52 Lawrence (West) Route History

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52 LAWRENCE & LAWRENCE WEST Route History
*Last updated September 7th, 2001*	by Jeffery Kay From Transfer Points, Vol. XXII, No. 4, May 1996 with additional information from D.C. Bardeau and Peter Coulman

This article is one of a continuing series, which is written by Jeffrey Kay. In this article, Toronto Transportation Commission and Toronto Transit Commission service in the Lawrence Avenue corridor between Bayview Avenue/Sunnybrook Hospital in the east and Martin Grove Road in the west is reviewed, with a history of the 52 LAWRENCE route.

May 1st, 1934

A new route is inaugurated, operated from Davenport garage, and running from Melrose & Elm via Elm, Lawrence Avenue and Ronan to Snowden, and return.

LAWRENCE	MELROSE SNOWDEN
Daily, 18 hours/day

October 5th, 1936

Extra afternoon rush hour service added between Yonge Street and Melrose.

LAWRENCE	MELROSE SNOWDEN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	MELROSE YONGE
Monday through Friday, afternoon rush hours

December 7th, 1936

Extra morning rush hour service added between Yonge Street and Melrose.

LAWRENCE	MELROSE SNOWDEN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	MELROSE YONGE
Monday through Friday, rush hours

April 1st,1938

Operations transferred to Eglinton garage.

February 10th, 1941

Rush hour extension on Elm north from Melrose to Roe.

LAWRENCE	MELROSE SNOWDEN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	ROE SNOWDEN
Rush hours only, 6:00-8:56 a.m. & Monday-Friday, 5:06-6:38 p.m. Saturday, 12:11-5:05 p.m.

February 24th, 1941

Saturday Roe extension operates until 7:00 p.m..

LAWRENCE	MELROSE SNOWDEN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	ROE SNOWDEN
Monday through Friday, rush hours Saturday, rush hours to 7:00 p.m.

June 20th, 1942

Saturday afternoon extras run between Yonge Street and Roe.

LAWRENCE	MELROSE SNOWDEN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	ROE SNOWDEN
Monday through Friday, rush hours Saturday, rush hours to 7:00 p.m.
LAWRENCE	ROE YONGE
Saturday, noon to 7:00 p.m.

November 1st, 1942

Service extended all day to Roe. Extra rush hour trips run between Yonge Street and Roe.

LAWRENCE	ROE SNOWDEN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	ROE YONGE
Monday through Friday, rush hours Saturday, rush hours to 7:00 p.m.

March 7th, 1954

Rerouted coincident with the inauguration of the 61 NORTOWN trolley coach route. Route now runs from Lawrence Avenue & Avenue Road via Avenue Road, Glengarry, Grey, Lawrence, Bayview Avenue, St. Leonards, Mildenhall and back to Avenue Road. According to the March, 1954, edition of the Coupler, "A new route along Lawrence Avenue commenced with the first day bus March 7th [1954]. The bus was rerouted to operate between Avenue Road and Bayview Avenue. During rush hours, the familiar subway destination sign will appear [LAWRENCE EAST - BAYVIEW/SUBWAY]."

LAWRENCE	AVENUE RD BAYVIEW
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE WEST	AVENUE RD SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE EAST	BAYVIEW SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours

March 30th, 1954

Route now operates to and from the Yonge Subway via Yonge Street. Both the east and west branches serve bay number 2 at Eglinton station.

LAWRENCE	AVENUE RD BAYVIEW
Daily, 18 hours/day except Monday through Friday rush hours
LAWRENCE WEST	AVENUE RD SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE EAST	BAYVIEW SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours

July 1st, 1954

Extended west to Lawrence Plaza at Bathurst Street, looping in the parking lot on the southwest corner.

LAWRENCE	BATHURST BAYVIEW
Daily, 18 hours/day except Monday through Friday rush hours
LAWRENCE WEST	BATHURST SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE EAST	BAYVIEW SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours

June 29th, 1955

Buses now loop at the west end via Bathurst Street, Covington and Brucewood.

September 8th, 1957

Extended west to Dufferin Street, looping via Corona, Cork and Dufferin. The exact details of short turn services to Bathurst Street are unknown from September 1957 until October 1966. This report assumes that a Bathurst rush hour short turn was operated until September 1965. Confirmation of scheduled service on the various short turn branches would be appreciated. "EAST" and "WEST" suffixes dropped from rush-hour branches. Route number 52 (which was assigned in the early spring of 1957) added to destination signs at this time.

LAWRENCE	52	DUFFERIN BAYVIEW
Daily, 18 hours/day except Monday through Friday rush hours
LAWRENCE	52A	BATHURST EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52B	BAYVIEW EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52C	DUFFERIN EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours

December 5th, 1960

Extended west to Caledonia Road, 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, looping via Marianfield, Playfair and Caledonia.

LAWRENCE	52	DUFFERIN BAYVIEW
Monday through Friday evenings, 5 hours/day Saturday & Sunday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	BATHURST EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52B	BAYVIEW EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52D	CALEDONIA EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52E	CALEDONIA BAYVIEW
Monday through Friday, mid-day

June 26th, 1961

Service extended west of Caledonia Road to Culford, 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, looping clockwise in the service station on the southwest corner.

LAWRENCE	52	DUFFERIN BAYVIEW
Monday through Friday evenings, 5 hours/day Saturday & Sunday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	BATHURST EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52B	BAYVIEW EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52F	KEELE EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52G	KEELE BAYVIEW
Monday through Friday, mid-day

October 10th, 1961

Extended west of Culford to Weston, looping via Weston Road, John, and South Station.

LAWRENCE	52	DUFFERIN BAYVIEW
Monday through Friday evenings, 5 hours/day Saturday & Sunday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	BATHURST EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52B	BAYVIEW EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52D	WESTON EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52E	WESTON BAYVIEW
Monday through Friday, mid-day

September 3th, 1962

Evening and weekend service extended to Weston Road.

LAWRENCE	52A	BATHURST EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52B	BAYVIEW EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52D	WESTON EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52E	WESTON BAYVIEW
Daily, 18 hours/day except Monday through Friday, rush hours

May 21st, 1963

Rush hour buses switched to bay 1 at Eglinton Station, and now run express--in the afternoon rush hour only--from the first stop north of the subway to Lawrence Avenue. Southbound buses continue to run in local service.

September 3rd, 1963

Extended west of Weston Road via Lawrence Avenue, Royal York Road, Trehorne and The Westway, looping via Redgrave, Waterbury, and Martin Grove Road, replacing the former 98 WESTWAY route.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE BAYVIEW
Monday through Friday, mid-day Saturday, 12 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	BATHURST EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52B	BAYVIEW EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52C	MARTIN GROVE EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52D	WESTON EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52E	WESTON BAYVIEW
Daily, 18 hours/day except Monday through Friday, rush hours

September 16th, 1963

Weston Road buses now loop now via Weston Road and Little.

December 15th, 1963

Rush hour buses switched to bay 10 at Eglinton Station.

September 7th, 1965

Monday through Saturday evening service extended to Martin Grove Road.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE BAYVIEW
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day except rush hours
LAWRENCE	52B	BAYVIEW EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52C	MARTIN GROVE EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52D	WESTON RD EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52E	WESTON RD BAYVIEW
Monday through Friday, mid-day Saturday, 12 hours/day Sunday, 15 hours/day

January 23rd, 1966

Queensway Garage opened. Route now operated out of both the Eglinton and Queensway divisions, with most buses being provided by Queensway. (Prior to this, presumably, it operated out of the Eglinton division only.) Queensway division drivers changing-off runs did so eastbound at the southwest corner of Kipling and the Westway.

May 11th, 1968

Now running both ways on The Westway between Royal York Road and Trehorne.

April 27th, 1969

Extended east at all times--except rush hours--via Lawrence and Bayview Avenues to Sunnybrook Hospital. However, the actual roll signs used continued to be 52 and 52E instead of 52F and 52G. The pocket guides at the time denoted 52F and 52G, but no photographic evidence has surfaced, yet. It may be possible that the signs were never updated. Ride Guides from that period still showed 52E as the Weston Road looping.

LAWRENCE	52B	BAYVIEW EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52C	MARTIN GROVE EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52D	WESTON RD EGLINTON SUBWAY
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52F	WESTON RD SUNNYBROOK
Monday through Friday, mid-day Saturday, 12 hours/day Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52G	MARTIN GROVE SUNNYBROOK
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day except rush hours

March 31st, 1973

Rush hour extension to Eglinton Station discontinued. All trips from the east and west now terminate at the new Lawrence Station on the Yonge Subway extension to York Mills Station. New Ranee service added from Lawrence Station via Lawrence Avenue and Varna, looping via Varna, Ranee, and Flemingdon. Only 52B, 52C, and 52D branches still operated by Eglinton division.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	WESTON RD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 12 hours/day Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52B	RANEE LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52C	BAYVIEW LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours
LAWRENCE	52D	SUNNYBROOK LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day except Monday through Friday, rush hours

August 15th, 1973

Service east of Yonge Street replaced by revised 11 BAYVIEW and 28 DAVISVILLE routes.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	WESTON RD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 12 hours/day Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52B	RANEE LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day

February 9th, 1976

A new rush hour service begins operation, from Lawrence Station to Neptune Drive via Lawrence Avenue, Bathurst Street, Hotspur and Neptune, returning via Ameer, Ranee, Bathurst, Covington, Brucewood and Lawrence.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	WESTON RD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 12 hours/day Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52B	RANEE LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52C	NEPTUNE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours

January 28th, 1978

The Spadina Subway is opened, and through service on Lawrence now loops through the new Lawrence West station in both directions. Branches 52B and 52C are replaced by the new 109 RANEE route. A new branch is introduced from Lawrence West station to Culford, replacing the southern portion of the 59 MAPLE LEAF route, looping via Culford, Flamborough, Keele Street, Gulliver and Culford.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	WESTON RD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 12 hours/day Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52D	CULFORD LAWRENCE WEST STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours

November 21st, 1982

All operation transferred to Queensway division. A total of 29 buses required for rush hours.

April 14th, 1990

Weston Road looping revised, now south on Weston Road, west on Bellview, north on Hickory Tree, and east on Lawrence Avenue.

January 3rd, 1983

Midday short turn service to Weston Road is discontinued, and through service to Martin Grove is improved.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	WESTON RD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours Saturday, 12 hours/day Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52D	CULFORD LAWRENCE WEST STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours

February 12th, 1983

Saturday short turn service to Weston Road is discontinued, and through service to Martin Grove is improved.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	WESTON RD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52D	CULFORD LAWRENCE WEST STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours

April 18th, 1983

Afternoon rush hour short turn service to Weston Road is discontinued, and through service to Martin Grove is improved.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	WESTON RD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, morning rush hours Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52D	CULFORD LAWRENCE WEST STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours

July 21, 1985

Rush hour service reduced to a 7:30 minute headway to Martin Grove and a 3:45 minute combined headway to Weston Road in the morning rush. During the afternoon rush a 5:00 minute headway is provided to Martin Grove. A total of 22 buses are required (including two for the Culford branch).

January 5th, 1987

Branch 52D Culford looping revised to provide a new service into the Sheffield industrial area and closer service to Northwestern Hospital and the Baker Health Clinic. Buses loop south on Benton, west on Colville, south on Sheffield, west on Ingram and Gulliver, north on Culford, and east on Lawrence Avenue. Buses follow the reverse looping after 3:00 p.m. Service is no longer provided on Flamborough between Culford and Keele.

September 8th, 1987

Morning rush hour short turn service to Weston Road is discontinued, and through service to Martin Grove is improved.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	WESTON RD LAWRENCE STN
Sunday, 15 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52D	CULFORD LAWRENCE WEST STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours

November 22nd, 1987

Sunday service extended from Weston Road to Martin Grove Road. Earlier trip added Sunday morning.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52D	CULFORD LAWRENCE WEST STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours

February 6th, 1989

Culford service extended east to Lawrence Station.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52E	CULFORD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, 12 hours/day

May 9th, 1993

Coincident with the discontinuation of the 314 DUFFERIN/BATHURST night bus after 5:30 a.m. on Sundays, a new 52A service operates from 5:30 a.m. until about 9:00 a.m., between Dufferin and Yonge Streets.

LAWRENCE	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE	52A	DUFFERIN LAWRENCE STN
Sunday, 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
LAWRENCE	52E	CULFORD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, 12 hours/day

February 13th, 1994

New rush hour express service on Lawrence Avenue and The Westway between Martin Grove Road and Lawrence Station. Express buses serve all stops between Martin Grove and Jane Street, then run express both ways between Jane and Lawrence Station stopping at Keele Street, Caledonia Road, Dufferin Street, Lawrence West Station, Bathurst Street and Avenue Road only. In conjuction with the new express service, the existing Culford branch is now designated 52C. Also note that the designation "West" has been added to the route name for all branches. (The last route 52 buses to run east of Yonge Street operated in 1973.)

LAWRENCE WEST	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE WEST	52A	DUFFERIN LAWRENCE STN
Sunday, 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
LAWRENCE WEST	52C	CULFORD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, 12 hours/day
LAWRENCE WEST	52E	MARTIN GROVE
E X P R E S S	52E	LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, rush hours

September 5th, 1995

Express service discontinued.

LAWRENCE WEST	52	MARTIN GROVE LAWRENCE STN
Daily, 18 hours/day
LAWRENCE WEST	52A	DUFFERIN LAWRENCE STN
Sunday, 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
LAWRENCE WEST	52C	CULFORD LAWRENCE STN
Monday through Friday, 12 hours/day

No further changes through September 1995.

Route histories are based on a variety of publications in the author's collection, including route maps, pocket timetables, TTC Headlights and newspaper clippings. Any additional information, clarifications or corrections can be sent to the author, care of this web site.

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