Relying on public transit can be an exercise in frustration for many commuters in Scarborough.
In fact, when we asked our Scarborough readers which topics they most wanted us to investigate, transit problems nearly topped the list, coming second only to dispelling stereotypes about the suburb many call home. That’s why we’ve spent the last few months researching the transit system in Scarborough and its buses in particular, which many readers describe as an under-resourced lifeline.
In interview after interview, Scarborough residents told The Discourse about the poorly served bus routes they rely on to make a living, get groceries, access medical care and more. They told us about flawed bus scheduling that often results in slow service, delays, bus bunching and overcrowded buses that sometimes pass them by without stopping at all. And many expressed frustration with the need for multiple transfers just to get around.
So, The Discourse analyzed publicly available data from the TTC for 40 bus routes that served Scarborough in 2018. And we found a total of 11,014 delays of greater than 10 minutes for all 40 buses combined. The average delay per bus was 15.25 minutes. Some of the longest delays we found were on the 169 Huntingwood bus, which saw the highest average delay of 38.6 minutes per delay. The 144 Downtown/Don Valley Express saw the second highest average delay of 33.9 minutes per delay last year, according to our analysis.
How does your regular bus route compare? Plug it into the app and find out.
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Read our series on transit:
Better bus service could help solve Scarborough’s transit troubles
Think your Scarborough home is far from buses? You’re probably in a transit desert
Do you spend hours commuting on the TTC? This Scarborough resident does
Talking TTC: Story Circle surfaces transit challenges and solutions in Scarborough
Scarborough residents and city councillors discuss personal side of transit
How does Scarborough fare in Ontario’s bid to take over the TTC?
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Landing image: Screenshot of the 169A Huntingwood bus route from Don Mills Station to Scarborough Centre Station, in August 2018. Photo credit: Silver Dish/YouTube
This story is part of our community-driven coverage of Scarborough. It was edited by Robin Perelle and fact-checked by Collins Maina.
