TTC will make changes to Route 506 Carlton to bypass construction projects

The Toronto Transit Commission announced that it is making changes to its 506 Carlton route to bypass construction projects on Carlton and College streets.

From Thursday, TTC service will completely bypass Carlton and College between Ossington Avenue and Parliament Street for the rest of the year.

Spokesman Stuart Green said Wednesday that the TTC had developed a new diversion plan and it was to improve customer service. The changes involve adding a replacement 506C bus and modifying the route of the 506 tram,

« We’ve been on a detour for a little while now to bypass some construction work along College and Carlton. And the detour plan we had in place hasn’t worked to a level that our customers frankly deserve. We have heard a number of complaints,” Green said.

« It eliminates a lot of turns and really addresses some of our customers’ concerns about longer than acceptable journey times. »

Replacement bus added

The replacement 506C bus will run along the parallel streets closest to Carlton and College.

It will operate between Ossington Station and Castle Frank Station via Ossington Avenue, Harbord Street, Hoskin Avenue, Queen’s Park, University Avenue, Gerrard Street and Parliament Street.

The 506 streetcar, meanwhile, will run from Main Street station, down Parliament Street to Dundas Street East, along Dundas Street to Ossington Avenue, then back up on the regular route, Green said.

Essentially, the streetcar is being diverted to Dundas Street, he said.

In a press release this week, the TTC said that neither buses nor streetcars will travel to the College subway station at the intersection of Yonge and College streets while the detour plan is in place.

Passengers should instead board the 505 Dundas or 506 Carlton streetcars at Dundas and St. Patrick stations, or the replacement 506C bus at Queen’s Park station.

Alternatively, customers can take the north-south service running on 63 Ossington, 65 Parliament, 75 Sherbourne, 510 Spadina and 511 Bathurst, and the Line 1 subway service, the TTC said.

Passengers with accessibility needs will still have access to WheelTrans along the route.

These service changes will remain in place until the end of the year when construction is expected to be complete, the transit agency added.

« We know the diversions along Route 506 have been inconvenient and confusing for our customers, » TTC CEO Rick Leary said in a press release this week.

« With this new approach, we hope to be able to provide consistency and better service to customers who regularly use the route. We will continue to monitor customer feedback and adjust the service as necessary to provide the best possible experience. »