After hearing nine hours worth of pleas from riders to save their bus routes, the Toronto Transit Commission voted to cut service on 41 bus routes, including the 116 Morningside Express; one of only three buses running at the University of Toronto Scarborough, rousing a backlash from students.
The public forum, which took place February 2 at City Hall, saw the TTC agree to reduce service on 41 out of the initial 48 buses considered to have low ridership, effective May 8.
“At a time [when] we have the highest ridership growth that we’ve seen in our city, it’s not on these routes,” TTC Chair Karen Stintz said during the meeting.
“We need to put the resources where the greatest good will be served,” Stintz added, referring to the $4-million left over from the cuts, which will be reallocated to busier routes.
Of the 41 service changes, 10 are in Scarborough. The 116E, the only bus that travels directly between Kennedy Station and UTSC, will be one of the hardest hit.
“As a commuter campus, transit is an essential service for UTSC,” said Pagalavan Thavarajah, vice president external of the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union. From a frequent service, the 116E will cease all operations on weekends, holidays, and after 10 p.m. on weekdays. “With students coming from all over the GTA, the drastic changes made to the 116E have already been [ill-received] by TTC riders all throughout campus.”
Kieran Way, an International Development major said, “I usually take the 116E right after my 10 p.m. Economics lecture, but since service on weekdays will soon stop after 10 p.m., it will put me and my fellow students at a great disadvantage.”
With midterms just around the corner, more students have been studying late on campus or even visiting the library on weekends, according to Yusef Dualeh, an English major. “Transit is an important part of UTSC, and reducing its service hours will not only inconvenience students but will also deprive them of study time, which is invaluable in university.”
Thavarajah pointed out that the cuts will not only undermine UTSC’s growth but Scarborough’s as well. “Over the years, Scarborough has become a neglected portion of this city. It has tried many times to make itself a more visible and important part of Toronto’s cultural fabric, but with Transit City gone and the cuts coming in effect, Scarborough’s already loose ties to the city will only weaken.”
