37 Islington Route History

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37 ISLINGTON Route History
From Transfer Points, Vol XV, No. 6, July-August 1989

Beginning in July of 1954, REXDALE (and later WESTMOUNT) buses operated on Islington Avenue from Dixon Road north to Leduc. In 1956 this service was extended north to Elmhurst. Also from July 1954--until August 1975--route 93 WOODBRIDGE buses served Islington Avenue both ways from Albion Road north into the town of Woodbridge. Further south, the 45 KIPLING route ran on Islington between Princess Margaret and the Westway, starting in September 1960. When the 98 WESTWAY route was inaugurated in September of 1962, 45 KIPLING buses were extended north to Dixon. The 98 WESTWAY and 45 KIPLING routes operated until September 2nd, 1963, when major changes were made in the suburban bus network. One of these changes was the inauguration of the ISLINGTON route. (Before that date, the original ISLINGTON route was numbered 44, and ran between the Junction--Dundas & Runnymede--and the village of Islington--at Dundas & Bloor.)

September 3rd, 1963

Route inaugurated with a new through service on Islington Avenue operating 12 hours a day, six days a week, between Albion Road and The Queensway. North loop via Wardlaw Crescent and Barkwin; south loop via Inverness, Rothsay and The Queensway.

ISLINGTON	37	ALBION QUEENSWAY
Monday through Saturday, 12 hours/day

Date unknown

Evening service added.

ISLINGTON	37	ALBION QUEENSWAY
Monday through Saturday, 18 hours/day

May 25th, 1965

Extended northwest via Albion to Martin Grove, looping via Silverstone, Lexington, and Martin Grove.

ISLINGTON	37	ALBION QUEENSWAY
Monday through Friday, 6 hours (evenings only) Saturday, 18 hours/day
ISLINGTON VIA ALBION	37A	MARTIN GROVE QUEENSWAY
Monday through Friday, 12 hours/day

May 11th, 1968

Albion branch replaced by an extension of the 36 FINCH bus and Sunday service introduced. Also, all buses now stop both ways on Islington at the new Islington Station.

ISLINGTON	37	ALBION QUEENSWAY
Daily, 18 hours/day

November 18th, 1968

Buses now loop through Islington Station in both directions.

February 7th, 1970*

Route extended south of The Queensway and a short distance west on Evans to a new off-street loop just west of Islington.

ISLINGTON	37A		ALBION EVANS
Daily, 18 hours/day

September 5th, 1971

Extended north of Albion via Islington to a new off-street loop on Steeles just west of Islington, replacing part of the 93 WOODBRIDGE route. Additional rush hour trips run north to Elmhurst looping via Fordwich, Pakenham and Gosfield.

ISLINGTON	37	STEELES EVANS
Daily, 18 hours/day
ISLINGTON	37A	ELMHURST EVANS
rush hours only

October 12th, 1971

Elmhurst loop revised, now looping via Elmhurst and Fordwich Crescent.

November 26th, 1972

Service south of Bloor replaced by the new 15 EVANS and 38 HORNER routes. 37 ISLINGTON buses now terminate within Islington Station, at the south end.

ISLINGTON	37	STEELES ISLINGTON STN.
Daily, 18 hours/day
ISLINGTON	37A	ELMHURST ISLINGTON STN.
rush hours only

February 6th, 1984

Rush hour short-turn service extended beyond Elmhurst to Albion Road, looping via Wardlaw Crescent and Barkwin. A new rush-hour service from Islington Station via Islington, Bergamont, and Rexdale Boulevard to the existing loop at Precision Road is introduced to replace the 83 REXDALE bus, and the 37A Elmhurst short turn is also eliminated.

ISLINGTON	37	STEELES ISLINGTON STN.
Daily, 18 hours/day
ISLINGTON	37B	ALBION ISLINGTON STN.
rush hours only
ISLINGTON VIA REXDALE BLVD.	37C	PRECISION ISLINGTON STN.
rush hours only

October 15th, 1985

Rexdale service extended to Highway 27 via Rexdale Boulevard, looping west of Highway 27 through the Woodbine Centre.

ISLINGTON	37	STEELES ISLINGTON STN.
Daily, 18 hours/day
ISLINGTON	37B	ALBION ISLINGTON STN.
rush hours only
ISLINGTON VIA REXDALE BLVD.	37D	HIGHWAY 27 ISLINGTON STN.
Monday through Friday, 16 hours/day Saturday, 12 hours/day

September 8th, 1987

Morning rush hour short turn at Albion eliminated and service to Steeles improved. (This information refers only to a change in the morning rush. The p.m. rush service to Albion was still operating in September 1986, therefore it must have been suspended some time between September 1986 and September 1987; the exact date is not known.)

ISLINGTON	37	STEELES ISLINGTON STN.
Daily, 18 hours/day
ISLINGTON VIA REXDALE BLVD.	37D	HIGHWAY 27 ISLINGTON STN.
Monday through Friday, 16 hours/day Saturday, 12 hours/day

* Dates noted with this symbol are the earliest reference to this change, but the change may have occurred earlier.

The above information is drawn from Toronto Transit Commission maps, TTC Headlights--now called Rider News--and pocket timetables in both the Toronto Transportation Society's and the author's collection.

Can you help with other Route Histories? Our sources do not detail the many short turn services operated on some of the longer routes during the 1950s and 1960s. Many of these routes also operated both local and express services at rush hours. Specific routes that we require help with are 7 BATHURST, 29 DUFFERIN, 32 EGLINTON WEST, 34 EGLINTON EAST, 41 KEELE, 59 NORTH YONGE and 86 SCARBOROUGH. If you can help, please contact Jeffrey Kay at a Society meeting, by e-mail at jeffrey_kay@hotmail.com, or regular mail care of the Toronto Transportation Society at