Toronto Transportation Commission
Encyclopedia
Before 1954, the Toronto Transit Commission
was called the Toronto Transportation Commission.
and owned by undertaker Burt Williams. The franchise carried passengers in horse-drawn stagecoaches along Yonge Street
between the St. Lawrence Market and the Village of Yorkville for sixpence in 1849. The city granted the first franchise for a street railway in 1861 to Alexander Easton under the franchise of Toronto Street Railways
(TSR) and Metropolitan Street Railway of Toronto
(MSR) in 1885. In 1891, the franchise was passed onto William Mackenzie's Toronto Railway Company
for 30 years. Outside of the city there were a number of other operators, including:
Prior to the establishment of the TTC, the City of Toronto operated their own system under the Toronto Civic Railways
(TCR). However, the TCR routes were operating in areas not served by the private TRC. In 1920, a Provincial Act created the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) and, in 1921, the Commission took over and amalgamated nine existing fare systems within the city limits. Between 1921 and 1953, the TTC added 35 new routes in the city and extended 20 more. It also operated 23 suburban routes on a service-for-cost basis. It abandoned money-losing radial
railway line (known as 'interurbans' elsewhere in the continent), North Yonge Railways
.
The Great Depression
and the Second World War both placed heavy burdens on the ability of municipalities to finance themselves. During most of the 1930s, municipal governments had to cope with general welfare costs and assistance to the unemployed. The TTC realized that improvements had to be made despite the depression and in 1936 purchased the first of the newly-developed PCC streetcar
s. The war put an end to the depression and increased migration from rural to urban areas. After the war, municipalities faced the problem of extending services to accommodate the increased population. Ironically, the one municipal service that prospered during the war years was public transit; employers had to stagger work hours in order to avoid overcrowding the streetcars. Toronto continued their program of purchasing PCC cars, running the world's largest fleet, including many obtained second-hand from U.S. cities that abandoned streetcar service.
With the creation of Metro Toronto in 1954 and the building of the Yonge subway line, the Toronto Transportation Commission was renamed Toronto Transit Commission
.
All remaining Toronto Railway Company cars as of 1921 and all Toronto Civic Railways cars as of 1921 was absorbed into the TTC. Some older wooden cars were retired due to wear and replaced by Peter Witt orders.
Here is a list of historic and current buses used by the old TTC:
. Gray Coach used inter-urban coaches to link Toronto to outlying areas throughout Southern Ontario. In addition, Gray Coach
operated tour bus operations in association with Gray Line tours. The main terminal was at the Toronto Bus Terminal on Elizabeth Street, downtown.
Here is a list of historic and current buses used by the Gray Coach:
on 10 routes, mostly on downtown routes and a few in the northern limits of the City of Toronto. The first route began operation with four buses on June 19, 1922 from a shed on Merton St. This early trolley coach operation was replaced by a streetcar line. In later years, many of these routes replaced streetcar routes, using the old overhead power system which was adapted to dipole service. The buses consisted of a standard bus platform with electric motors with two trolley pole
s connected to electrical lines above. The whole system was scrapped abruptly, apparently due to high operating cost and the age of the vehicles used; this decision has been criticised by some, who note that the prices of gasoline and natural gas have increased dramatically in the subsequent years.
Routes served by trolley buses:
Here is a list of Toronto trolley bus types:
* = Western Flyer Coach changed its name to Flyer Industries Limited in mid-1971.
. The fleet was transferred to the TTC, which engaged in a modernization program,
retiring the smaller older vessels, and purchasing modern, diesel-powered ferries which still provide the backbone of today's service to the Islands.
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
was called the Toronto Transportation Commission.
History
Toronto's first public transportation company was the Williams Omnibus Bus LineWilliams Omnibus Bus Line
Williams Omnibus Bus Lines was the first mass transportation system in the old City of Toronto, Canada with four six-passenger buses. Established in 1849 by local cabinetmaker Burt Williams, it consisted of horse-drawn stagecoaches operating from the St. Lawrence Market to the Red Lion Hotel in...
and owned by undertaker Burt Williams. The franchise carried passengers in horse-drawn stagecoaches along Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
between the St. Lawrence Market and the Village of Yorkville for sixpence in 1849. The city granted the first franchise for a street railway in 1861 to Alexander Easton under the franchise of Toronto Street Railways
Toronto Street Railways
After the Williams Omnibus Bus Line had become heavily loaded in 1861, the city of Toronto issued a transit franchise for a horse-drawn street railway. The winner was Alexander Easton's Toronto Street Railway which opened the first street railway line in Canada on September 11, 1861, operating...
(TSR) and Metropolitan Street Railway of Toronto
Metropolitan Street Railway of Toronto
The Metropolitan Street Railway was the one of many operators of streetcars in the Toronto area. The franchise was granted in 1877 to the Metropolitan Street Railway of Toronto, but it began service on Yonge Street in 1885, starting just north of the city limits...
(MSR) in 1885. In 1891, the franchise was passed onto William Mackenzie's Toronto Railway Company
Toronto Railway Company
The Toronto Railway Company was the first operator of horseless streetcars in Toronto.Formed by a partnership between James Ross and William Mackenzie, a 30-year franchise was granted in 1891 to modernize transit operations after a previous 30 year franchise that saw horse car service from the...
for 30 years. Outside of the city there were a number of other operators, including:
- Toronto and York Radial RailwayToronto and York Radial RailwayThe Toronto and York Radial Railway operated radial transit services outside of Toronto. Service began in 1904 with the merger of several operators:* Metropolitan Street Railway...
- Toronto Suburban RailwayToronto Suburban RailwayThe Toronto Suburban Railway was an electric railway operator with local routes in west Toronto, and a radial route to Guelph.-History:...
Prior to the establishment of the TTC, the City of Toronto operated their own system under the Toronto Civic Railways
Toronto Civic Railways
Toronto Civic Railways was an agency created and owned by the City of Toronto, Canada, to run streetcars in newly annexed areas of the city that the private operator Toronto Railway Company refused to serve...
(TCR). However, the TCR routes were operating in areas not served by the private TRC. In 1920, a Provincial Act created the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) and, in 1921, the Commission took over and amalgamated nine existing fare systems within the city limits. Between 1921 and 1953, the TTC added 35 new routes in the city and extended 20 more. It also operated 23 suburban routes on a service-for-cost basis. It abandoned money-losing radial
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
railway line (known as 'interurbans' elsewhere in the continent), North Yonge Railways
North Yonge Railways
The North Yonge Railways was the Toronto Transportation Commission's brief foray into radial service. Originally an extension of the Yonge streetcar line to Glen Echo, it was extended to Lake Simcoe after the purchase of a pre-existing rail line from the Hydro Electric Commission of Ontario in 1927...
.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the Second World War both placed heavy burdens on the ability of municipalities to finance themselves. During most of the 1930s, municipal governments had to cope with general welfare costs and assistance to the unemployed. The TTC realized that improvements had to be made despite the depression and in 1936 purchased the first of the newly-developed PCC streetcar
PCC streetcar
The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...
s. The war put an end to the depression and increased migration from rural to urban areas. After the war, municipalities faced the problem of extending services to accommodate the increased population. Ironically, the one municipal service that prospered during the war years was public transit; employers had to stagger work hours in order to avoid overcrowding the streetcars. Toronto continued their program of purchasing PCC cars, running the world's largest fleet, including many obtained second-hand from U.S. cities that abandoned streetcar service.
With the creation of Metro Toronto in 1954 and the building of the Yonge subway line, the Toronto Transportation Commission was renamed Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
.
Streetcar
The Toronto Transportation Commission was mainly a streetcar operator and this remained the core operations before 1954:All remaining Toronto Railway Company cars as of 1921 and all Toronto Civic Railways cars as of 1921 was absorbed into the TTC. Some older wooden cars were retired due to wear and replaced by Peter Witt orders.
| Make/Model | Description | Fleet size | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
| Preston Car Company Preston Car Company The Preston Car Company was a Canadian manufacturer of streetcars and other railway equipment, founded in 1908. The company was located in the town of Preston, Ontario... Birney Car |
single truck double end car | N/A | N/A | N/A | ex-TCR |
| Canada Car and Foundry/Brill Peter Witts - Large with trailers | single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Canada Car and Foundry/Ottawa Car Company Ottawa Car Company Ottawa Car Company was a builder of streetcars for the Canadian market and was founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1891. The plant was located at Kent and Slater Streets, a short distance from Parliament Hill... Peter Witts - Small Witts |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... and CCF President Conference Committee Car A1 |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... PCC A2-8 |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... PCC A9-10 |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | ex-Cincinnati |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... PCC A11 - |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | ex-Cleveland |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... PCC A12 |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | ex-Louisville |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... PCC A13 |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | ex-Brimingham |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... PCC A14 |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | ex-Kansas City |
| St. Louis Car Company St. Louis Car Company The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... PCC A15 |
single end double truck electric streetcar | N/A | N/A | N/A | A8 rebuilds |
Buses
Buses are a large part of the TTC operations today, but before 1960s they played a lesser role to streetcar operations. Bus service in Toronto started in 1921, but it was not until the creation of the TTC that buses become a part of public transit. There were a few independent bus operators that continued to provide inter-urban bus services:- Hollinger Bus Lines (East York and Scarborough 1921-1954)
- Danforth Bus Lines (Scarborough, North York and York 1926-1954)
- West York Coach Lines (York, Etobicoke and Malton 1946-1954)
- Roseland Bus Lines (York, Weston-Woodbridge 1925-1954)
Here is a list of historic and current buses used by the old TTC:
| Make/Model | Description | Fleet size | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
| AEC 404 | double-decker bus | 1 | 1922 | 1940s? | upper level was removed in 1925 |
| Fifth Avenue Bus Company L and J | double-decker bus | 4 - L, 6 - J | 1921, 1922 | 1940s? | 1 preserved at Canada Science and Technology Museum |
| Pierce Arrow Z | diesel bus | 2 | 1922 | 1940s? | |
| Tilling-Stevens TS4 | diesel bus | 1 | 1922 | 1940s? | N/A |
| Veteran K | diesel bus | 1 | 1927 | 1940s? | N/A |
| White Motor Company 50A | diesel bus | 6 | 1924 | 1940s? | |
| White Motor Company 50A | diesel bus | 5, 10 | 1927, 1929 | 1940s? | 1929 purchase from Highway Queen Bus Lines; 2 sent to Gray Coach |
| White Motor Company 50B | diesel bus | 5 | 1927 | 1940s? | N/A |
| Packard ED | diesel bus | 1 | 1922 | 1940s? | N/A |
| Yellow Coach Y-Z (227, 229) | diesel bus | 5 ,6 | 1925 | 1940s? | N/A |
| Yellow Coach Y | diesel bus | 1 | 1925 | 1940s? | N/A |
| Yellow Coach Y-O-254 | diesel bus | 1 | 1927 | 1940s? | N/A |
| Yellow Coach Z-AQ-273 | diesel bus | 4 | 1926 | 1940s? | N/A |
| Yellow Coach Y-U-316 | diesel bus | 3 | 1927 | 1940s? | N/A |
| REO 96HTD | diesel bus | 5 | 1946-1947 | 1950s-1960s | ex-Hollinger Buslines |
| REO W | diesel bus | 3 | 1928 | 1950s-1960s? | N/A |
| Fitzjohn FTG | diesel bus | 6 | 1951, 1953 | 1950s-1960s? | ex-North York Bus Lines |
| Fitzjohn Falcon | N/A | N/A | 1950s-1960s? | ex-Hollinger Buslines | |
| Fitjohn Hercules JXLD | gasoline bus | N/A | N/A | 1950s-1960s? | ex-Hollinger Buslines |
| Ford Transit 19B, 29B | diesel bus | 2, 4 | 1941, 1942 | 1950s-1960s? | N/A |
| Aerocoach P-46-37, P-47-37 | diesel bus | 2, 1 | 1947, 1948 | 1950s-1960s? | N/A |
| Aerocoach 371 | diesel bus | 1 | 1948 | 1950s-1960s? | N/A |
| Prevost 50-PI-33 | diesel bus | 1 | 1950 | 1950s-1960s? | N/A |
| Fagoel/Brill Twin Coach 44S | diesel bus | 2 | 1950 | 1950s-1960s? | N/A |
Suburban/Inter-urban Buses
Gray Coach Lines was suburban bus operator founded in 1927 by the Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
. Gray Coach used inter-urban coaches to link Toronto to outlying areas throughout Southern Ontario. In addition, Gray Coach
Gray Coach
Gray Coach was an inter-city bus line based in Toronto, Ontario, from 1927 to 1991.-Overview and history:Gray Coach Lines was a suburban bus operator founded in 1927 by the Toronto Transportation Commission. From 1927 to the 1930s, Gray Coach acquired numerous and smaller competitors in the Greater...
operated tour bus operations in association with Gray Line tours. The main terminal was at the Toronto Bus Terminal on Elizabeth Street, downtown.
Here is a list of historic and current buses used by the Gray Coach:
| Make/Model | Description | Fleet size | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
| AEC/CCC Ranger Coach | suburban coach | 4 | 1932-1933 | N/A | later to Gray Coach |
| Flxible Clippers 29BR-series | suburban coach | N/A | 1940s-1950s | N/A | acquired by Independent Bus Lines and later to Gray Coach |
| GM Highway Parlour Coach PD4104 | suburban coach | 7 | 1950s | N/A | later to Gray Coach |
Trolley bus lines
The TTC once operated trolley busesTrolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
on 10 routes, mostly on downtown routes and a few in the northern limits of the City of Toronto. The first route began operation with four buses on June 19, 1922 from a shed on Merton St. This early trolley coach operation was replaced by a streetcar line. In later years, many of these routes replaced streetcar routes, using the old overhead power system which was adapted to dipole service. The buses consisted of a standard bus platform with electric motors with two trolley pole
Trolley pole
A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" overhead wire to the control and propulsion equipment of a tram or trolley bus. The use of overhead wire in a system of current collection is reputed to be the 1880 invention of Frank J....
s connected to electrical lines above. The whole system was scrapped abruptly, apparently due to high operating cost and the age of the vehicles used; this decision has been criticised by some, who note that the prices of gasoline and natural gas have increased dramatically in the subsequent years.
Routes served by trolley buses:
- 4 Annette
- 6 Bay
- 40 Junction
- 47 Lansdowne
- 61 Nortown/Nortown West
- 63 Ossington
- 74 Mount Pleasant
- 89 Weston Road
- 97 Yonge
- 103 Nortown East
Here is a list of Toronto trolley bus types:
| Make/Model | Fleet size | Year built | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
| Packard/Canadian Brill ED | 4 | 1922 | (new) | 1925 | Retired and sold as scrap 1928; # 23 survived and now at Halton County Railway Museum in Rockwood, Ontario |
| Canadian Car & Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry also variously known as "Canadian Car & Foundry," or more familiarly as "Can Car," manufactured buses, railroad rolling stock and later aircraft for the Canadian market... –Brill T44-T1, T44-T2 and T44-T3 |
85 | 1947–48 | (new) | 1970–71 | Rebuilt as Western Flyer New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:... E700s (with completely new bodies). |
| CCF Canadian Car and Foundry Canadian Car and Foundry also variously known as "Canadian Car & Foundry," or more familiarly as "Can Car," manufactured buses, railroad rolling stock and later aircraft for the Canadian market... –Brill T48A |
40 new; 5 secondhand from Ottawa | 1953; ex-Ottawa units 1951 | 40 new; ex-Ottawa units 1959 | 1970–71 | Rebuilt as Western Flyer New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:... E700s (with completely new bodies). |
| Marmon-Herrington Marmon-Herrington The Marmon-Herrington Company, Inc. is an American-based manufacturer of axles and transfer cases for trucks and other vehicles. Earlier, the company built military vehicles and some tanks during World War II, and until the late 1950s or early 1960s was a manufacturer of trucks and trolley buses... TC48-T5 |
15, all ex-Cincinnati | 1948 | (1953) | 1971 | |
| Marmon-Herrington Marmon-Herrington The Marmon-Herrington Company, Inc. is an American-based manufacturer of axles and transfer cases for trucks and other vehicles. Earlier, the company built military vehicles and some tanks during World War II, and until the late 1950s or early 1960s was a manufacturer of trucks and trolley buses... TC44 |
8, all ex-Cleveland | 1947–48 | (1963) | 1971 | |
| Western Flyer Coach/Flyer Industries Ltd. New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:... * E700A |
151 | 1970–72 (prototype built 1968) | (new) | 1992 | Bodies built new, but fitted with electrical equipment and some other components from retired CCF-Brill trolley buses. Also, 23 CCF-Brill T44 and T44A were purchased in 1970 from Cornwall and Halifax and used for parts in this program to build the Flyer E700s. |
| Brown Boveri & Company (with GM New Look body) | 40 | 1981–82 | (1989-90) | 1993 | Leased from Edmonton Transit System Edmonton Transit System The Edmonton Transit System, also called ETS, is the public transit service owned and operated by the city of Edmonton, Alberta. It operates Edmonton's bus and light rail systems.-Service:... |
Island Ferry
In 1926 the City of Toronto purchased the ferry services operated by the Toronto Ferry CompanyToronto Ferry Company
The Toronto Ferry Company was formed from the merge of John Doty Engine & Ferry Company with A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company, two of Toronto's early ferry operators to Toronto Islands in 1890. TFC was founded and headed by businessman Lol Solman. The company's ferry license and ships was later...
. The fleet was transferred to the TTC, which engaged in a modernization program,
retiring the smaller older vessels, and purchasing modern, diesel-powered ferries which still provide the backbone of today's service to the Islands.