Painted red lanes on Kennedy, Midland, will be removed
“Great news for Scarborough Centre,” Councillor Michael Thompson said as he announced on August 20, alongside Mayor Olivia Chow and TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali, that the Scarborough Busway will open on September 30, 6 months ahead of schedule. The route connects Kennedy Station and Scarborough Town Centre and should be a 15 minute ride, according to the TTC.
The busway follows 4km of the old Line 3 RT corridor, allowing buses to bypass traffic and saving commuters 7 minutes as compared to the previous on-street bus service. Between Ellesmere Station and Scarborough Town Centre, buses will use the priority bus lanes on Ellesmere Rd.
Thompson also said that once the busway opens, the painted red bus priority lanes on Kennedy Road and Midland Ave will be removed. “You have been very patient with us and I thank you for that,” Thompson told Scarborough residents in a video posted to social media.
The old Line 3 Rapid Transit Line was permanently shut down in July 2023 following a derailment accident that injured 5 people.
During the 2023 Mayoral by-election, Olivia Chow made funding the busway a campaign promise. The almost $70 million project was then included in the 2024 budget and made a priority, pushing the opening date to 2026 and not 2027, as was originally planned.
