Streetcars return to the Beach, starting July 29



Although the City of Toronto and the TTC continue to work on two projects on Queen Street East between Coxwell and Vancouver Avenues, they’ve progressed far enough that the TTC can resume streetcar service into the Beach neighbourhood. (Vancouver Avenue is one block east of Greenwood Avenue.)

TTC crews have finished upgrading the overhead streetcar wiring, but continue to replace the streetcar tracks between Coxwell and the Russell Carhouse (at Queen Street East and Connaught Avenue).

At the same time, the City is replacing the sewers, watermains and sidewalks on this section of Queen Street East and on Kingston Road between Victoria Park Avenue and Main Street / Southwood Drive.

Starting Sunday, July 29, the TTC resumes streetcar service along Queen Street East to and from Neville Park Loop. However, it will detour the cars operating along the 301 Queen and 501 Queen routes between Coxwell and Broadview Avenues. It’s also canceling service along the 502 Downtowner and 503 Kingston Rd routes until construction ends.

Shuttle buses continue to replace streetcars on Kingston Road, Mondays to Fridays from about 5:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. The buses operate between Bingham Loop and River Street. (Buses operating along the 22A Coxwell and 322 Coxwell overnight routes continue to operate along Kingston Road Monday-to-Friday evenings and overnight and 24 hours a day Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.)

Shuttle buses also continue to operate along Queen Street East, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The buses operate between the Woodbine Loop (at Queen Street East and Kingston Road) and River during regular service hours and between Woodbine Loop and University Avenue overnight.

During the work, the TTC is also detouring buses operating along the 31B Greenwood extension to the Canada Post facility on Eastern Avenue.

Construction continues until October 6.

Despite the efforts of some commuters urging the TTC to extend bus service as far west as Yonge Street, Kingston Road passengers still won’t be able to ride buses directly downtown. They’ll still have to transfer to streetcars operating along the 501 Queen or 504 King routes at Broadview Avenue or Carroll Street.

Throughout August, the TTC continues to work on the tracks at the entrance to Russell Carhouse. The work requires TTC employees to queue eastbound streetcars returning to the yard along Queen Street East between Leslie Street and Greenwood Avenue, before they maneuver each car to store them in the yard. The queue of cars restricts eastbound traffic to just one lane. Toronto Police Service officers will help direct the flow of eastbound traffic seven days a week between 6 and 11 p.m.

You can learn more about why the TTC has to make a special effort to maneuver the streetcars into the yard here. (.pdf)

The TTC has been detouring transit services in the area since Sunday, May 6.


22 Coxwell via Kingston Rd
322 Coxwell via Kingston Rd

Before 5:30 a.m. and after 7 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and 24 hours a day Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, buses continue to serve their regular routes along Kingston Road.

502 Downtowner

Friday, May 4 was the last day until October that the TTC operated streetcars along the route. Shuttle buses replace the cars, operating between Bingham Loop and River Street.

502 / 503 Downtowner / Kingston Rd shuttle bus

From Monday, July 30 until Friday, October 5, westbound buses start their trips in Bingham Loop, then proceed:

southward along Bingham Avenue; and then
westward along Kingston Road and Eastern Avenue;
northward along Leslie Street; and then
westward along Queen Street East to Parliament Street,
ending their trips.

Westbound buses drop off and pick up passengers at stops

  • in Bingham Loop,
  • on Bingham Avenue at Kingston Road,
  • on Kingston Road at Scarborough Road, Beech and Mal0vern Avenues, Walter and Main Streets, across from Lee Avenue, at Brookside Drive, across from Elmer Avenue, at Woodbine Avenue, across from Columbine Avenue and at Dundas and Queen Streets East,
  • on Eastern Avenue south of Queen Street East and
  • on Queen Street East at Jones, Brooklin, Pape, Carlaw and Logan Avenues, west of Booth Avenue, at Boulton and Broadview Avenues, River, Sumach, Sackville and Parliament Streets.

Eastbound buses start their trips on Queen Street East at Parliament Street, then proceed:

northward along Parliament Street;
eastward along Shuter Street;
southward along River Street;
eastward along Queen Street East;
southward along Leslie Street;
eastward along Eastern Avenue and Kingston Road;
northward along Victoria Park Avenue; and then
westward into Bingham Loop,
ending their trips.

Eastbound buses drop off and pick up passengers at stops

  • on Queen Street East across from Carroll Street, at Broadview Avenue, east of Saulter Street, at Empire, Logan, Carlaw, Pape and Caroline Avenues, across from Jones Avenue and at Leslie Street,
  • on Leslie Street south of Queen Street East,
  • on Eastern Avenue east of Leslie Street, across from Knox Avenue and Minto Street (beside Canada Post’s South Central Processing Station),
  • on Kingston Road at Dixon Avenue, Rainsford Road, Woodbine and Elmer Avenues, Waverly Road, Lee Avenue, Southwood and Glen Manor Drives, Beech Avenue, Scarborough Road and Victoria Park Avenue and
  • in Bingham Loop.

These westbound stops have no transit service from Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6:

  • on Queen Street East at Kent Road, across from Connaught Avenue, at Greenwood and Alton Avenues and Leslie Street.

These eastbound stops have no transit service from Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6:

  • on Queen Street East at Laing Street, across from Greenwood Avenue, at Connaught, Woodward and Coxwell Avenues.
31B Greenwood

Until Saturday, October 6, southbound buses operate along their regular route to Eastern and Woodward Avenues, then detour:

eastward along Eastern Avenue;
northward along Coxwell Avenue; and then
eastward along Queen Street East to Eastern Avenue,
ending their trips.

Southbound buses serve all regular stops.

Northbound buses start their trips on Queen Street East at Eastern Avenue, then proceed:

westward along Eastern;
northward along Leslie Street; and then
eastward along Queen Street East to Greenwood Avenue,
resuming their regular route northward along Greenwood.

Northbound buses skip their regular stops

  • on Woodward Avenue at Queen Street East and
  • on Queen Street East across from Connaught Avenue.
503 Kingston Rd tripper

Friday, May 4 was the last day until October that the TTC operated streetcars along the route. Shuttle buses replace the cars, operating between Bingham Loop and River Street.

301 Queen overnight
501 Queen

From Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6, westbound streetcars operate along their regular route to Queen Street East and Coxwell Avenue, then detour:

northward along Coxwell;
westward along Gerrard Street East; and then
southward along Broadview Avenue to Queen East,
resuming their regular route westward along Queen.

Westbound cars skip their regular stops

  • on Queen Street East at Kent Road, across from Connaught Avenue, at Greenwood and Alton Avenues, Leslie Street, Jones, Brooklyn, Pape, Carlaw and Logan Avenues, west of Booth Avenue and at Boulton and Broadview Avenues.

Instead, westbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on Coxwell Avenue at Dundas Street East, Robbins Avenue and Eastwood Road,
  • on Gerrard Street East at Rhodes Avenue (Sundays only), Ashdale Avenue, Hiawatha Road (Sundays only), Highfield Road, Greenwood and Prust Avenues, Leslie Street, Jones, Marjory, Pape, Carlaw and Logan Avenues, Howland Road (Sundays only), across from DeGrassi Street and at Broadview Avenue and
  • on Broadview Avenue at Mount Stephen Street and Dundas and Queen Streets East.

Eastbound cars reverse the detour routing.

Eastbound cars skip their regular stops

  • on Queen Street East east of at Saulter Street, at Empire, Booth, Logan, Carlaw, Pape and Caroline Avenues, across from Jones Avenue, at Leslie and Laing Streets, across from Greenwood Avenue and at Connaught, Woodward and Coxwell Avenues.

Instead, eastbound cars drop off or pick up passengers at temporary stops

  • on Broadview Avenue north of Queen Street East, at Dundas Street East, across from Mount Stephen Street and at Gerrard Street East,
  • on Gerrard Street East at DeGrassi Street, across from Howland Road (Sundays only), at Logan, Carlaw, Pape, Marjory and Jones Avenues, at Leslie Street, Alton and Greenwood Avenues, Woodfield Road, Hiawatha Road (Sundays only), Ashdale Avenue, Rhodes Avenue (Sundays only) and Coxwell Avenue and
  • on Coxwell Avenue across from Robbins Avenue and at Dundas and Queen Streets East.

Shuttle buses also replace streetcar service on Queen Street East, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The buses operate between Woodbine Loop (at Queen Street East and Kingston Road) and Broadview during regular service hours and between Neville and University Avenue overnight.

These westbound stops have no transit service from Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6:

  • on Queen Street East at Kent Road, across from Connaught Avenue, at Greenwood and Alton Avenues and Leslie Street.

These eastbound stops have no transit service from Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6:

  • on Queen Street East at Laing Street, across from Greenwood Avenue, at Connaught, Woodward and Coxwell Avenues.
501 Queen shuttle bus

From Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6, westbound buses start their trips in Woodbine Loop, then proceed:

eastward along Queen Street East and Eastern Avenue,
northward along Leslie Street; and then
westward along Queen Street East to Parliament Street,
ending their trips.

Westbound buses drop off and pick up passengers at stops

  • in Woodbine Loop,
  • on Eastern Avenue south of Queen Street East, at Knox Avenue and Leslie Street,
  • on Queen Street East at Jones, Brooklin, Pape, Carlaw and Logan Avenues, west of Booth Avenue, at Boulton and Broadview Avenues, Carroll, River, Sumach, Sackville and Parliament Streets.

Eastbound buses start their trips on Queen Street East at Parliament Street, then proceed:


northward along Parliament Street;
eastward along Shuter Street;
southward along River Street;
eastward along Queen Street East;
southward along Leslie Street;
eastward along Eastern Avenue and Kingston Road, and then
eastward into Woodbine Loop,
ending their trips.

Eastbound buses drop off and pick up passengers at stops

  • on Queen Street East across from Carroll Street, at Broadview Avenue, east of Saulter Street, at Empire Avenue, at Booth Avenue (Sundays only), at Logan, Carlaw, Pape and Caroline Avenues, across from Jones Avenue and at Leslie Street,
  • on Leslie Street south of Queen Street East,
  • on Eastern Avenue east of Leslie Street, across from Knox Avenue and Minto Street (beside Canada Post’s South Central Processing Station) and
  • in Woodbine Loop.

These westbound stops have no transit service from Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6:

  • on Queen Street East at Kent Road, across from Connaught Avenue, at Greenwood and Alton Avenues and Leslie Street.

These eastbound stops have no transit service from Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6:

  • on Queen Street East at Laing Street, across from Greenwood Avenue, at Connaught, Woodward and Coxwell Avenues.
301 Queen overnight shuttle bus

From Sunday, May 6 until October, westbound buses start their trips in Woodbine Loop, then proceed:

eastward along Queen Street East and Eastern Avenue,
northward along Leslie Street; and then
westward along Queen Streets East and West to University Avenue
ending their trips.

Westbound buses drop off and pick up passengers at stops

  • in Woodbine Loop,
  • on Eastern Avenue south of Queen Street East at Knox Avenue and Leslie Street,
  • on Queen Street East at Jones, Brooklin, Pape, Carlaw and Logan Avenues, west of Booth Avenue, at Boulton and Broadview Avenues and Carroll, River, Sumach, Sackville, Parliament, Ontario, Sherbourne, Jarvis, Church, Victoria and Yonge Streets and
  • on Queen Street West at Bay Street, across from York Street and at University Avenue.

Eastbound buses start their trips on Queen Street West at University Avenue, then proceed:


eastward along Queen Streets West and East;
southward along Leslie Street;
eastward along Eastern Avenue and Kingston Road, and then
eastward into Woodbine Loop,
ending their trips.

Eastbound buses drop off and pick up passengers at stops

  • on Queen Street West at University Avenue and York, Bay and Yonge Streets,
  • on Queen Street East at Victoria, Church, Jarvis, Sherbourne, Ontario, Parliament, Sackville, Sumach and River Streets, across from Carroll Street, at Broadview Avenue, east of Saulter Street, at Empire, Logan, Carlaw, Pape and Caroline Avenues, across from Jones Avenue and at Leslie Street,
  • on Leslie Street south of Queen Street East,
  • on Eastern Avenue east of Leslie Street, across from Knox Avenue and Minto Street (beside Canada Post’s South Central Processing Station) and
  • in Woodbine Loop.

These westbound stops have no transit service from Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6:

  • on Queen Street East at Kent Road, across from Connaught Avenue, at Greenwood and Alton Avenues and Leslie Street.

These eastbound stops have no transit service from Sunday, July 29 until Saturday, October 6:

  • on Queen Street East at Laing Street, across from Greenwood Avenue, at Connaught, Woodward and Coxwell Avenues.