Here's what you need to know to get around Toronto this Thanksgiving long weekend
Whether you’re heading out of town for this Thanksgiving long weekend or staying in Toronto, the GTA is set to be bustling and congested, with road closures, TTC disruptions and events clogging things up, as usual.
TTC closures and diversions
Track work between Spadina and St. Andrew Stations will necessitate the closure of that portion of the Line 1 Yonge-University Subway. Service between the two points will end early at 11:59 pm on Friday, October 6, and the closure will continue through Saturday, October 7.
While shuttle buses will supplement service on Friday night, due to traffic concerns, the TTC will be increasing the frequency of vehicles on streetcar routes such as the 510 Spadina, 506 Carlton, 505 Dundas, 501 Queen, and 504 King so people can better bypass the closure.
Also, Line 1 subway service between King and Osgoode Stations will open late, by 11 am, on Sunday, October 8, due to track work. Shuttle buses will run in lieu, and, unlike the other closures, the impacted stations will remain open for loading PRESTO cards and other services.
As far as diversions and other impediments are concerned:
- 511 Bathurst streetcars will be diverting along Queen, Spadina and King due to maintenance work taking place on the thoroughfare
- The entire network will be running on a holiday schedule on Monday, October 9
- Minor route diversions continue to affect a handful of routes, including 503 Kingston, 505 Dundas and 29/329 Dufferin. A full list and details can be found on the TTC website.
Ongoing construction
Various infrastructure projects will affect the usability of roads across the city and could cause delays:
- The Dufferin Street Bridge is blocked off for emergency repairs
- Queen Street W between Bay and Victoria Streets is closed for construction of the new Ontario Line stop
- Broadview Avenue between Gerrard Street E and Danforth Ave. is limited to one northbound lane with no southbound traffic due to TTC track replacement
- Multiple lanes of the Don Valley Parkway in both directions around Don Mills are being occupied for bridge rehabilitation
- One southbound lane of the Don Valley Parkway from the Leaside Bridge to Beechwood Drive is closed for valve station work
- Two westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard E between Cherry and Carlaw are occupied for work on the Don River Bridge
- One westbound lane of Lake Shore Boulevard W between Rees and Spadina is blocked for a shaft and tunnel project
- One westbound lane of Lake Shore Boulevard W between Yonge and Bay is closed for concrete chipping
- One eastbound lane of Lakeshore Boulevard W will be blocked at Lower Simcoe and Spadina Avenue for the installation of Miovision cameras starting Monday
- Continued roadwork on Highway 401 means multiple lane closures in and around the city
Road closures for major events
Thankfully, there are no significant road closures for festivals, parades or other events, though there are plenty of things on in the city — among them, Toronto Oktoberfest at Garrison Common, Drake & 21 Savage at Scotiabank Arena, Pumpkin Fest at Downsview Park — so expect crowds and delays in some areas, especially on the holiday Monday.
Given the nice weather, those heading to attractions such as the Toronto Islands should anticipate long lineups, as is often the case every long weekend. The same goes for anyone trekking up north to cottage country.
Whether you’re driving, cycling, taking transit or walking, keep up with current road closures and hazards via the City of Toronto website and transit issues via the TTC Service Alerts X account. Closures and other incidents hindering local highway traffic are available via Ontario 511.