Item - 2026.TTC15.17

1. Request the CEO, Toronto Transit Commission, to report to the next TTC Board Meeting on the feasibility and financial impacts of creating an express bus for the 7 Bathurst corridor, and direct staff to consider the introduction of a 7 Bathurst Express as part of the 2026-2027 Annual Service Plan process.

Approximately 35,000 Torontonians rely on the 7 Bathurst bus every day to get to work, school, and appointments on time. Bathurst Street is a major arterial road serving drivers across the GTHA, and it experiences significant and persistent congestion — resulting in speed and reliability issues, as well as bunching and gapping on the 7 Bathurst bus that can significantly impact transit riders.

Council has previously supported a range of measures to improve service on this route. In October 2025, Council approved Improving the Speed and Reliability of the 7 Bathurst (2025.TE25.41), where Councillor’s Matlow and Saxe supported traffic management measures including parking and stopping restrictions and left-turn changes to reduce curb-lane blockages and intersection delays.

Councillor Matlow has also moved recent motions through the budget process to support expanding the Bunching and Gapping Pilot into 2026, ensuring that the 7 Bathurst bus continues to be prioritized. Transit signal priority work is also currently underway by City staff as part of the broader RapidTO: Bathurst plan for the corridor.

As this work continues, it is imperative that riders on the 7 Bathurst have access to fast and reliable transit service now. While the efforts of City and TTC staff are appreciated, further direction is needed to accelerate progress.

An express bus on the Bathurst corridor would deliver meaningful, near-term
travel time benefits to riders who travel longer distances along the route. Previous TTC analysis has found that express bus routes can save customers at least 20 per cent in travel time, as riders travelling longer distances benefit from fewer stops and faster journey times.

The parallel Dufferin corridor offers a comparable precedent: the 929 Dufferin Express provides express service on Dufferin Street between the Exhibition and Wilson Station and has successfully sped up bus service along the corridor. The Bathurst corridor serves a similar density of residential and commercial destinations, and carries similar ridership, making it logical candidate for an express bus. A 7 Bathurst express would make the corridor more competitive with driving for the Torontonians who currently have that choice.

This motion requests that TTC staff report on the feasibility and costs of introducing a 7 Bathurst express bus service.