STAFF REPORT

October 20, 1999

To: Chairman and Members of the Scarborough Community Council

From: Gary H. Welsh, Director, Transportation Services, Works and Emergency

Services, District 4

Subject: 2000 Toronto Transit Commission Service Plan

All Wards

Purpose:

To provide information on the 2000 Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Service Plan.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not Applicable.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that Scarborough Community Council forward this report and any additional comments directly to the Toronto Transit Commission to meet the Commission deadline for comments of November 10, 1999.

Background:

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) evaluates requests for new and improved transit service, which are received from customers, city councillors, TTC staff and City of Toronto staff. In this year's evaluation, a total of 32 proposals were received.

Comments:

The Toronto Transit Commission has completed its evaluation of all outstanding requests for improved transit service. The results of this analysis and recommendations are contained in a document entitled "2000 Service Plan. This report was prepared in September 1999 and the TTC is now requesting comments on this Service Plan before November 10, 1999. The earliest oportunity to bring this issue to Scarborough Community Council is its regularly scheduled meeting of November 9, 1999, because Transportation Services staff did not receive this report until mid-October 1999. TTC staff will then report to the Commission on December 8, 1999, and the service changes would begin early in 2000.

The TTC has indicated that the service changes recommended in this Service Plan will improve service for approximately 300,000 customer-trips each year". The TTC also expects to increase ridership by approximately 55,000 customer-trips each year". Staff of Transportation Services is generally supportive of the proposals put forward herein as they relate to transit service in the Scarborough Community.

A. RECOMMENDED NEW AND REVISED SERVICES

131 Nugget - Revised Service on Morningview Trail, Scarborough Malvern:

At the request of Councillor Balkissoon and Transportation Services staff, the TTC examined the current looping of the 131 Nugget service. This route currently travels to and from Morningside Avenue via a portion of Morningview Trail, Littles Road and Old Finch Avenue to an off-street loop that is currently leased by the City of Toronto from the Ministry of Transportation. To lease this loop costs the City of Toronto, through the Transportation Services budget, $850.00 per month.

The proposal by the TTC would now eliminate the need for this off-street loop by looping on-street via Littles Road, Old Finch Avenue and the full length of Morningview Trail. This would loop counter-clockwise before 3:00 p.m. and clockwise after 3:00 p.m. This change would improve service for an estimated 330 customer-trips each day as customers on Morningview Trail, who presently walk to 131 Nugget stops on Littles Road or Old Finch Avenue, will have a decreased walking distance. A total of 235 customer-trips are made in the off-peak direction. These customers will be inconvenienced by a longer travel time, as they would have to ride around the loop. The change in loop direction at 3:00 p.m. attempts to minimize this inconvenience. Transportation Services staff support this route change.

B. SERVICE CHANGES TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Service Reductions on Other Routes, All Wards:

The financial performance on the following routes does not meet the TTCs minimum financial standard. These service changes are being made by the TTC to reduce the cost of operation.

C. CHANGES ALREADY APPROVED BUT NOT YET INTRODUCED

68 Warden - Extension to Steeles Avenue, Scarborough Agincourt:

As a result of a suggestion from their staff, the TTC approved extension of the 68 Warden bus route from its present on-street loop via Bamburgh Circle to a new off-street loop just north of Steeles Avenue in the 1999 Service Plan. The advantage of this new loop is that it will provide a convenient transfer to the 53 Steeles East bus and reduce the walking distance for some customers.

This extension has not yet taken place because it is contingent on an off-street loop being created. The TTC and Markham Transit are co-operating to build a new loop, which is intended to be complete and operating by mid-2000.

D. OTHER PROPOSALS EXAMINED AND NOT RECOMMENDED

Ellesmere Road - Direct Service to Scarborough Centre Station, Scarborough City Centre, Scarborough Highland Creek, Scarborough Malvern:

As a result of a request from Councillor Balkissoon, TTC staff examined connecting service on the eastern part of Ellesmere Road with Scarborough Centre Station.

TTC staff examined an option that would create a new route that would run east on Ellesmere Road to Scarborough College, then east on Military Trail and Lawson Road, and south on Port Union Road to Rouge Hill GO Station. This route would replace part of the present 95 York Mills route. A second branch would run in the week day peak periods to Conlins Road, Canmore Boulevard and Morrish Road, replacing part of the 116 Morningside route.

The change in weighted travel time suggests that the inconvenience of this service change would be more important to customers than the benefits of the change. For this reason, the TTC does not recommend this service in the 2000 Service Plan.

12 Kingston Rd - Direct Service east of St. Clair Avenue, Scarborough Bluffs, Scarborough Highland Creek:

In the 1999 Service Plan, the TTC recommended that the service provided by the 12 Kingston Rd route be removed east of St. Clair Avenue to Morningside Avenue to reduce operating costs. At the time, the TTC was asked to reconsider removal of this service by Transportation Services staff. Although this section of road is currently served by both the 102 Markham Rd and 86 Scarborough routes, to travel on Kingston Road between Morningside Avenue and points west of Brimley Road requires a transfer of three buses. Residents living even further east of Morningside Avenue have expressed frustration as they can not conveniently access service to travel on Kingston Road because the existing bus service is all destined to and from the subway and RT stations.

Following the TTC's removal of this service in February 1999, Councillor Altobello and the late Councillor Faubert both again objected to removal of this service. The TTC has re-evaluated this removal of the 12 Kingston service in the 2000 Service Plan. By re-installing this service, approximately 380 customer-trips each day would be made with one fewer transfer. However, an evaluation of restoring this service indicates that the service would not meet the TTC's financial standard because an additional bus would be required in the peak periods. Therefore reinstatement of the 12 Kingston Road route east of St. Clair Avenue is not recommended in the 2000 Service Plan.

95 York Mills - Re-route Service to Rouge Hill GO Station via Ellesmere/Kingston Road, Scarborough Highland Creek:

This request, from TTC staff, was intended to simplify service on the 95 York Mills route, which currently has four different route arrangements. Instead of having the buses route to the intersection of Kingston Road and Ellesmere Road, this route would terminate at Scarborough College. Buses then operating to and from Rouge Hill GO Station would run east on Ellesmere Road, west on Kingston Road, over the Highland Creek Overpass, and east on Lawrence Avenue. This change would remove service from Military Trail, between Scarborough College and Lawson Road. This change would cause an overall inconvenience for customers and is not recommended by TTC staff in the 2000 Service Plan.

Consideration of Additional Periods of Service on Present Routes

130 Middlefield - Limited Sunday Service, Scarborough Malvern:

At the request of TTC staff, providing Sunday daytime service (8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) on the 130 Middlefield route was examined. The TTC has determined that this service does not meet the minimum financial standard. The TTC's final standard is applied this way: new services will not be introduced if the number of customers gained per dollar spent (customer/$) is below 0.23. This service is calculated to have a ratio of 0.16 customer/$.

132 Milner - Saturday Daytime Service, Scarborough Malvern:

At the request of Councillor Balkissoon, the TTC examined providing Saturday daytime service on the 132 Milner route. The does not meet the minimum economic standard of 0.23 customers gained per dollar spent. This service is calculated to have a ratio of 0.13 customer/$.

E. POST-IMPLEMENTATION REVIEWS OF SERVICE CHANGES

134 Tapscott - Revisited Routing on Progress Avenue, Scarborough City Centre, Scarborough Highland Creek, Scarborough Malvern:

In February 1998, the TTC began operating the 134 Tapscott route on Progress Avenue between Markham Road and Sheppard Avenue, on the new Highway 401 overpass.

Since this change has attracted new customers to the TTC without an increase in costs, and since the change has resulted in an overall improvement in service for customers, it is recommended as part of the 2000 Service Plan.

Councillor Balkissoon did express concern that the customers who live between McCowan Road and Markham Road, south of Sheppard Avenue, now either have to walk further or transfer buses to arrive at Scarborough Centre Station since this re-routing. They normally could use the 132 Milner route to have direct access to the Scarborough Centre Station, however, it does not operate during the midday on weekdays or the daytime on Saturday. The TTC examined possibly routing the 134 Tapscott so that these customers would not have to transfer. This option involved operating from Sheppard Avenue, left on Progress Avenue, right on Milner Avenue and left on Markham Road and right onto Progress Avenue to Scarborough Centre Station. The route would reverse on the return route. TTC staff determined that this option would result in an overall inconvenience to customers, and is not recommended by the TTC in the 2000 Service Plan.

Conclusions:

This report provides a summary of issues discussed in the 2000 Service Plan within the Scarborough Community Area, as prepared by the TTC. Additional information on these changes can be found in the Service Plan which the TTC sent to each member of the Toronto City Council.

Contact:

Bruce D. Clayton

Supervisor, Traffic Engineering, Works and Emergency Services

Tel: 396-7844

Fax: 396-5681

E-mail: clayton@city.scarborough.on.ca

Gary H. Welsh

Director

Transportation Services

Works and Emergency Services

District 4

BDC:ca:

c:\work\reports\scc\2000ttc.doc

D99-003

List of Attachments:

1. Plan (131 Nugget Revised Service on Morningview Trail)