ttc closures toronto

The TTC was a total nightmare along the Danforth this past weekend

Thanksgiving weekend brought with it a whole host of major road and subway closures in Toronto, giving residents and visitors little to be thankful for in terms of traffic flow.

The controversial, three-day-long closure of Toronto's Gardiner Expressway from the DVP to Highway 427 threw drivers into a tizzy of rage, but there were plenty of problems to be found within the city grid as well.

Anyone who'd been planning to get across the city by subway on Saturday or Sunday found themselves out of luck with the TTC's closure of Line 2 from St. George to Woodbine Stations for "scheduled track work."

Shuttle buses were sent out across Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue to bridge the gap along Toronto's busiest east-west transit routes, but they were slow. They're always slow.

Despite plenty of advance warning from the TTC and City of Toronto, a lot of passengers were unaware that the subway line would be closed off this weekend. 

This resulted in major overcrowding and frustration across the city.

Shuttle buses were particularly slow along the Danforth, which isn't used to hosting frequent buses due to, you know, a massive subway running beneath it.

Police did their best to ensure that cars weren't parked or stopped in drop-off zones...

... but parking problems (not to mention construction-related blockages) persisted, and commutes were incredibly slow.

Frustrated travellers turned to Twitter with complaints and suggestions.

"With all due respect, subway lines should not be stopped during day time on weekends as shuttle buses take twice or thrice times in traffic hours," wrote one person to the TTC on Saturday afternoon.

"I do understand your concerns – this impacts my commute as well," wrote back a customer service representative for the transit agency.

"However, these full day closures are necessary as a single day provides us with the equivalent of 5 weeks of regular night work. These windows are rare and are much more effective in the long-term."

Lead photo by

@MattY90285928


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