Read the daily “on schedule” posts to find news and other information that affects your daily commute. You’ll learn about public meetings, special events and construction projects that affect transit services today.

The TTC is repairing its streetcar tracks at four sites along Lake Shore Boulevard this weekend.

As a result, all streetcars operating along the 301 Queen overnight and 501 Queen routes operate only between Neville Park and Humber Loops.

Shuttle buses replace the cars and operate between Long Branch and Humber Loops. Since buses can’t gain access to Humber Loop from Lake Shore Boulevard West, the buses operate along Park Lawn Road and The Queensway to enter and leave the Humber Loop.

Contractors are removing a crane from a work site on Bathurst Street at King Street West from 2 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, February 4 until 4 a.m. Monday, February 6.

During the work, the City of Toronto will close all lanes of Bathurst Street (except for one southbound lane) to vehicular traffic and the TTC will remove its overhead streetcar wiring.

The TTC is detouring buses operating along the 310 Bathurst overnight route and streetcars operating along the 511 Bathurst route, while the work proceeds.

It’s also operating shuttle buses between Wolseley (Queen Street) and Exhibition Loops to replace the streetcars.

York Region Transit and Viva are offering passengers free transit service from tomorrow, Saturday, February 4 until Saturday, March 31.

To save passengers money during February and March, the TTC is advising commuters, who regularly travel on both YRT /VIVA and TTC vehicles during a single trip, to buy TTC Weekly Passes, instead of Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Weekly Passes.

The TTC will refund the full cost of a GTA Weekly Pass, if you’ve already bought one for the week of February 6 or any week until and including the week of March 26. Or, you can exchange your GTA Weekly Pass for a TTC Weekly Pass and the TTC will refund you the difference in the price.

You can get a refund — or exchange the passes — at any TTC fare collector booth or at the TTC’s Customer Service Centre, 1900 Yonge Street, above Davisville Station, Mondays to Fridays (except statutory holidays), from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Usually, you can use a GTA Weekly Pass as fare on all TTC, miWay, Brampton Transit and York Region Transit / Viva vehicles. Passengers with a GTA Pass don’t have to pay an extra fare when they’re riding a bus that crosses municipal boundaries.

All TTC buses operating in York Region are also free of fare from Saturday, February 4 until Saturday, March 31, while they’re serving passengers north of the City of Toronto limits at Steeles Avenue.

After a contentious strike that started Monday, October 24, some York Region Transit and Viva buses start rolling along the streets tomorrow, Saturday, February 4.

York BRT Services, a subsidiary of Veolia Transporation, is operating Viva buses along its two base routes — the Viva blue and Viva purple routes — along Highway 7 east of York University and Yonge Street south of the Newmarket GO Bus Terminal.

Since TOK Transit is a new contractor, which York Region hired just two weeks ago to replace First Canada Limited, it has a lot more work to do to get its buses and drivers ready for service. It will operate buses only along the 55 Davis Drive and the 98 Yonge routes tomorrow.

Monday, February 6 the contractors will start providing about 96 percent of regular YRT and Viva services.

By Monday, Miller will be operating all of its regular services in Markham, Richmond Hill and Whitchurch - Stouffvilles, including buses serving high school special routes.

York BRT will operate buses along two more Viva rush-hour-only routes — the Viva blue “A” route and the Viva pink route.

TOK will be operating many — but not all — of the regular services in YRT’s North Division Monday, so that most passengers in Aurora, Newmarket, East Gwillimbury, Georgina and King finally receive some transit service. TOK will also operate buses along all high school special routes in those local municipalities.

Sunday, February 26, York BRT finally resumes service along its Viva orange route, linking Woodbridge with York University’s Keele Campus and Downsview Station.

York BRT sends buses along the last Viva route to see service, the Viva green route, connecting Markham with Don Mills Station, Monday, February 27. TOK also operates buses along its final set of routes — mostly rush-hour only or limited-service routes — that day.

The strike did not affect the services of a fourth contractor, Veolia Transportation, so it has continued to provide YRT service, mostly in Vaughan, without interruption since October.

You can learn when buses resume service along your route here.

Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area media report on public transit issues today.

Greater Toronto Area

• 680 All News Radio report, “23 YRT bus routes to start up Saturday post-strike”, here.
• 680 All News Radio report, “Ford’s plan for Sheppard subway ‘financially feasible’: report”, here.
• 680 All News Radio report, “York Region offers two months of free transit service to YRT and Viva riders”, here.
• All Fired Up in the Big Smoke post, “You Can Have Your Subway, Sir. But It’ll Cost You”, here.
• BlogTO post, “Would you pay road tolls to help fund Ford’s subway?”, here.
• CBC News Toronto report, “Tolls, fees could pay for Sheppard subway, report says”, here.
• Citytv News Toronto report, “Sheppard subway extension should be funded by road tolls: former TTC chair”, here.
• CP24 report, “Suburbanites support Ford’s transit plan: poll”, here.
• CTV News Toronto report, “Road tolls, taxes to fund subway extension?”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Transit adviser backtracks on touchy subject of road tolls”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “Sheppard subway: Chong urges calm”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “Mayor makes it clear he wants Scarborough rapid transit underground”, here.
• InsideToronto.com editorial, “Eglinton LRT debate should not stall work on entire line”, here.
• InsideToronto.com column, “Watchdog: Is Ford’s transportation plan really about subways and streetcars?”, here.
• National Post article, “Rob Ford opposes tolls to finance subway”, here.
• OpenFile Toronto post, “Will Rob Ford even support paying for his own subway plan?”, here.
• The Grid article, “Fact check: The Eglinton LRT debate”, here.
• The Grid article, “Five things we learned at last night’s state-of-transit debate”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Road tolls, parking fees needed to pay for Sheppard subway, Chong report concludes”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Toronto transit: How to pay for Sheppard subway”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “What transit needs is better politics”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “Ford digs himself a hole on Eglinton”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Critics rail on Sheppard subway report”, here.
• Toronto Sun column, “Use Ontario Place to generate transit funding”, here.
• Town Crier column, “We’re getting snowed”, here.

Elsewhere in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

• Cambridge Times article, “Region stands behind LRT costs”, here.
• Guelph Tribune article, “Transit route changes Monday”, here.
• Kitchener Post article, “New express routes, higher fares coming to GRT buses”, here.
• Kitchener Post column, “Service delivery should be a priority in any LRT procurement scheme”, here.
• Waterloo Chronicle article, “LRT privatization talks ramp up”, here.

The Regional Municipality of York is offering transit passengers two months of free transit service on any York Region Transit or Viva bus in the region from Saturday, February 4 until Saturday, March 31.

Regional Council pledged to return to riders any savings the Region gained from not operating much of its transit service for three months. In a Thursday, December 15 media release, Region staff estimated the savings from not providing service during the recent strike to be about $5,169,000 — a figure that’s likely to be much higher, since the strike continued for another month and a half until this week.

You won’t need cash, tickets or passes to ride YRT and Viva in February and March. The free rides also apply to YRT’s Dial-a-Ride service, MobilityPlus accessible service, all TTC buses operating in York Region and GO Transit buses operating along the 69 Sutton / Newmarket route.

If you’ve already bought a monthly pass for February, YRT and Viva drivers will honour it throughout April or you can return it for a full refund.

Some YRT and Viva services resume this Saturday, February 4 with buses operating with their regular Saturday schedules. About 96 percent of YRT and Viva buses resume regular transit service — including buses providing special high school service— starting Monday, February 6.

All YRT and Viva services resume by Monday, February 27.

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 and 1587 went on strike against three private companies that York Region contracted to provide transit services Monday, October 24. The strike impacted about 60 percent of YRT services, since no buses operated from YRT’s Southeast, North and Viva divisions.

If you have already bought a York Region Transit / Viva monthly pass for February, you can use, instead during April, since York Region is offering free transit service to reward passengers for their patience during the recent strike.

Or, YRT / Viva will refund the full cost of the February pass, if you can return the February pass to their head office no later than Saturday, March 31.

YRT / Viva will not refund the cost in cash or exchange the February pass for another monthly pass. Instead, they’ll mail you a cheque or a credit towards the cost of buying other YRT / Viva tickets or passes.

Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area media report on public transit issues today.

Greater Toronto Area

• All Fired Up in the Big Smoke post, “I Decreed. What’s To Discuss?”, here.
• BlogTO post, “Will Karen Stintz survive as TTC chair?”, here.
• BlogTO post, “A guide to TTC station eats”, here.
• Citytv News Toronto report, “‘Scarborough deserves transit’, TTC Chair says”, here.
• Citytv News Toronto report, “Mayor Rob Ford stands by underground LRT”, here.
• CP24 report, “Ford defends subway building plan”, here.
• CP24 report, “Ford didn’t have legal authority to ditch Transit City: Mihevc”, here.
• CTV News Toronto report, “Ford voices his support for underground transit”, here.
• Ford For Toronto post, “‘Beyond comprehension’: Why is Rob Ford fighting a transit battle he can’t possibly win?”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Subway adviser raises touchy subject of road tolls”, here.
• Globe and Mail column, “Ford to Stintz: It’s the subway or the highway”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Doug Ford says TTC needs a shakeup — ‘a complete enema’”, here.
• Globe and Mailcolumn, “Undercover Boss Canada is utterly phony”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “Councillors’ lack of courage revealed in Transit City controversy”, here.
• National Post article, “Rob Ford did not have the authority to cancel Transit City, Hazel McCallion says”, here.
• Newstalk 1010 report, “Subway Adviser Says Sheppard Extension is Doable”, here.
• NOW article, “TTC in tatters”, here.
• NOW article, “Picking up the pieces”, here.
• NOW article, “TTC timeline”, here.
• OpenFile Toronto post, “Eglinton Crosstown fight: do councillors force a special meeting?”, here.
• The Grid article, “How catchphrases took over City Hall”, here.
• Torontoist post, “Cost confusion on the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown”, here.
• Torontoist post, “Authors of Transit Study Accuse Mayor Ford of Misrepresenting Them”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Mayor Rob Ford goes on the offensive for his transit plan”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Checking Rob Ford’s polling: Do Scarborough residents really want a subway?”, here.
• Toronto Stararticle, “Mississauga mayor says Rob Ford’s transit plan can’t come at other cities’ expense”, here.
• Toronto Star “Timeline: How Toronto’s transit mess unfolded”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Thumbs up for Sheppard subway extension”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “TTC not serving T.O.: Chong”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Ford: Eglinton LRT promise sticks”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Metrolinx wants Toronto to make a transit decision”, here.
• YorkRegion.com article, “Free rides not enough”, here.

Elsewhere in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

• Hamilton Community News report, “ATU members to vote on deal next week”, here.
• Hamilton Community News editorial, “Transit settlement good news”, here.
• Waterloo Region Record column, “Is region’s light rail “private affair” true love or just a fling?”, here.

At a meeting of TTC Commissioners yesterday, five councillors voted to block a TTC staff report on possible construction and alignment alternatives for the Eglinton LRT. Only the TTC Chairperson, Karen Stintz, and Commissioners Maria Augimeri and John Parker stood opposed.

The move is an attempt by Commissioners allied to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to block or delay discussion of a proposal to revert the design of the Eglinton LRT from an all-underground alignment to a subway-surface alignment costing up to $2 billion less. For the past week, Karen Stintz and other councillors had been working towards a compromise proposal that would bring the Eglinton LRT to the surface at Brentcliffe and into the middle of Eglinton Avenue east of the Don Valley Parkway. The savings realized by this move could then be put to extending the Sheppard subway to Victoria Park and installing bus rapid transit along Finch Avenue.

Steve Munro attended the meeting and had this to say:

Ford loyalists voted to gut staff recommendations on working with Metrolinx to finalize a framework for construction of the Eglinton project. The effect was that staff were not instructed to continue working with Metrolinx, and in theory detailed information about alternatives for the Eglinton project won’t come forward to the TTC or Council.

…

Stintz has now effectively lost control of the Commission, and the true-blue Ford team has decided to run the show as they see fit. How long she will stay as chair remains to be seen given the procedural manoeuvres required to unseat her.

Council now must seize the initiative. Everyone has been trying to be oh-so-conciliatory, saying things they hoped Mayor Ford and his team would take as overtures for compromise, but Ford wants none of it. It’s subways all the way.

By his actions, Ford has shown he only knows how to fight for turf, and that’s a disappearing quantity. Ford Nation is becoming Ford Island.

The next few weeks should be interesting ones on council as councillors respond to these tactics from the mayor’s office and to the fact that requests for compromise have been effectively rebuffed. As other commentators have noted, there are procedures available to councillors wishing to force this debate, and the matter will likely come to a head at the city council meeting in March. As the Mayor’s Office appears to be turning this issue into what would be a motion of confidence in a provincial or federal parliament, the lobbying on both sides is expected to be intense.

What can you do about this? Regardless of your point of view, it comes down to the same thing: if you want your voice to be heard at city hall, you need to write, call or e-mail your local councillor and Mayor Ford himself. Whether you support the all-underground alignment of the Eglinton LRT or prefer a subway-surface alignment with more money spent on other projects around the city, let your elected representatives know what you think. This will be critical in helping everyone make up their minds between now and March.

Further Reading

Steve Munro: Ford Attempts Coup to Stall Debate on Transit City. Personal Editorial: The Hill He Chose to Fight on

Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area media report on public transit issues today.

Greater Toronto Area

• All Fired Up in the Big Smoke post, “Asleep on the Subways”, here.
• BlogTO post, “Why the Eglinton LRT needs to surface: airport edition”, here.
• Bow. James Bow post, “The Hill He Chose to Fight On”, here.
• Canadian Press article, “Family of woman killed in TTC bus crash launches $4.25 million lawsuit” (from the Global News Toronto website, here.
• CBC News Toronto report, “TTC chair outvoted on transit report”, here.
• CBC News Toronto report, “Bus crash victim’s family launches $4.25 million lawsuit”, here.
• Citytv News Toronto report, “2 months of free YRT bus service offered after strike”, here.
• Citytv News Toronto report, “GO Transit mobile app designed by Ryerson students”, here.
• Citytv News Toronto report, “Family of woman killed in TTC bus crash launches lawsuit”, here.
• CP24 report, “Family of TTC bus crash victim files $4M lawsuit”, here.
• CTV News Toronto report, “Family of TTC crash victim sues for negligence”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Stintz bid for facts on Crosstown line derailed”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Mayor Ford to rebel councillors: voters gave me transit mandate”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “$4.25 million lawsuit filed in bus crash death”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “A peek at Crosstown’s Dufferin Station design”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “Community art project seeks helpers”, here.
• National Post article, “TTC chair blindsided by 6-to-3 vote dismissing report”, here.
• National Post article, “TTC using $5M awarded by Council to beef up Wheel-Trans”, here.
• National Post article, “Family of woman killed in TTC bus crash launches $4.25 million lawsuit”, here.
• National Post article, “Cupcake girls preview their Toronto operation — on a streetcar”, here.
• Newstalk 1010 report, “Metrolinx Chair Wants ‘Clarity’ From City on Eglinton LRT”, here.
• NOW article, “TTC board throws Stintz under the train”, here.
• OpenFile Toronto post, “Family of TTC bus crash victim files $4 million lawsuit”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “2,300 people filled out a GO survey about food and beverage service on the trains”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “This Crazy Train’s Presto Chronicles, Chapter 14: Tap-tap-taparoo”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “Ford Attempts Coup to Stall Debate on Transit City”, here.
• Torontoist post, “‘They Want Subways’: A Rob Ford Remix”, here.
• Toronto Life’s Daily Informer post, “Rob Ford’s powers as mayor may not be as grand as he thinks they are”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Toronto councillors throw TTC chair Karen Stintz under the bus”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “York Region Transit riders have two months of free service to make up for strike”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “I don’t care what train I’m on”, here.
• Toronto Sun column, “TTC’s Stintz and Webster have to go”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Councillor wants to know who paid for Transit City legal opinion”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Family of woman killed in TTC bus crash file $4.25 million law suit”, here.
• YorkRegion.com article, “YRT free for two months”, here.
• YorkRegion.com article, “YRT ridership numbers rise”, here.

Elsewhere in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

• Guelph Mercury article, “Local transit adds route, tweaks others to help irked riders”, here.
• Kitchener Post column, “Transit’s ‘fare’ share”, here.
• Niagara Falls Review article, “Council moves ahead with centralized bus storage property”, here.
• NiagaraThisWeek.com article, “Municipal transit contract negotiations underway”, here.
• St. Catharines Standard article, “Struggle goes on for Niagara Region bus system”, here.
• St. Catharines Standard article, “Bus advocates pan move against half-hour Sunday service”, here.
• Waterloo Region Record article, “GRT wants more money from students”, here.