Compiled by Peter Coulman

See Also: A History of the Bay Trolley Bus.

February 28, 1963

New bus route inaugurated replacing part of the DUPONT streetcar route on the openng of the new University Subway.

From Dupont & Davenport, looping via east on Dupont, south on Bedford, east on Davenport, south on Bay, looping at the south end via west on Harbour, south on York, east on Queen’s Quay, north and east via TTC Loop, then north on Bay and northwest on Davenport.

Daily, Saturdays & Sundays; first bus from Dupont & Davenport, 5.10a.m. Last bus from Ferry Docks 2.00a.m.. First three buses on weekdays and Saturdays enter service from Christie & Dupont at 5.05, 5.15 and 5.25a.m. Operated by Davenport Garage.

May 2, 1963 — June 18, 1963

Service diverting via west on Lakeshore, south on York St. to route due to closure of Harbour St. between Bay St and York St for work in conjunction with Gardiner Expressway

June 19, 1963

Commencing at 5.30 a.m. this date the BAY bus service resumed new south end looping facilities via the Ferry Docks Loop, which has been paved to accommodate both streetcar and bus operation.

August 27, 1963

Route altered to loop south on Bay, west on loop property south of Harbour St, south, then east (north of Queen’s Quay) exiting via north on Bay St.

September 7, 1965

Ferry loop abandoned. Looping on the south end via west on Lake Shore, south on York, east on Queen’s Quay to Bay due to closing of Ferry Loop

February 28, 1966

Coincidental with the opening of the Bloor-Danforth Subway, a short turn service was introduced on the BAY bus route which is intended to work in conjunction with the through route between downtown to the Bay Subway Station. Service to operate 5 days a week, Monday through Friday (Holidays excepted) Rush Hours Only. Buses to operate north on Bay, west on Yorkville, south on Bellair, east on Cumberland and south on Bay to route.

May 12, 1966

With the cessation of the summer season extension of the DUNDAS CAR service to the Ferry Docks for the heavy inland traffic, the regular BAY bus service was augmented by a shuttle bus service operating Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays for peak hours between Front St. and the Ferry Docks.

Service loops via south on Bay, west on Lake Shore, south on York, east on Queen’s Quay returning via north on Bay, east on Front, north on Yonge, west on Wellington to Bay to route. Service to end on Labour Day.

May 22, 1967

Ferry Docks shuttle service resumes, ending on Labour Day.

May 20, 1968

Ferry Docks shuttle service resumes for the third year, ending on Labour Day.

December 7, 1970

Between the hours of 6.30a.m. and 6.30p.m., Monday to Friday(Holidays excepted) the schedule for the BAY service is arranged for certain trips to loop through the southern loop via east on Harbour, south on Yonge, west on Queen’s Quay, north on Bay St. to route. Remaining trips to loop to the west as formerly.

January 22, 1972

Service on Harbour, Yonge and Queen’s Quay loop reduced to Monday-Friday rush hours only (between 6:36 a.m. and 9:39 a.m. and between 2:33 p.m. and 5:33 p.m.) Two days later, hours of operation for this looping arrangement extended to 9:04 p.m.

April 16, 1972

Service at the southern end rearranged, with the west loop (6) operating west on Lakeshore, south on York, east on Queen’s Quay returning north on Bay, twelve hours a day, Monday to Friday (except holidays). Service on the east loop (6A) extended, operating south on Bay, east on Queen’s Quay, looping north on Freeland, east on Lakeshore, south on Jarvis returning west on Queen’s Quay. This branch operates 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. The trial was declared a success and made permanent at the TTC Commissioners’ meeting on November 14th, 1972.

October 15, 1972

Service to York Street improved to 16 hours a day, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays).

June 24, 1973

All BAY branches operate to Jarvis Street, with service on York Street provided by an extension of the 77 SPADINA bus route.

June 25, 1973

“Bloor” short turn loop altered to run east on Davenport, south on Yonge and west on Yorkville back to the BAY route. Short turn service still operates during rush hours only.

June 24, 1974

All buses now loop via Jarvis - “6” branch eliminated

June 1975

Monday to Friday rush hour short turn service looping via Yorkville, Bellair and Cumberland changed to loop via north on Bay, east on Davenport, south on Yonge and west on Cumberland to Bay on a trial basis.

March 14, 1976

In conjunction with the opening of the new Wilson Garage, and due to the route’s impending conversion to trolley bus operation, 6 BAY operation transferred from the St. Clair (Davenport) Garage to Lansdowne Garage.

September 4, 1976

Last day of diesel bus operation. Service replaced by the 6 BAY trolley bus route. Trolley bus service opens with short-turn loops at “Bloor” (looping via Davenport, Yonge and Yorkville), “Dundas” (looping via Elm, Elizabeth and Edward) and “Front” (looping via Front, Yonge and Wellington). Trolley buses operate with the following rollsign exposures:

June 25, 1984

Rush hour service provided between Bloor and Front only (Davenport Loop) by 6B buses, with service reduced between Front and Jarvis.

March 30, 1986

Monday-Friday evening service between Dupont & Davenport and Jarvis & Queen’s Quay reduced to 20 minutes.

September 6, 1987

Due to construction of the Harbourfront LRT, 6 BAY service is split, with trolley buses running between Dupont and Davenport and Front and Bay, with additional rush-hour service provided between Bloor and Dundas. Neither of these branches have exposures on trolley bus rollsigns, and new rollsigns were not created for this temporary route change.

Diesel buses operate a shuttle service (6C) from Front and Bay to the existing loop at Jarvis. Buses operate northbound on York and southbound on Yonge. Delays in construction cause the TTC to reintroduce this service on January 3, 1988

January 3, 1988

Trolley buses operate between Dupont and Davenport and Front and Bay, 20 hours a day, 7 days a week with additional rush hour service between Bloor and Dundas. 6C BAY/HARBOURFRONT SHUTTLE buses run from Front and Bay in a clockwise loop via Front, Yonge, Queen’s Quay, York and Front, 20 hours a day, 7 days a week.

May 1988

Service begins on BAY SHUTTLE BUS, running from Union Station east on Front, south on Yonge, east on Queen’s Quay, north on Freeland, east on Lake Shore, south on Jarvis, west on Queen’s Quay, north on York and east on Front, 18 hours a day, 7 days a week.

June 23, 1990

The Harbourfront LRT opens. Through trolley bus service from Dupont to Jarvis resumes.

November 26, 1990

Extra Monday-Friday rush hour service provided, every few minutes between Front Street and Bloor with service between rush hours improved to every 5 minutes between Dupont and Jarvia & Queens Quay.

January 18, 1992

Trolley bus operation ends and diesel buses return.

September 2, 1992

With leased trolley buses from Edmonton still available until July 1993, trolley buses granted reprieve on 6 BAY and 4 ANNETTE. A test run operated on this route in anticipation of resumption of trolley bus service, two days later.

July 17, 1993

Trolley bus service ends permanently. Coach 9151 departs Jarvis and Queens Quay at 12:40 a.m. on the morning of July 18, 1993, arriving at Dupont and Davenport at 1:10 a.m. and running into Lansdowne Garage at 1:29 a.m.

November 21, 1993

6F Bay rush-hour branch which used to loop via east on Front, north on Yonge and west on Wellington altered to operate east on Front, south on Yonge and west on Lakeshore.

February 18, 1996

Due to the elimination of public transit subsidies by the provincial government, service severely cut back on this route. No service after 10 p.m., Monday-Friday. No service after 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Monday-Friday rush hour frequent service reduced.

February 14, 2000

Service adjusted and branches revised. In addition to normal 6 BAY service between Dupont and Jarvis, 6A (between Bloor and Lakeshore) and 6B (Bloor and Dundas) add service during rush hours. 6A and 6B buses hold at a special bus stop southbound on Bay at Bay station until their scheduled departure times.

September 3, 2000

The schedule of the 6 Bay route changed in the morning peak period fso that buses operate on only two branches: the 6 (Dupont-Jarvis via Docks) and 6B (Bloor-Dundas). The 6A (Bloor-Front and Lake Shore) branch no longer operates in the morning, but continues to operate in the afternoon peak period.

May 11, 2003

The 6 (Dupont-Jarvis via Ferry Docks) branch renamed 6 (Dupont-Queens Quay & Jarvis via Ferry Docks) branch, and the 6A (Bloor-Front and Lake Shore Blvd) branch renamed 6A (Bloor-Queens Quay & Yonge) branch, to more accurately describe the southern terminals.

February 13, 2005

Service reduced during the morning peak period and the midday from Monday to Friday. During the morning peak period, the combined service between Bay Station and Dundas Street changed from every 2 minutes 30 seconds to every 3 minutes 15 seconds. Service north of Bay Station and south of Dundas Street changed from every 5 minutes to every 6 minutes 30 seconds. During the midday, service changed from every 7 minutes 30 seconds to every 10 minutes.

September 6, 2005

Service increased between approximately 9:00 and 10:00 a.m., from Monday to Friday, from every 10 minutes to every 5 minutes

March 26, 2006

Service currently operates seven days a week, until 10:45 p.m. Monday-to-Friday, and 7:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

November 23, 2008

As part of the TTC’s Ridership Growth Strategy, late evening service is added, seven days a week. Buses now operate whenever the subway is open.

September 6, 2010

Service made accessible with the provision of low floor buses. Buses on this route also equipped with bicycle racks.

May 8, 2011

As part of a general reallocation of resources, service after 10 p.m. on Sundays and holidays eliminated.

Friday, July 27:

Last day of service for the 6B branch between Bloor and Dundas. After this day, buses no longer operate along Edward, Elizabeth and Elm after this day

July 30, 2012

Service on the 6B “Bloor-Dundas” branch replaced by additional service on the 6A branch operating from the Bloor loop south to Queen’s Quay.

This increases rush-hour service south of Dundas, looking ahead to providing extra service to the new George Brown campus in the fall when the first classes start. Buses continue to loop via Freeland, Lake Shore and Lower Jarvis, because the roadways at George Brown aren’t open yet.

It also starts operating slightly more frequent service along the 6A than it did along the 6B and slightly more frequent service along the route as a whole, resulting in a significant increase in service south of Dundas.

Buses drop off and pick up passengers at stops along the route north of Bloor Street West every 8 minutes, instead of every 8½ minutes, Mondays to Fridays, during morning rush hours. They serve each stop every 10 minutes, instead of every 10 minutes 20 seconds, during afternoon rush hours.

Between Bloor and Dundas Streets West, buses serve stops every 4 minutes, instead of every 4 minutes 15 seconds, during morning rush hours. They serve stops every 5 minutes, instead of every 5 minutes 10 seconds, during afternoon rush hours.

South of Dundas West, buses serve stops every 4 minutes, instead of every 8½ minutes, during morning rush hours. They serve stops every 5 minutes, instead of every 10 minutes 20 seconds, during afternoon rush hours.

August 15, 2012

As a result of growing development along the East Harbourfront, including a new campus of George Brown College, service on Queen’s Quay is improved and extended. Buses operate east on Queens Quay East, south on Knapp Lane, east and north on Dockside Drive, ending their trips on Dockside just south of Queens Quay. Service on Knapp is temporary because the east end of Dockside isn’t open yet. Buses no longer operate along Freeland, Lake Shore and Lower Jarvis.

September 2, 2012

Also on this day, as a result of heavy construction on Bay Street near Union Station, and because of increasing demand in the East Waterfront, service on a new branch begins. Due to the ongoing construction on Front Street from the Union Station second subway platform project, buses operate along a temporary route near the station. Southbound buses start from a stop south of Front on Bay — beside the Union Station GO Concourse — then proceed south on Bay, east on Queens Quay and then loop via Knapp and Dockside. Northbound buses return via Queens Quay, Yonge, Wellington and Bay to Union. Buses operate during the day on weekdays and on weekend afternoons (until 7 p.m.).

September 10, 2012

With the completion of roads around the new George Brown campus, all buses now loop counterclockwise via Dockside Drive and west along Queen’s Quay. Buses no longer operate long Knapp.

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6 Bay Image Archive

	A map of the TTC's 6 BAY bus, showing revisions to service effective August 26, 2012.
	A map of 6 BAY operations, effective July 2010
	TTC GM "New Look" operates southbound on Bay, near Dundas, in this late 1960s shot. Photo donated by Peter Coulman.
	TTC GM "New Look" 3328 operates in 6 BAY service, passing TTC GM "New Look" 7149, on a special service bound for the Exhibition in this August 1969 scene. Both buses are southbound at Bay and Dundas. Photo donated by Peter Coulman from the collection of John Knight.
	TTC GMC "New Look" bus 7372 poses on York Street just south of the Gardiner Expressway in this October 11, 1969 shot. Photo by Peter Cox.
	GM "New Look" travels west along Queens Quay to loop north on Freeland, east on Lakeshore, south on Lower Jarvis and west on Queens Quay. This shot was caught by Roman Fomin on August 13, 2009.
	In this photo you can see southbound GM "New Look" 2480, about to cross Queen Street West near City Hall on August 12, 2009. Photo by Roman Fomin.
	...the same intersection with GM "New Look" 2414, heading northbound on April 16, 2010. Photo by Roman Fomin
	GM "New Look" 2281 on the way to Dupont, meeting its compatriot at Albert and Bay. For some reason, 6 Bay was one of the last routes that were served by trolley buses and "Fishbowls". This photo was taken by Roman Fomin on June 4, 2010.