhamthorpe route is not in operation, buses on the 49Bloor West route would be extended to Burnhamthorpe Loop, operating west on Bloor Street, north and east on Markland Drive, north on Mill Road and east on Burnhamthorpe Road to the off-street loop east of Mill Road. Buses would return to Kipling Station via west on Burnhamthorpe Road, south on Mill Road, and east on Bloor Street. This would provide late evening service north of Markland Drive at times when no other service operates. The number of bus trips on Markland Drive would be similar to the current level, as service would continue to be provided only northbound and eastbound on Markland Drive. If the "Option D" change were made, less than 10 eastbound customer-trips each day, which currently begin at stops on Markland Drive, would be inconvenienced as they would either have a longer travel time as they are carried up and down Mill Road to Burnhamthorpe Road, or they would have a longer walk to the nearest eastbound bus stop. Approximately 20 customer-trips each day, which would begin or end at stops north of Markland Drive, would benefit from the new late evening service, as they would have a shorter walk to the nearest bus stop; these customers would also benefit, in the same manner, from the recommended service in the 1999 Service Plan, which would operate service to the loop on Burnhamthorpe Road via west on Bloor Street, north and east on Markland Drive, north on Mill Road to the loop, and return via west on Burnhamthorpe Road, south on Mill Road, west and south on Markland Drive, and east on Bloor Street. The change in weighted travel time shows that the shorter walk is more significant than the longer travel time, and that the "Option D" service change would, overall, improve service for transit customers, when compared to the present service on the 49Bloor West route. Compared to the service recommended in the 1999 Service Plan, the "Option D" proposal would cause an inconvenience to customers, and would provide no additional benefits to transit customers. For this reason, the "Option D" proposal is not recommended. Option E: Expand the one-way on-street loop of the 49Bloor West route via Markland Drive, Mill Road, Burnhamthorpe Road, and The West Mall, after 10:00 p.m. After 10:00 p.m., the on-street looping of the 49Bloor West bus would be changed to operate west on Bloor Street, north and east on Markland Drive, north on Mill Road, east on Burnhamthorpe Road, south on The West Mall, and east on Bloor Street to Kipling Station. This would provide late evening service in one direction to the west end of Burnhamthorpe Road. If the "Option E" change were made, approximately 10 eastbound customer-trips each day, which currently begin at stops on Markland Drive, and Bloor Street, would be inconvenienced, as they would have a longer travel time as they are carried via Mill Road and Burnhamthorpe Road. Less than 10 customer-trips each day, which are made at eastbound stops on Bloor Street between Mill Road and The West Mall, would have a longer walk to their nearest eastbound bus stop, or would have a longer travel time, as they would be carried out of their way via Burnhamthorpe Road. Approximately 30 customer-trips, which would begin or end each day at stops north of Markland Drive and on Burnhamthorpe Road, would benefit from the new late evening service, as they would have a shorter walk to the nearest bus stop. The change in weighted travel time shows that the shorter walk is more significant than the longer travel time, and that the "Option E" service change would, overall, improve service for transit customers, when compared to the present service on the 49Bloor West route. Compared to the service recommended in the 1999 Service Plan, the "Option E" proposal would cause an overall inconvenience to customers. For this reason, the "Option E" proposal is not recommended. APPENDIX D SUMMARY OF COMMENTS RECEIVED AT PUBLIC MEETING 73ROYAL YORK - NEW SERVICE ON LA ROSE AVENUE AND RICHVIEW ROAD A public meeting was held to discuss this recommended service change from the TTC's 1999 Service Plan. The meeting, arranged by Councillors Lindsay Luby and Giansante, took place at 7:30p.m. on October 22, 1998, in the gymnasium of Westmount Junior School. It was attended by approximately 140 residents of the area, TTC staff, City of Toronto staff, and both councillors for the area. A questionnaire was distributed at the meeting, a copy of which is attached as part of this appendix. Out of the 138 questionnaires distributed, 126 were returned. Of these, 79 responses were supportive of the service change, and seven were generally supportive of the proposal, but requested full-time operation. Two gave no opinion. The remaining 38 responses were opposed to the service change. At the meeting, people spoke both in favour of the service as well as in opposition. For those in favour of the new service, their reasons were: •The bus is needed, for seniors as well as for the young and healthy. •There will be a shorter walk to the bus stop, the walk to existing stops are difficult for people with health problems because of the steep incline. •There is a large population of seniors in the neighbourhood, this new service will ensure mobility and independence for these seniors, particularly during inclement weather. •The new bus service is wonderful to the community, particular to the seniors. However, the proposed hours of operation need to be adjusted to better serve the seniors. For those who spoke in opposition to the new service, the reasons they gave for being opposed were: •La Rose Avenue is a quiet residential street, the presence of bus service is unwanted. The bus services on Royal York Road, Scarlett Road and Eglinton Avenue are adequate and convenient. There is no need for bus service on La Rose Avenue. •There are concerns about safety in the area. This is a residential neighbourhood, with a large number of children playing on the street, and bus traffic would further endanger them. •There is a lot of activity on the street, as there are schools and churches. The added bus traffic would only add to the congestion, not reduce the amount of traffic as people are used to the door-to-door convenience of the cars. Buses could not get by the parked cars, causing more congestion. •The area already has traffic problems as it is. The amount of traffic using this section of La Rose Avenue is more than double that using the other section of La Rose Avenue, to the west of Royal York Road. The added bus traffic would make the situation worse. •Buses are noisy, polluting, and accident-prone. There have been accidents, and the added bus traffic would make it worse. •The introduction of bus service would increase the number of strangers to the neighbourhood, thereby increasing the crime rate, and lowering the property value. •The walking distance from Royal York Road to Scarlett Road is only 16 minutes. There is really no need for bus services. Residents in the area are used to walking to the nearby bus stops, and have never complained. The seniors who moved in later knew what they were getting when they first moved into the neighbourhood, and should not complain now. •The seniors should consider other means of transportation, such as buying a van, car-pooling, or using Wheel-Trans services. •The use of smaller buses should be considered, such as those used for community bus services. •The proposed rush hour service would not meet the needs of the seniors, who require more daytime and evening service, seven days a week. •La Rose Avenue is not built for bus traffic. •The proposed benefits are too negligible to be of significance. The meeting ended at 9:10 p.m. APPENDIX E SUMMARY OF COMMENTS RECEIVED AT PUBLIC MEETING 76ROYAL YORK SOUTH - NEW SERVICE ON GRAND AVENUE A public meeting was held to discuss this recommended service change from the TTC's 1999 Service Plan. The meeting, arranged by Councillors Jones and Kinahan, took place at 7:30p.m. on November 2, 1998, at the Royal Canadian Legion at 515 Royal York Road. It was attended by approximately 40 residents of the area, TTC staff, City of Toronto staff, and both councillors for the area. A questionnaire was distributed at the meeting, a copy of which is attached as part of this appendix. Out of the 40 questionnaires distributed, 32 were returned. Of these, 19 responses were supportive of the service change, two gave no opinion, and the remaining 11 responses were opposed to the service change. At the meeting, people spoke both in favour of the service as well as in opposition. For those in favour of the new service, their reasons were: •There would be a shorter walk to the bus stop. The current walk to transit on Royal York Road or The Queensway is difficult for people with health problems, and a long walk for those new residents in the Mystic Pointe development. •The new service will provide better access to the Bloor-Danforth subway and to the downtown core. •This new service will ensure mobility and independence for seniors, particularly during inclement weather. •This new service will eliminate the need for taxis for those who, for physical reasons, cannot make the long walk out to Royal York Road. •The presence of a bus service will make the neighbourhood safer from a community watch standpoint. •The new bus service will provide another option for those residents living in the Mystic Pointe development who are currently not using the TTC due to the long walk out to Royal York Road. For those who spoke in opposition to the new service, the reasons given for being opposed were: •Grand Avenue is a busy and noisy street already. The introduction of a bus service would only make the situation worse. •There are already concerns about safety in the area with the large number of trucks and vans that use Grand Avenue in order to avoid the signalised intersection at Royal York Road and The Queensway. This is a residential neighbourhood, with children playing on the street, and bus traffic would further endanger them. •There was concern by some homeowners over the placement of the bus stops should the new service be introduced. •The TTC should improve the level of service on the 80Queensway route, instead of introducing a new route. This would attract more riders than the introduction of a new service on Grand Avenue. •Buses will speed on Grand Avenue in order to make up for lost time on Royal York Road. •The TTC should investigate the possibility of an alternative routing which would keep buses off of Grand Avenue north of the Gardiner Expressway. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. APPENDIX F NEW SERVICE ON GRAND AVENUE - OTHER ALTERNATIVES EXAMINED At the public meeting on November 2, a suggestion was made to revise the recommended service to Grand Avenue by operating the new service from Royal York Station, south on Royal York Road, and east on Portland Street to a new off-street loop on Grand Avenue, at Portland Street. Buses would then return west on Portland Street and north on Royal York Road to Royal York Station. This routing was proposed by attendees at the public meeting in order to serve the residential area on Grand Avenue, just south of the Gardiner Expressway, without actually operating a bus on Grand Avenue, which is perceived by some to be intrusive and unacceptable. TTC staff analysed the proposed service. The new route would not serve the intended areas of Grand Avenue as well as the service which is recommended in the 1999 Service Plan and, therefore, would attract fewer customers and would have a worse financial performance. Customers would have to walk farther to their nearest bus stop, at the Grand Avenue/Portland Street intersection, compared to the recommended service, which would provide service along the entire length of Grand Avenue. Because this revised option would not provide as many benefits for transit customers and would not attract as many customers as the service recommended in the 1999 Service Plan, this option is not recommended. STAFF SUMMARY SHEET
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