Toronto has initiated the construction of new streetcar priority lanes along a 3.4-kilometre stretch of Bathurst Street, running from Bathurst Station to Lake Shore Boulevard West, starting today.
This initiative is part of the city’s RapidTO transit enhancement plan aimed at increasing the speed and reliability of streetcar services for the thousands of daily commuters.
The city officials have announced that the lanes will be painted red to distinctly indicate them as transit priority areas. The project will be implemented in phases, with the installation process kicking off on Wednesday.
Toronto’s City Council gave the green light to the project in July 2025. TTC has highlighted that the objective is to minimize delays caused by traffic congestion, emphasizing that the lanes will mainly be reserved for streetcars, with emergency vehicles also allowed to use them.
Initially proposed to extend up to Eglinton Avenue, the project was scaled back due to opposition from local residents and business owners. Despite this, over 35,000 riders depend on Bathurst Street transit routes every weekday.
Data from the city reveals that congestion has significantly impacted service on Bathurst Street, resulting in travel times being up to 75% longer than average vehicle trips with on-time performance ranging between 61% and 81%.
The cost of implementing these new transit priority lanes is estimated at around $8 million and will involve the removal of 277 parking spaces and 21 pay-and-display machines along Bathurst Street, as well as 75 parking spaces and 10 pay-and-display machines on Dufferin Street.
“To help you reach your destination faster, we’re commencing the installation of RapidTO priority streetcar lanes on Bathurst Street, from Bathurst Station to Lake Shore Boulevard West, starting today,” the city announced in a statement.
Due to construction, motorists are advised against parking along Bathurst Street in the designated construction zones starting at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. Vehicles obstructing the work will be subjected to a “friendly tow,” relocating cars to nearby streets instead of impounding them.
The Bathurst Street project forms part of Toronto’s RapidTO: Surface Transit Network Plan, focusing on establishing priority bus and streetcar lanes across the city to boost service reliability, decrease travel times, and enhance overall transit efficiency.