The city of Toronto is situated on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario, covering an area of 630sq km with a population of 3,025,647. The shoreline stretches for 43 km. The majority of downtown, like many North American cities, is laid out in a typical grid (block) system. Traffic flow is relatively light with the exception of the Gardiner Expressway, an ugly elevated roadway running parallel with the shoreline, which remains clogged for most of the day.
Public transport is provided by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). There are three metro lines (the fourth line is permanently closed); eleven tram (streetcar) routes and numerous bus routes. Services are frequent and there is an extensive night time network.
The public transit service for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is provided by GO Transit a division of Metrolinx which is an agency of the Ontario Government. Whilst trains operate into the city centre, very few buses on the GO network do so as most provide feeder services to train and metro stations around the perimeter. The exception being at peak times when the city centre Union station bus terminal on Bay Street is used and provides the opportunity to see double-decker Alexander Dennis Enviro 500s in service.
Toronto Transit Commission 8476. NovaBus LFS, new 2015. Operating route 114, this is an east to west route following the lake shore until it reaches Bay Street when it turns inland for the short distance to the route terminus at Union Station, from where a loop around the block brings the bus back onto Bay Street ready for the return journey. The photograph shows the bus on Bay Street at the junction of Harbour Street shortly after leaving the water front.
Go Transit/Metrolinx 2578 an MCI D4500, new in 2014, parked on the upper level of the Union station bus terminal, located at the north-east corner of Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard. The departure board displayed three routes departing from the terminal, of which route 21 to Milton, west of the city, was the most frequent. The service terminates at either Go Transit Lisgar Station or Mississauga City Centre Transit Terminal at Square One, with journey times of between 1hr 10mins and 1hr 50 mins.
TOK Coachlines (Tokmakjian Inc.) operate a free shuttle bus service between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Downtown Toronto. 2805 an ElDorado E-Z Rider ll BRT, new in 2016, one of four in the fleet currently available for this service, and photographed on Front Street. Tokmakjian Inc. began operating the service in April 2016, taking over from Pacific Western which had operated the service since its inception.
TOK Coachlines (Tokmakjian Inc.) 3401. TEMSA TS30, new 2020 is one of three currently in the fleet. TOK Coachlines, a division of Tokmakjian Inc. (formerly Can-ar Coach Service), is a coach company based in Concord, Ontario. Founded as Travelways in 1948. Cy Tokmakjian took over the company in 1983 and changed the name to Can-ar Coach Service, rebranding as TOK in 2010.
Eastern Charter Inc. 102 a Prevost H3-45, new to Autocar in 2014. Eastern Charter are a subsidiary of Universal Coach Line. In late 2023 they became a contractor for FlixBus, and operate the London-Toronto-Ottawa route. The coach is in the livery of Compass Holidays based in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Rider Express 19 is a Prevost H3-45. Rider Express Transportation is a company that provides scheduled passenger transportation and parcel express services based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and operating in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. The company pick up on Lake Shore Boulevard outside the Union Bus Terminus, operating services from Toronto to Ottawa via Kingston; Ottawa via Peterborough, and Toronto-Niagara Falls, operating 4 days a week.
Gallexy Tours Ltd of Toronto GT5588 a Prevost X3-45, new in 2013 and previously operated by Concord Coach Lines. In April 2022 Gallexy became a contractor for FlixBus, operating the routes from Toronto to Ottawa, London and Sarnia, Niagara Falls, Sudbury, and Owen Falls. The coach is at the junction of Lake Shore Boulevard West/Lower Simcoe Street having come off the Gardiner Expressway.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Hockey Team play at the Scotiabank Arena in the city centre the police are out in force to control the large (18,800 hockey capacity) good natured crowd. However, just in case someone needs a night in the cells, transport is at hand. Parked on Bremner Boulevard is Toronto Police Events Support vehicle, Orion 07.501. New to Toronto Transit Commission in 2006.
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