Although in recent years, Townsley has not been an important loop for the TTC, streetcars operating along the 512 St. Clair route did use it as recently as 2003 to short-turn. But, in its earliest days, Townsley was the terminal for several of Toronto’s most important crosstown streetcar routes, including Dovercourt and Harbord.

The end of the line for Townsley results from the ongoing project to rebuild the streetcar tracks along St. Clair. With streetcars turning through other loops nearby — at Lansdowne Avenue and Gunn’s Road just west of Keele Street — TTC planners decided that Townsley was one loop too many to have to rebuild. So, during the weekend of September 11 to 15, the contractors removed the track leading along Old Weston Road to the Loop.

In recent years, buses operating along the 127 Davenport and 168 Symington routes have also used Townsley as a terminal, and, at the end of construction, buses will return to the loop.

Bus detour while work crews remove the tracks

127 Davenport

Starting Monday, November 9, eastbound buses start their trips on Old Weston Road at St. Clair Avenue West, then proceed:

eastward along St. Clair West; and then
southward along Ford Street to Davenport Road,
resuming their regular route eastward along St. Clair.

Eastbound buses skip their regular stops at Townsley Loop, on Old Weston Road at St. Clair Avenue West and on Davenport Road, just east of Old Weston.

Westbound buses operate along their regular route to Old Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue West, ending their trips.

Westbound buses skip their regular stop at Townsley Loop.

The Transit Toronto archives contains lots of information on the past and future of transit through Townsley Loop and along Old Weston Road and St. Clair Avenue West.

• You can read James Bow’s history of Townsley Loop here.
• You can read James Bow’s account of the history and future of streetcar service along St. Clair, including a profile of the 512 St. Clair route here.
• You can read James Bow’s history of the former Harbord streetcar route, which included stops along Old Weston Road from 1947 until 1957, here. (Streetcars operating along the former Dovercourt route served stops along Old Weston Road until 1947.)
• You can read Peter Coulman’s history of the former 83 Trethewey bus route, which included stops along Old Weston Road from 1947 until 1954, here.
• You can read Jeffrey Kay’s history of the former Symington bus route, which included stops along Old Weston Road in 1957 and 1958, here.
• You can read Jeffrey Kay’s history of the 127 Davenport bus route, which has included stops along Old Weston Road since 1994 and in Townsley Loop, here.
• You can read Jeffrey Kay’s history of the 41 Keele bus route, which has included stops along Old Weston Road since 1952, here.
• You can read Jeffrey Kay’s history of the 168 Symington bus route, which has included stops along Old Weston Road since 1994, here.