RapidTO: Example Priority Solutions

Transit priority solutions aim to improve the speed and reliability of bus, streetcar and Wheel-Trans services. Through the RapidTO: Surface Transit Network Plan, the City and TTC will study, design and engage with the public to determine the most effective transit priority solutions for each roadway.

Examples of priority solutions include:

Priority bus lanes keep buses moving smoothly and on time, especially on busy roads. These lanes are reserved for buses and other authorized vehicles to make travel times quicker and more reliable for people riding transit.
Look for red pavement, road markings and signs to know where the lanes are and who can use them. Vehicles typically allowed include:
  • TTC buses
  • Buses (including school buses and buses operated by agencies other than the TTC)
  • Wheel-Trans vehicles (including buses and third-party contracted taxis)
  • Bicycles
  • Emergency and other City services (including police, fire, paramedics and garbage trucks)

All other vehicles can enter a priority bus lane to:

  • Turn into a driveway or side street
  • Go around a left-turning or stalled vehicle in the centre lane
  • Make way for emergency vehicles travelling in the centre lane

A Street Occupation Permit is required for construction, renovation or demolition projects that require temporary use of the priority bus lane.

A bus travelling on the RapidTO: Eglinton East Bus Lanes identifed by the red pavement paint and markings.
Example of a priority bus lane: RapidTO: Eglinton Avenue East.

Solid Red Lane

People driving should not cross the solid white line or travel in the solid red section of a priority bus lane.
Top-down view of a street with a red priority bus lane along the curb, marked with diamond, bicycle, and bus symbols. A regulatory sign indicates the lane is for buses and people cycling. A bus occupies the lane, and a person is cycling behind it. A red car travels in the adjacent general traffic lane. Pedestrians are visible on the sidewalk.

Dashed Red Lane

People driving can enter the lane where the paint is dashed to make left and right turns at intersections or driveways.

People driving may remain in the priority bus lane for no more than 45 m before exiting.

A dashed red lane means that people driving can enter the priority bus lane to make a right turn at intersections or driveways.

Making Left Turns

People driving can cross the priority bus lane to turn left into driveways or side streets.
People driving can turn left and cross the priority bus lane to access driveways.

Making Right Turns

People driving can enter a priority bus lane at designated areas (marked by dashed lines and red paint) to turn right at intersections or access driveways.

For example, people driving may enter the red lane up to 45 m before their turn.

Dashed markings (without red paint) means that people driving can enter the right turn lane to make a right turn.

Turning Right onto a Priority Roadway

When making a right turn, people driving should carefully enter the lane adjacent to the priority bus lane when it’s safe to do so.

Top-down view of an intersection with a red priority bus lane marked with a diamond, bicycle, and bus symbols. A regulatory sign indicates the lane is for buses and people cycling. A person is cycling in the bus lane, while a black car turns right into the adjacent curbside lane. Pedestrian crosswalks with zebra markings are visible at the intersection.

Pass a Left-turning Vehicle

To maintain traffic flow, people driving can use the priority bus lane for up to 45 m to pass a vehicle waiting to turn left.

To keep traffic moving, people driving can use the priority bus lane to get around left turning vehicles.

Enforcement & Penalties

Fines for Misuse

The Toronto Police Service may issue fines for:

  • Travelling in or entering the lane improperly: $110 and three demerit points
  • Stopping in the lane unless within designated loading areas: $170
  • Parking in a commercial loading zone without actively loading/unloading passengers or goods: $50
Traffic sign indicating a reserved lane for high-occupancy vehicles, buses, and bicycles. Includes a diamond symbol, bus icon, bicycle icon, and an arrow pointing down with the words ‘THIS LANE.’

Automated Enforcement

A pilot of automated enforcement technology is underway, but ticketing is not expected to be issued at this time.

Priority streetcar lanes help streetcars and other authorized vehicles move efficiently through busy areas, reducing delays and improving service for everyone who relies on public transit.
Look for red pavement, road markings and signs to know where the lanes are and who can use them. Vehicles typically allowed include:
  • TTC streetcars and buses
  • Buses (including school buses and buses operated by agencies other than the TTC)
  • Wheel-Trans vehicles (including buses and third-party contracted taxis)
  • Emergency vehicles (including police, fire and paramedics)
A red streetcar travelling in a priority streetcar lane on Bathurst Street, surrounded by cars and a person cycling near an intersection. Urban buildings and traffic signals are visible in the background.
Example of a priority streetcar lane: Bathurst Street

Solid Red Lane

People driving should not cross the solid white line or travel in the solid red section of the priority streetcar lane.

Vehicles (purple, brown, blue, and green) travel straight in mixed-traffic curb lanes next to solid red centre transit lanes with streetcars in them. Pedestrians are on sidewalks on both sides.

Dashed Red Lane

People driving can enter the lane where paint is dashed to make left turns at intersections or driveways.

A brown car makes a left turn from the centre lane, crossing the red transit lane while yielding to a streetcar. A purple car follows and waits behind the brown car, waiting to turn left. Pedestrians are present on the sidewalks.

Exiting Driveways

People driving can cross the priority bus lane to turn left into driveways or side streets.
Top-down view of two red priority streetcar lanes in the center of the street, marked with diamond symbols. A regulatory sign indicates the lanes are for streetcars. A streetcar travels southbound, while a brown car turns out of a driveway into the curbside lane beside the streetcar. A purple car waits in the driveway to make the same left turn, and a blue and green car are in adjacent lanes. Pedestrians are visible on both sidewalks.

Enforcement & Penalties

Fines for Misuse

The Toronto Police Service may issue fines for:

  • Travelling in or entering the lane improperly: $110 and three demerit points
  • Stopping in the bus lane unless within designated loading areas: $170
  • Parking in a commercial loading zone without actively loading/unloading passengers or goods: $50
Traffic sign indicating a reserved lane for streetcars. The sign includes a diamond symbol, a streetcar icon, an arrow pointing down and the words ‘THIS LANE.’

Automated Enforcement

The TTC is improving safety for streetcar customers by piloting automatic camera enforcement technology for motorists who pass open doors. Learn more about the streetcar safety camera pilot.

HOV lanes are designed to move more people efficiently by prioritizing vehicles carrying multiple passengers. These lanes are reserved for specific types of vehicles during peak periods or all day.
Look for road markings and signs that identify vehicle types, passenger requirements and time-of-day restrictions to know how to use them. Vehicles typically allowed include:
  • Buses (including school buses and buses operated by agencies other than the TTC)
  • Wheel-Trans vehicles (including buses and third-party contracted taxis)
  • Licensed taxis and limousines
  • Bicycles
  • Emergency and other City services (including police, fire, paramedics and garbage trucks)
  • Motorcycles
  • Vehicles with Ontario green licence plates
  • Vehicles with two (HOV2+) or three (HOV3+) or more passengers
25B Don Mills bus travelling in the HOV lanes on Don Mills Road. Other vehicles are travelling in the same direction, adjacent to the curb lane that the HOV lane is using.
Example of an HOV lane: Don Mills Road/Overlea Boulevard/Pape Avenue, between Finch Avenue East and Danforth Avenue.
Transit priority zones are areas on the road, often found in busy downtown areas, where public transit is given priority to help keep buses and streetcars moving smoothly.
These zones may limit general traffic but still allow access for specific uses depending on signage and pavement markings.
This can include:
  • Local access for residents and businesses
  • Curbside pick-up and drop-off zones
  • Taxi stands
People boarding/alighting a streetcar on King Street
Example of transit priority zone: King Street Transit Priority Corridor.

Queue jump and bypass lanes are short lanes, often installed in right-turn lanes, designed to give buses and Wheel-Trans vehicles a head start at signalized intersections. These lanes help public transit vehicles move past traffic waiting at the intersection, improving travel time and reliability.

Queue Jump Lanes

Queue jump lanes allow public transit vehicles to pass through an intersection and merge back into the regular curbside lane after crossing.
A queue jump lane allows buses to manoeuvre around an extended through-traffic queue, load/unload passengers and proceed ahead of the general traffic queue.
Example of a queue jump lane paired with a near-side transit stop. Illustration: Metrolinx

Queue Bypass Lanes

Queue bypass lanes work similarly to queue jump lanes but typically include a dedicated receiving lane on the other side of the intersection for transit vehicles to continue smoothly.
A queue bypass lane allows buses to manoeuvre around an extended through-traffic queue, proceed through the intersection with assistance of transit signal priority, and load/unload on the far-side of an intersection in a receiving bus-only lane
Example of a bypass lane paired with a far-side transit stop. Illustration: Metrolinx

Bus bays and bus bulbs are designed to provide safe and convenient spaces for buses and Wheel-Trans vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers while minimizing disruptions to traffic.

Bus Bays

Bus bays are indented areas of the vehicle lane where buses and Wheel-Trans vehicles pull over to pick up and drop off passengers. This helps improve traffic flow for other road users, but public transit vehicles may experience delays re-entering traffic.

Buses moving into bus bays to stop at a bus stop
Example of a bus bay that allows a bus to pull into a stop and allow passengers to board without blocking traffic. Illustration: Metrolinx.

Bus Bulbs

Bus bulbs are curb extensions that allow buses and Wheel-Trans vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers without leaving the lane. Bus bulbs help public transit vehicles move faster and more reliably by decreasing the time lost when merging in and out of traffic but may cause slight delays for other road users.
Bus pulling into bus bulb with car behind it.
Example of a bus bulb, which is an extension of the sidewalk or boulevard pavement into the roadway. Illustration: Metrolinx

Strategically placed transit stops before (near-side) or after (far-side) an intersection can help reduce congestion and improve traffic flow.

Near-side Transit Stops

Near-side transit stops are located just before an intersection, allowing buses, streetcars and Wheel-Trans vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers while waiting for a red light.

Far-side Transit Stops

Far-side transit stops are located just after an intersection, enabling buses, streetcars and Wheel-Trans vehicles to move through the intersection first and then stop to pick up and drop off passengers.

Signage and pavement markings help identify lanes with restrictions or limited users. For example, priority bus lanes are usually marked with signs, pavement markings and red paint to show they are for specific users.

Transit Signal Priority (TSP) is a tool used to help buses and streetcars move more efficiently by giving them extra green light time at intersections. It’s already in place along many priority roadways approved for roadway-specific studies.

However, when roads are heavily congested or transit routes are very busy, TSP alone may not be enough to significantly improve travel times, especially when buses and streetcars still share lanes with mixed traffic. TSP works best when paired with priority transit lanes, which help keep TTC vehicles moving reliably and on schedule.

As part of all RapidTO projects, traffic signal timing and coordination will be updated to better support transit flow during implementation.

Learn more about the types of TSP used in the city and where they are implemented.