Scarborough Busway opens September 30, more than six months ahead of schedule

The Scarborough Busway will open on September 30, more than six months ahead of schedule, providing a new transit corridor while the city builds the planned three-stop subway extension.

The four-kilometre busway operates between Kennedy and Ellesmere stations, then connects to Scarborough Town Centre through Ellesmere Road's priority bus infrastructure. City officials project it will carry more than 118,000 riders each week and save commuters over an hour of travelling time. Trips between Kennedy and Scarborough Town Centre are expected to take 15 minutes.

The busway is a temporary solution until the Scarborough subway extension is completed. The expansion will see Line 2 Bloor-Danforth extended to McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue East, a project not expected to open until 2030.

The busway's development stems from the closure of the Scarborough RT line after a train derailment on July 24, 2023. The shuttle bus plan was rolled out in November 2023 as a temporary measure. Multiple TTC bus routes are expected to use the busway to offer frequent express service and match the old Line 3 passenger demand. The TTC will begin testing the busway in early September to address any issues before service launches.