Compiled by Jeffrey Kay
Map by John Calnan (click on the image to see the detailed pdf)
See Also
- 199 FINCH ROCKET (2010-2018)
- 308 FINCH EAST BLUE NIGHT (1987-2015)
- 339 FINCH EAST NIGHT
- 939 FINCH EXPRESS
March 30, 1974
Coincident with the opening of the Yonge subway extension to Finch, route 39 FINCH EAST established, replacing the portion of the 36 FINCH bus operating east of Yonge Street. Buses operated out of Eglinton Garage run from Finch station via Finch to the existing loop at Seneca College, seven days a week, eighteen hours a day.
FINCH EAST | 39 | SENECA COLLEGE |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
November 23, 1975
Service extended east of Seneca College along Finch to McCowan Avenue, looping north an east on Sandhurst Circle West and south on McCowan. Additional trips continue to run to Seneca College during the daytime, Mondays through Fridays.
FINCH EAST | 39 | SENECA COLLEGE |
Monday to Friday, rush hours and midday | ||
FINCH EAST | 39A | M c C O W A N |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
November 26, 1979
Rush hour service extended from Seneca College to Birchmount, looping via north on Bridletown Circle, east on L’Amoreaux and south on Birchmount. Additional midday service continues to turn back at Seneca College.
February 25, 1980
Express service established between Finch station and McCowan. Buses on the express branch operate local both ways between Warden and McCowan and operate express between Finch station and Warden, stopping only at Seneca College. Although shown as 39C here, this branch designation was not initially used, and was introduced in the fall of 1980 (no later than November 24). Until then, the 39A sign was displayed with a dash card saying “FINCH EAST EXPRESS”. In addition, a metal pennant over the front door notified passengers that their bus was not a local.
Express buses run every 20 minutes during Monday-Friday rush hours leaving Finch Station between 6:20 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and between 3:00 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. From McCowan buses leave every 20 minutes from 6:50 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:10 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.
FINCH EAST | 39 | SENECA COLLEGE |
Monday to Friday, midday only | ||
FINCH EAST | 39A | M c C O W A N |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
FINCH EAST | 39B | BIRCHMOUNT |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
F I N C H E A S T E X P R E S S | 39C | M c C O W A N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
May 12, 1980
39C Express buses now stop both ways at Don Mills.
August 31, 1980
McCowan loop revised, with buses looping via north on McCowan and then east and south on Sandhurst Circle. Morning rush hour short turn service added to Seneca College branch. No changes to destination signs.
January 5, 1981
(Or earlier) Afternoon rush hour short turn service added to Seneca College.
July 4, 1981
(Or earlier) Additional Saturday service added to Seneca College.
January 4, 1982
Additional Monday-to-Friday daytime service extended east of McCowan via Finch to Neilson, looping via south on Neilson, east on Crow Trail and north on Baldoon.
FINCH EAST | 39 | SENECA COLLEGE |
Monday to Saturday, daytime hours | ||
FINCH EAST | 39A | M c C O W A N |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
FINCH EAST | 39B | BIRCHMOUNT |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
F I N C H E A S T E X P R E S S | 39C | M c C O W A N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
FINCH EAST | 39D | N E I L S O N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours and midday | ||
February 7, 1982
Saturday short turn service to Seneca College discontinued. All buses run through to McCowan.
January 3, 1983
Afternoon rush hour service to Seneca College discontinued.
July 24, 1983
Malvern Garage opens and buses on the 39 FINCH EAST were transferred from Eglinton.
March 17, 1984
Saturday daytime service extended to Neilson.
September 1, 1985
Midday short turn service extended from Seneca College to Birchmount. Saturday service to Neilson discontinued.
November 30, 1985
Saturday service to Neilson reinstated.
November 23, 1987
Evening and Sunday service to Neilson introduced.
September 4, 1988
On or about this date, [Orion Ikarus] articulated buses begin operation on this route. It is difficult to determine how much service was initially provided by these higher capacity buses, but by February 17, 1991, they operated on all off-peak trips and on the 39C and 39E branches during peak periods.
September 1989
(Or as early as June 1989) Morning rush hour trips to Seneca College discontinued. Monday through Friday midday trips to Birchmount and McCowan discontinued, with all trips operating to Neilson. Monday through Friday evening trips to McCowan discontinued, with all trips running through to Neilson.
FINCH EAST | 39A | M c C O W A N |
Weekends and holidays, 18 hours a day | ||
FINCH EAST | 39B | BIRCHMOUNT |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
F I N C H E A S T E X P R E S S | 39C | M c C O W A N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
FINCH EAST | 39D | N E I L S O N |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
February 18, 1990
A new rush hour express service introduced between Finch station and the existing loop at Neilson. Buses operate express both ways between Finch station and Warden, stopping only at Don Mills an Victoria Park.
It is not known when 39C “McCowan Express” buses stopped using the stop at Seneca College, or started using the stop at Victoria Park instead. By this date, however, no express buses are stopping at Seneca College.
FINCH EAST | 39A | M c C O W A N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours | ||
FINCH EAST | 39B | BIRCHMOUNT |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
F I N C H E A S T E X P R E S S | 39C | M c C O W A N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
FINCH EAST | 39D | N E I L S O N |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
F I N C H E A S T E X P R E S S | 39E | N E I L S O N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
March 29, 1992
“Several weeks” before this date, additional morning peak trips are operating between Seneca College and Finch station again. Buses operate local on westbound trips and express on eastbound trips.
Articulated buses are now operating on all off-peak trips, with a mix of articulated buses and regular buses used during peak periods.
FINCH EAST | 39 | SENECA COLLEGE |
Monday to Friday, morning rush hours | ||
FINCH EAST | 39A | M c C O W A N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours | ||
FINCH EAST | 39B | BIRCHMOUNT |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
F I N C H E A S T | 39C | M c C O W A N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
FINCH EAST | 39D | N E I L S O N |
7 days a week, 18 hours a day | ||
F I N C H E A S T | 39E | N E I L S O N |
Monday to Friday, rush hours only | ||
F I N C H E A S T | 39E | SENECA COLLEGE |
Monday to Friday, morning rush hours | ||
March 29, 1992
Midday short turn service to McCowan added.
February 13, 1994
Sunday late evening trips to McCowan discontinued, with all buses running through to Neilson.
September 3, 1995
Articulated buses withdrawn during off-peak hours and replaced with regular 40-foot buses. Articulate buses continue to operate on the 39C and 39E peak period express branches.
February 19, 1996
(Or, as early as October 1995) Morning rush hour service to Birchmount discontinued.
July 28, 1996
39 FINCH EAST now designated as an ACCESSIBLE route, with most off-peak trips and most local peak trips operated by new lift-equipped Orion V buses. Orion Ikarus articulated buses continue to operate on the 39C and 39E branches during peak periods, while older, non-accessible buses are still operated on some peak trips, Monday through Friday.
June 15, 1997
Saturday trips to McCowan between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. are run through to Neilson.
January 5, 1998
All eastbound morning rush-hour 39A trips are run as 39C Express buses
February 15, 1998
During the afternoon rush hours, express buses make an additional westbound stop at Seneca College.
January 4, 1999
During the peak periods, all trips to Neilson operated as 39E Express, using articulated buses. As 39D “Neilson local” buses no longer operate during peak periods, this means there is no accessible service between McCowan and Neilson during rush hours. During the midday hours, Monday through Friday, service on the McCowan short turn branch is cancelled with all buses operating to Neilson. Eastbound express buses now make a stop at Seneca College during the morning rush hours. Within a couple of years, Seneca College was served by express buses in both directions, during both morning and afternoon peak periods.
WESTBOUND |
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EASTBOUND |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO FINCH STN |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO SENECA COLLEGE |
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Occasional short turns |
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39A |
FINCH EAST |
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TO McCOWAN |
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Monday to Friday rush hours |
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39B |
FINCH EAST |
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TO BIRCHMOUNT |
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Monday to Friday, afternoon rush hours only |
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39D |
FINCH EAST |
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TO NEILSON |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39E |
FINCH EAST |
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39E |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
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Monday to Friday, morning rush hours only |
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September 3, 2000
Articulated buses retired. These high-capacity vehicles that operated on the 39E express branch are replaced by a greater number of regular sized non-accessible buses. Accessible lift-equipped buses continue to provide most other service Mondays through Fridays and all service on weekends.
February 18, 2002
Alternate peak period express buses run eastbound to McCowan only, reintroducing the 39C “McCowan Express” branch.
WESTBOUND |
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EASTBOUND |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO FINCH STN |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO SENECA COLLEGE |
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Occasional short turns |
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39A |
FINCH EAST |
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TO McCOWAN |
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Monday to Friday rush hours |
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39B |
FINCH EAST |
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TO BIRCHMOUNT |
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Monday to Friday, afternoon rush hours only |
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39C |
FINCH EAST |
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39C |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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39D |
FINCH EAST |
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TO NEILSON |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39E |
FINCH EAST |
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39E |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
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Monday to Friday, morning rush hours only |
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November 24, 2002
Service on the 139 FINCH EAST express route begins, connecting Finch Avenue east of the Don Valley Parkway with the Sheppard subway at Don Mills station, and supplementing the C and E branches of 39 FINCH EAST. Rush hour service levels on 39 FINCH EAST are reduced to compensate.
January 5, 2003
A mix of accessible lift-equipped buses and older non-accessible buses are use on all branches, Monday through Friday. This restores accessible service to the section of the route east of McCowan Avenue, that was withdrawn January 1999.
August 31, 2003
All trips at all times are now scheduled to use accessible lift-equipped buses.
September 3, 2006
All weekend trips that had operated to McCowan (Saturday early morning and Sundays until 9 p.m.) are now extended through to Neilson, leaving only rush hour buses to operate on the 39A McCowan branch.
February 17, 2008
The stops served by the 39 FINCH EAST express buses change. Express buses will now serve all local stops east of Brimley. Between Brimley and Finch station, express buses will stop at Midland, Kennedy, Birchmount, Bridletowne Circle (east), Warden, Bridletowne Circle (west), Pharmacy, Victoria Park, Cherokee, Seneca College, Don Mills Road, Leslie, Bayview, and Finch station.
January 5, 2009
A new 39G branch established, extending service east from Finch and Neilson via east on Finch, south on Morningside, east on Old Finch, south on Morningview Trail, west on Sewells Road, north on Littles Road, returning via west on Old Finch, north on Morningside, and west on Finch. Service operates rush hours only, operating express following the same stopping patterns of the 39E Neilson express, but providing local service east of Neilson.
WESTBOUND |
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EASTBOUND |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO FINCH STN |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO SENECA COLLEGE |
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Occasional short turns |
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39A |
FINCH EAST |
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TO McCOWAN |
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Monday to Friday rush hours |
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39B |
FINCH EAST |
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TO BIRCHMOUNT |
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Monday to Friday, afternoon rush hours only |
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39C |
FINCH EAST |
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39C |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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39D |
FINCH EAST |
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TO NEILSON |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39E |
FINCH EAST |
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39E |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
|||
Monday to Friday, morning rush hours only |
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39G |
FINCH EAST |
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39G |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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October 12, 2010
Route reorganized. The new 199 FINCH ROCKET limited stop bus replaces the 39C and 39E express branches. Local service increased on the 39D “Neilson” branch to operate every three to seven minutes throughout the weekdays, and five to ten minutes at any other time, barring night service. 39G service to Old Finch and Morningview is changed to operate local all the way to Finch station.
Service increased on the 39/39F branch operating between Finch station and Seneca College. Buses operate express eastbound in the morning and westbound in the afternoon as 39F buses, stopping only at Finch station, Bayview, Leslie, Don Mills and Seneca College. Return trips operate local, serving all stops.
Service on the 39A (McCowan) and 39B (Birchmount) branches no longer scheduled, although these may still exist as occasional short turns.
WESTBOUND |
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EASTBOUND |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO FINCH STN |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO SENECA COLLEGE |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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39D |
FINCH EAST |
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TO NEILSON |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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39G |
FINCH EAST |
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TO OLD FINCH & MORNINGVIEW |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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June 22, 2014
As part of a system-wide reorganization of route branch designations, all eastbound 39 FINCH EAST buses to Seneca College are designated 39C. Buses on the 39D “Neilson” branch are designated 39A and buses on the 39G “Old Finch” branch are redesignated 39B
WESTBOUND |
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EASTBOUND |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO FINCH STN |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39A |
FINCH EAST |
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TO NEILSON |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39B |
FINCH EAST |
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TO OLD FINCH & MORNINGVIEW |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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39C |
FINCH EAST |
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TO SENECA COLLEGE |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
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39F |
FINCH EAST |
E X P R E S S |
E X P R E S S |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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September 6, 2015
New service is added on the 39B (Finch Station-Old Finch) branch on middays and early evenings, Monday to Friday, and in the daytime and early evenings on Saturday. Buses on this branch operate at intervals of between 12 and 20 minutes. Additional service is added to the entire route during the daytime on Saturday so that service operates between Finch Station and Neilson Road at intervals of 10 minutes or better whenever the subway is open.
October 11, 2015
Sunday and holiday daytime and early evening service is added to the 39B “Finch Stn-Old Finch” branch.
March 28, 2016
Service on the 39C “Seneca College” branch is extended east to serve the Gordon Baker industrial area. Buses follow the old route to Seneca College and then proceed east via Finch and north via Victoria Park, looping via west and south on Gordon Baker Road, south on Harold Evans Crescent, east on McNicoll Avenue to Victoria Park, returning via the reverse route. Connections are made with the 42C CUMMER service on Gordon Baker. This service replaces the 39F “Seneca College Express” branches which are now provided by the extension of the 199C FINCH ROCKET.
WESTBOUND |
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EASTBOUND |
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39 |
FINCH EAST |
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TO FINCH STN |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39A |
FINCH EAST |
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TO NEILSON |
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7 days a week, 18 hours a day |
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39B |
FINCH EAST |
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TO OLD FINCH & MORNINGVIEW |
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7 days a week, daytime and early evenings |
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39C |
FINCH EAST |
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TO VICTORIA PARK |
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Monday to Friday, rush hours only |
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August 6, 2019
Late evening service established on the 39B “Old Finch/Morningview” branch. Buses on both 39A “Neilson” and 39B branches now operate at intervals of 10 minutes or better after 9pm whenever the subway is open 7 days a week excluding the 39C “Victoria Park” peak period only branch.
March 28, 2021
Operations of this route transferred from Malvern Garage to the newly-opened McNicoll Garage. With the systemwide changes affecting the routes assignments, 37 years of service out of Malvern Garage ends.
39 Finch East Image Archive
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An issue of TTC's "Headlights", describing changes to bus services coincident with the extension of the YONGE SUBWAY to Finch on March 30, 1974. |
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An official map of the TTC's 39 FINCH EAST operations, effective October 1998 |
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An official TTC map of 39 FINCH EAST operations, effective March 28, 2016 showing the extension to Victoria Park. |
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An official TTC map of 39 FINCH EAST operations, effective January 1, 2013. |
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A map showing the extension of the 39C FINCH EAST branch to Gordon Baker, effective March 28, 2016. Image courtesy the TTC. |
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TTC Orion VII "Next Gen" bus #1352 operating in 39 FINCH EAST service pulls up in front of "Next Gen" comrade #1758, also in 39 FINCH EAST service, at Finch station. This photo was taken by Zhuhan Li on June 21, 2018. |
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In summer 2009, Orion V bus 7009 flies past new Orion VII hybrid 1708 while heading westbound on Finch Avenue East. Photo by Jonathan Chen. |
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TTC Orion VII Next Gen hybrid bus #1786 is seen on 39 FINCH EAST, heading west towards Finch station on May 2, 2015. Photo by Flame Cube. |
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TTC New Flyer D-40-90 rebuild #6594 operates eastbound on 39D FINCH EAST at Victoria Park. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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TTC Orion V bus #6731 exits Finch station running on route 39D FINCH EAST in September 1997. Photo by Bob Hussey. |
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TTC Orion V bus #7044 seen on Finch Avenue East passing through Brimley Road operating on the 39S FINCH EAST SHORT TURN. Jelo Gutierrez Cantos snapped this shot on March 28, 2013. |
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Orion V high-floor buses still dominate 39 FINCH EAST service. In ths photograph, TTC bus 7109 is caught at Finch Ave East about to cross Pharmacy Ave. This photo was taken by Roman Fomin on June 26, 2013. |
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Orions were a common visitor to Finch station. Here, TTC Orion V 7132 is pulling away from the 39D FINCH EAST bus bay for a long journey east. Photo by David Cavlovic. |
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A gloomy winter's day as TTC Orion V 7048 heads to Neilson Road along the 39 FINCH EAST route. Photo by TorontoTransportGuy. |
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TTC GM New Look bus #8027 seen at Finch station operating on route 39F FINCH EAST EXPRESS service in October 1992. Photo taken by Fred Tang. |
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TTC GM New Look bus #8030 pauses at Sandhurst Circle on June 9, 1987, in service on 39 FINCH EAST. The photographer is unknown. |
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Fred Tang caught TTC GM New Look bus #8058 after refurbishment in the summer of 1996 (also the time when most of the 1975 Fishbowls retired from Malvern), #8058 received large number on the front. Here, it is seen operating on the 39E FINCH EAST EXPRESS service. |
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TTC GM articulated bus #8506 operates on 39 FINCH EAST on March 10, 1986. The photographer is unknown. |
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TTC GM articulated bus #8507 operates on 39 FINCH EAST service in this early 1980s shot by John Calnan. |
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TTC Nova low floor articulated bus #9071 pulls through Finch station, in service on 39 FINCH EAST on October 24, 2014. The photographer is anonymous. |
