Dedicated bus lane opens on Spadina Avenue | CBC News

Several weeks after construction shut down one of the TTC’s busiest streetcar routes on Spadina Avenue, the city has opened a designated bus lane in an effort to curb traffic congestion.

The lane, which runs southbound between Richmond Street W. and Lake Shore Boulevard W, is set to remain in place until January 2025, when streetcars are expected to be operational again, according to the city. Two southbound traffic lanes for general traffic will be maintained.

The 510 Spadina streetcar line was closed on June 23 due to the repair of tracks and overhead power lines.

“This priority bus lane is one measure to keep transit and traffic moving better and we will be monitoring it very closely to see what the impacts are and adjusting accordingly,” said Coun. Ausma Malik, who brought the proposal to city council earlier this month.

During morning rush hour, around 8 a.m., and around 12 p.m. Tuesday, buses were seen moving smoothly in the new lane, without traffic holdups.

The majority of drivers in the area at that time could be seen staying out of the separated lane, with only a few exceptions.

Earlier this month, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said the priority bus lane would be “hugely beneficial” for the TTC and its users.

“What we found earlier on is that the total trip times were running at around, at their worst, sort of between 60 and 70 minutes. Normally, those are 20 to 25 minute trips,” said Green.

The city has temporarily removed on-street parking, as well as a taxi stand on the west side of Spadina Avenue to install the dedicated bus lane.