TTC making changes to improve service on 506 Carlton during construction along the route

Beginning this Thurs., Oct. 13, the TTC will revise service on the 506 Carlton route in order to speed up trip times and improve customer experience.

To get around numerous important construction projects on Carlton and College streets, TTC service will completely bypass those streets between Osssington Avenue and Parliament Street.

The TTC will instead take a new approach, running replacement buses along the nearest parallel corridors and diverting streetcar service to Dundas Street. A replacement 506C bus service 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.

“We know the diversions along the 506 route have been inconvenient and confusing for our customers,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “With this new approach, we hope that we can provide consistency, and better service for customers who use the route regularly. We will continue to monitor customer feedback and adjust service if required to provide the best experience possible.”

Customers should note that buses and streetcars will not stop at College Station. Instead, they should board 505 Dundas or 506 Carlton streetcars at Dundas and St Patrick stations, or a 506C Carlton replacement bus at Queen's Park Station.

Alternatively, customers can take advantage of the frequent north-south service operating on the 63 Ossington, 65 Parliament, 75 Sherbourne, 510 Spadina and 511 Bathurst, as well as Line 1 subway service.

These service changes will remain in place until the end of the year pending construction completion.

The TTC will be communicating this new routing to customers using a number of methods, including social and digital media, pole cards and station signage. Customers can scan a QR code on the signage which will link them to a dedicated landing page on the TTC website to provide easy access to route-specific information. Transit ambassadors will also be on hand along the route to direct customers to 506 boarding and offloading locations.

The TTC will have dedicated Wheel-Trans service available through the diversion area for those needing connections. Customers can speak to any TTC customer service staff member for assistance.

Construction along College and Carton streets is to complete several TTC and City of Toronto projects that include streetcar track replacement, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure upgrades, transit stop improvements, hydro utility repairs and streetscape improvements.

The TTC is committed to keeping customers informed about work and events that impact service and about alternate routes. For the most up-to-date information, follow @TTCNotices on Twitter or sign up for e-Alerts.