It's been just over a month since the TTC replaced its 510 streetcars on Spadina Avenue with buses to accommodate track renewal and overhead electrical system upgrades, which effectively tripled travel times on the busy route and resulted in an onslaught of complaints online. 

In response to the heavy congestion, city council has approved the addition of a temporary bus-only lane to a section of Spadina Avenue starting next week in hopes of mitigating the brutal gridlock. 

On June 23, the TTC began upgrading the overhead power network along the Spadina streetcar right-of-way between King Street and Queens Quay, and from College Street to Spadina subway station. 

Track renewal work is also taking place at Spadina station, along with enabling works for a future platform extension. The work is expected to take until the end of the year to fish, and streetcar service is expected to resume in January 2025. 

The TTC's Spadina streetcar replacement is already a disaster for commuters https://t.co/KRrczccmCX

— blogTO (@blogTO) June 25, 2024

In a letter to the Toronto and East York Community Council, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Spadina-Fort York Ausma Malik stressed that the southbound service has "experienced significant congestion" as a result of the changes, and proposed adding a temporary bus lane on Spadina Avenue southbound between Richmond Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West. 

The proposal was approved by City council on Thursday night, and the bus-only lane is set to be installed next week, allowing the TTC to also eliminate the afternoon diversion on the route. 

The plan will involve temporarily removing on-street parking, and the taxi stand on the west side of Spadina Avenue between Richmond Street West and Front Street West, which would provide space for a temporary bus lane while also maintaining two southbound lanes for general traffic. 

The priority bus lane is expected to stay in place until the work on the streetcar right-of-way is finished. 

City council estimates that the temporary lane will cost approximately $240,000, with $78,586 to install and remove the lane, as well as $162,000 in lost parking revenue. The changes are set to be funded by the TTC's 2024-2033 Capital Budget.