MT. PLEASANT Route HistoryLast updated May 12th, 2003 |
 |
| By Peter Coulman with additional information from Jeffrey Kay & Mike Vainchtein |
|
 |  |
 |
New city bus route from Yonge Street & Merton via Merton Street and Mt. Pleasant Road to Eglinton Avenue.
 |
One of four Packard model "ED"s purchased by the Toronto Transportation Commission. These buses were modified into trolley coaches by the Preston Coach & Car Company, where this picture was taken. Notice the "Y" type trolley pole, which was replaced by a more conventional pair of poles in Toronto.
Toronto Transit Commission photo |
Buses replaced by trolley coaches (then called trackless trolleys) wyeing just east of Yonge, and at Eglinton.
| ||
| ||
|
At the Commission meeting on this date, it was recorded that "We are looking into the question of bringing the trolley bus through to Balliol Street, but it is an exceedingly difficult matter to arrange, without considerable expense, which does not appear justifiable."
 | |
|
Evidently justification was found sometime during the past two months (probably due to traffic on Yonge Street), because trolley coaches now loop clockwise via Merton, Yonge, Balliol Street, and a laneway back to Merton.
Service discontinued due to construction of streetcar tracks on Mt. Pleasant Road for the extension of the ST. CLAIR car.
 |
Mt. Pleasant Road looking north from Merton Street in 1940. A new PCC (Presidents' Conference Commission) car shares the road with a horse-drawn Wonder Bread wagon.
Mike Filey collection |
|
 |
||
| And the same scene 36 years later. About the only thing that hasn't changed are the utility poles and the streetcar tracks, still set in the original cobblestones.
Alan Gryfe photo |
||
 | |
|
ST. CLAIR streetcar route cut back to St. Clair Station, with the portion east of Yonge Street and north to Eglinton Avenue renamed MT. PLEASANT. Service provided 18 hours per day, 7 days a week, including holidays. Night car service continues to be provided by the ST. CLAIR car.
| ||||||||||||
 | |
|
Due to closure of the Belt Line bridge on Mt. Pleasant between Moore and Merton, at 5:30 a.m. the MT. PLEASANT streetcar service is "temporarily" replaced by diesel buses operating over two sections. South half operates from St. Clair Station to Mt. Pleasant, looping counterclockwise via St. Clair Avenue, Welland, Moore and Mt. Pleasant during the morning. In the afternoon looping is reversed. North half runs from Davisville Station via Chaplin Crescent, Davisville Avenue and Mt. Pleasant to the existing Mt. Pleasant streetcar loop at Eglinton. No night service provided.
 | |
|
Because of TTC work crews excavating Mt. Pleasant loop, the north shuttle route is diverted to loop counterclockwise via east on Eglinton, north on Rawlinson and west on Roehampton.
Buses again diverted from Mt. Pleasant loop because of rail removal on Mt. Pleasant.
 | |
|
Streetcars officially replaced by buses. Although diesels have been running for some time during bridge reconstruction, October 2nd is the first day of through bus service between St. Clair Station and Eglinton on the 74 MT. PLEASANT route.
| MT. PLEASANT | 74 | EGLINTON ST. CLAIR STATION |
| daily, 20 hours/day | ||
 | |
|
Overhead trolley wire installation in the St. Clair Station streetcar loop necessitates Mt. Pleasant buses to use the St. Clair Station bus loop, running both ways via Avoca and Pleasant Boulevard.
Track rehabilitation and repaving of St. Clair Station streetcar loop. Service diverted as in June, 1976.
Trolley coaches replace diesel buses.
Rerouting proposed from Davisville to Merton Street, and extending the route north to Doncliffe Loop, eliminating service to Mt. Pleasant Cemetary and replacing the existing 103 MT. PLEASANT NORTH service. Many local residents and Councillor Mike Walker protested the change very loudly and it was never implemented. Additionally, the TTC was concerned about the geometry of the intersection, since Merton approaches Mt. Pleasant at a fairly steep grade, which could have caused problems for turning buses. The reason for the amalgamation was to use one less bus; however, the savings were effected by cutting service on 74 MT. PLEASANT.
 |
General Motors T6H-5307N number 8051 posed at St. Clair Station during a Toronto Transportation Society fan trip on March 25, 2000.
Brad O'Brien photo |
