Travel times along a gridlocked stretch of Queens Quay East could soon improve thanks to new dedicated priority bus lanes that will be rolled out later this year.
Several new developments have popped up along Queens Quay East in the last decade and a half, planned around a future streetcar route that keeps being deferred to the future.
However, all of the new density has put an immense strain on the limited transportation infrastructure, clogging up traffic along the thoroughfare. In fact, the TTC reports that the population of the East Bayfront neighbourhood has grown by 200 per cent from 2016 to 2021.
The transit agency addressed some of this demand with the introduction of the 114 Queens Quay East route last June, but even this is merely a stopgap measure ahead of another band-aid solution while planning for the new streetcar route continues.
With congestion top of mind after a particularly eventful and problematic few months of gridlock last year, City Council directed the TTC to implement priority bus lanes on Queens Quay in a December 2024 session.
The move came after similar lanes were rolled out on Spadina to alleviate gridlock exacerbated by an ongoing streetcar construction project along the thoroughfare.
New Queens Quay priority lanes would stretch from Bay Street to Parliament Street and are expected to cut down travel times along this stretch by up to 30 per cent, shaving roughly five minutes off commutes while improving reliability for passengers.
The new route will also introduce a new designated bus stop outside of Union Station along Front Street West.
TTC
A December 2024 report stated that the new bus lanes would be implemented starting in the second quarter of 2025, though no firm dates have been shared as of mid-February.
Priority bus lanes, while beneficial in the short-term, are something of a can-kicking solution for the TTC.
The route in question has long been planned as the corridor where the Waterfront East Light Rail Transit (WELRT) will be built.
As of 2025, the WELRT is still in its design phases, and not expected to be operational until the early-to-mid-2030s.
With years to go before a proper transit line can be built to serve this burgeoning stretch of waterfront, the TTC is now pressing forward with bus lanes to help move people in the interim.
This month, the transit agency embarked on a campaign to brief the public and gather input from the community on the new priority lanes.
A survey is available for the public to share feedback until February 20, along with meetings and pop-up events scheduled in the coming days.
A virtual public meeting will be held on February 18 from 7-8 p.m., followed by in-person and pop-up events hosted at George Brown College’s Waterfront Campus the following day.
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